The promptness and cheerfulness with which the officers under my command obeyed every order and the courage with which they took and maintained every position assigned them I cannot too favorably notice. In the retreat I discovered that a few men in each company had either lost or abandoned their guns and cartridge boxes.

Very respectfully,

J. A. GILMER, Jr.,

Major, Commanding Twenty-seventh Regiment North Carolina Troops.

Colonel CHARLES C. LEE,

Commanding --- Brigade, North Carolina Troops.

P. S.-It is, perhaps, proper for me to add that about 30 of the Twenty-seventh were detailed to operate Latham's battery in conjunction with Captain Latham's company. These 30 men were in the hottest of the engagement, and several of them seriously injured but none killed.

No. 26. Report of Lieutenant Colonel Robert F. Hoke, Thirty-third North Carolina Infantry.

HDQRS. THIRTY-THIRD NORTH CAROLINA REGIMENT,
Kinston, N. C., March 18, 1862.

SIR: In accordance with your orders I respectfully submit the following report concerning our orders received from you and the action of our regiment afterward:

After arriving near the breastworks opposite Fort Thompson and taking up camp on Thursday evening (13th) we were ordered by you to remain in that position for further orders.

At daylight on the following morning you in person ordered Colonel Avery to take position in a line of battle about 400 yards to the rear of the brick-yards, with our right wing resting upon the railroad, and were to remain in that position for further orders, we constituting the reserve; and soon after we had formed our regiment and had them to take off their knapsacks, in order to be ready to move with quickness to any point we might be ordered, we were ordered to move forward about 100 yards immediately to the rear of your position, which in the opinion of the field officers of our regiment was a very exposed one and one well selected, as from that point the movements of the enemy could best be seen. Shortly after we reached that point an order was received from you, through Colonel Robinson to Colonel Avery, to send his right wing, in command of Lieutenant-Colonel Hoke, composing five companies, to occupy the intrenchments on the right of the railroad. I immediately faced the right wing to the right and moved off at a double-quick, going through the woods and down the ravines, in order to protect the men as much as possible, as a forward movement down the railroad would have greatly exposed the command.

I halted them in a ravine, ordered four companies to lie down, and intended to place them in the works by company, as I could in that way save the lives of many, as the firing was hot at that point. After placing Company A (Captain Cowan) in position, and having returned and was placing Captain Parks' company in position, I