bring my right and center sections to the right of the line of battle formed by General Franklin's division.

Upon my arrival upon the designated ground skirmishing between our troops and the enemy had already begun in the woods directly in front. General Newton ordered me not to commence firing until the enemy would show himself outside the woods, which was done at 12 o'clock by the Fifth Alabama Regiment, they firing on my battery with rifled, wounding one of my cannoneers badly. I then opened fire with my 10-pounder Parrotts and threw five spherical case-shot with 1 1/2 of elevation and with 1 1/2-second fuses, which caused the retreat of the Alabama troops. I then commenced shelling the woods in the direction where I knew the enemy to be located, judging from the smoke arising from the discharged muskets, until the firing of the infantry in the woods in front of us ceased entirely.

We have fired five spherical shots on 1 1/2 elevation and 1 1/2-second fuses, and twenty shells with 5 elevation and 6-second fuses, and fourteen shells with 7 elevation by 8-second fuses. The fusees used were the paper fusees and the shot exploded very correctly, except from one piece, in which four shells exploded successively soon after leaving the muzzle, notwithstanding the fuse was cut very carefully and under my special supervision.

The effect of our fire upon the enemy must have been good, judging from their speedy retreat and the reports of some of the men of our division who were following up the enemy in the woods.

I only have to add that my men behaved well on this occasion, and executed all movements quite as steadily as on the drill ground.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. HEXAMER,

Captain, Commanding Battery A, New Jersey Artillery.

Captain E. R. PLATT, Chief of Artillery, General Franklin's Div.

Report of Lieutenant Emory Upton, Fifth U. S. Artillery, commanding Battery D, Second U. S. Artillery.

BATTERY D, SECOND ARTILLERY,

Near West Point, Va., May 10, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by this battery in the action near West Point, Va., May 7, 1862:

The battery was ordered to embark at Ship Point on Sunday, the 4th instant, and arrived off West Point the evening of the 6th. Preparations were immediately made to disembark, and at dawn on the 7th the battery was in park ready for action. At 9 a.m. the enemy's column were reported moving on our left; the horses were hitched in, and I reported the battery ready to Captain Platt. Orders were received to move at 10 a.m. The battery occupied several positions in reserve, but was not engaged until about 12 m., when, under the orders of Captain Platt, it took position in the center of a large field, on a point commanding the approach of the enemy, and at a distance of about 1,400 yards from the woods which the enemy was occupying. One round of shell was fired by Captain Platt's orders. The fuses were cut at five seconds. The first shell burst in the edge of the woods, but all the