discovered that Mrs. General Lee was staying at Mrs. Sayers' house, within our picket lines. A large quantity of commissary and some naval and light-house stores were found by this officer. A detailed report has been made.

Saturday, May 24, in accordance with instructions received, I mad a reconnaissance in force with the three regiments under my command toward Hanover Court-House. Ascertaining that the enemy was established there in considerable strength the infantry was drawn up in position near Mrs. Newton's house (about 5 miles from Old Church), and the Sixth Pennsylvania Cavalry advanced 2 miles, to Widow Huntley's and found the enemy in force. During the reconnaissance Colonel Marshall destroyed the ferry at Hanovertown, and Major Doull, having ascertained that a private ferry existed about 2 miles above Hanovertown and about 1 1/2 miles from the main road, in a deep salient bend of the river, took 3 men of the Sixth Pennsylvania Cavalry and destroyed it. The ferr-boat being on the north side of the stream, a man of Company I swam over and brought it across. A re-enforcements, consisting of the Fifth New York Volunteers, under you command, and Captain Weeden's Rhode Island having arrived in the evening, I turned over the command of the detached force to you.

Monday, May 26, one battalion of my regiment, under command of Major Hemingway, accompanied the force under your command to destroy the bridge over the Pamunkey near Widow Huntley's. While the Fifth New York crossed the river and destroyed the bridge this battalion deployed and showed front toward Hanover Court-House, to cover the operation in that direction. During the same day a detachment of the regiment, under Captain Rockwood, Company E, marched to New Castle Ferry, with orders to destroy all means of crossing the river from that point down until he communicated with the gunboats. At New Castle Ferry Captain Rockwood burned the ferry-boat and captured four row-boats, in which he embarked

one-half of his detachment and proceeded down the river, the other moving along the banks in support.

About 2 miles down Captain Rockwood captured four row-boats, and about 4 miles (by river) found a ferry called Basset's Landing, and twelve boats, one of them a small yacht, called the Teazer, said to have been used at Yorktown. The whole were capable of transporting about 500 men at a time across the stream. All these were destroyed, and fifteen found between this point and Pipingtree, where he destroyed the ferry-boat, and between that point and North Berry seventeen boats, besides some in process of construction; one of these an open boat, propelled by steam. At North Berry, about 4 miles below Piping Ferry, Captain Rockwood found the ferr-boat already destroyed; and having ascertained that the gunboats had been up that far the disembarked and encamped for the night. This operation, in concert with that undertaken by the column under you command, completed the destruction of all the means of crossing the Pamunkey below Hanover Court-House. The distance from New Castle Ferry by Newberry by river is about 22 miles.

Tuesday, May 27, the regiment formed part of the column under your command which advanced toward Hanover Court-House. When you advanced with the cavalry, leaving the infantry under my command, the regiment was deployed to attack the enemy in the woods were entered. When the column was ordered to counter-march, to repel the attack of the enemy upon our left rear, as the advance of the brigade