that my brigade broke camp at Howard's Mill at about 7 o'clock a.m. on the 5th of April, 1862, and marched toward Yorktown in the following order: 1st, Twenty-second Massachusetts; 2nd, Captain Allen's Fifth Massachusetts Battery; 3rd, Second Maine; 4th Eighteenth Massachusetts; 5th, Twenty-fifth New York; 6th, Thirteenth New York. The head of my column was brought to a halt at Cockletown in consequence of the occupation of the road by Morell's brigade and a train of transportation wagons and ambulances, and remained thus obstructed and wholly unable to proceed until after 10 o'clock a.m. The accompanying reports of regimental commanders disclose the true state of the narrow and swampy road or defile through which we marched.

On the road the sound of artillery was heard in advance, and I hastened to close up and form my column as soon as I reached an open space of ground, where it could be done without delaying the march along the road. When the leading regiment (the Twenty-second Massachusetts) was formed, it was advanced in close column of companies to the position occupied by the commanding general of division, to whom I reported for instructions. At that time he was on the right of the Yorktown road, not far from its junction with the Warwick road. The four regiments of Morell's brigade were extended-two on the right of the Yorktown road and two to the left on the Warwick road. These two last regiments I was ordered by the commanding general of division to relieve, to throw forward skirmishers to discovered whether the enemy was in force on the left, and to prevent the left from being turned. At a subsequent hour I was directed by a written order to extend protection to Professor Lowe, with his balloon and wagons, still farther to my left and rear, and was apprised again that it was necessary to prevent my left from been turned. I was further requested by the commanding general to dispense with artillery if possible.

Agreeably to these instructions the Twenty-second Massachusetts and the Second Maine Regiments were immediately marched to the left of the Warwick road, and at a distance of about 800 yards crossed the road, relieved the two regiments of Morell's brigade, and were brought in view of the enemy's line of intrenched works, which extended in a curved line toward Warwick. This occurred as early as a quarter past 12 o'clock m. The intervening river was concealed from us by the depression of the ground and a low marsh. Skirmishers from the Twenty-second Massachusetts were sent forward to reconnoiter, and at once a heavy fire from the enemy's batteries was opened on us at a range of about 1,600 yards.

The Twenty-second Massachusetts and Second Maine, which were closed in column and in the line of fire, were ordered to move by the flank to the Warwick road, where they would be partially sheltered by the woods. While in this position Major Tilton, of the Twenty-second Massachusetts, informed me that a battery outside of the intrenchments had opened on his skirmishers within half a mile of their position. Shortly before I had seen two regiments marching out of the intrenchments and passing behind woods which were interposed between them and my right, and concealed them from view. Under these circumstances I communicated the facts to the commanding general of division, and requested the support of artillery.

In the mean time my remaining regiments had arrived. The artillery (Martin's battery and three pieces, I think, of Griffin's) reached the ground. Two sections of Martin's were planted on the ground where I had just reconnoitered the enemy's works and where the firing had opened on us; the remaining pieces sent along the Warwick road