Captain Benson had his horse killed under him. He mentions in terms of commendation Lieutenant Barlow, Second U. S. Artillery.

Asst. Surg. J. S. Smith, U. S. Army, was very active in the discharge of his duties and under the hottest fire.

The reserve left Yorktown on the 9th and reached camp at Roper's Church to-day, where it was rejoined by Gibson's, Tidball's, and Benson's batteries. Robertson's is still with the advanced corps of observation under General Stoneman.

The siege guns and material were hauled by the teams of the reserve batteries from the trenches to the landing at Yorktown.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

HENRY J. HUNT,

Colonel, Commanding Artillery Reserve.

Brigadier General W. F. BARRY.

Numbers 6. Report of Captain Horatio G. Gibson,

Third U. S. Artillery.

LIGHT COMPANY C, THIRD ARTILLERY, Camp at Williamsburg, Va., May 6, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to report the operations of my battery in the engagement with the enemy near this place on the 4th instant:

Soon after passing Yorktown I received orders to detach a section under Lieutenant W. D. Fuller to the front. A few miles in advance some of the enemy fired upon the head of our column, and Lieutenant Fuller at once came into action, and drove them from their cover just as I arrived with the rest of the battery on the ground with orders from General Stoneman to report to General Cooke and remain with him. The march was resumed, and on entering the woods near our last camp the whole battery was again ordered forward.

On arriving at the head of our column I found Lieutenant Fuller already engaged with the enemy, firing from the road on the skirt of the timber. By direction of General Cooke I ordered the section to be moved forward on the right of the road, and also brought the other sections into battery in the field on the left. I discovered a large body of the enemy (artillery, cavalry, and infantry) moving from the enemy's work in front to another on our right. I at once opened a rapid and steady fire upon them, and continued it so long as they were in sight and with considerable effect, and then directed the fire of the guns on both works. The enemy returned it rapidly and with serious effect, disabling the battery at nearly every shot. The line of the woods around us formed a crescent, partially inclosing the field in which the battery was posted. The ground was very miry and boggy, particularly on the edge of the timber, where my caissons were placed, in charge of Lieutenant D'Wolf, and the wheels sunk into the mud nearly to their axles. In this hazardous position, with a cross-fire of the enemy upon me, with no infantry support, I kept my guns in play for nearly an hour, and until I had expended about 250 rounds of ammunition.

Orders were then given by General Cooke to withdrawn the battery, which was commenced by Lieutenant Fuller on the right, and followed by me with the other sections on the left. I succeeded in getting them all into the timber, except the last, which, having lost two of the horses, sunk in a boggy hole near the road. I sent Lieutenant Meinell to over-