original position, the Courtney house, a few hundred yards to the right and a little in the rear, the column moved in perfect order, every man in his proper place, and remained so after having been thrown into battle order until after the close of the action, notwithstanding they were opposed (as reported by rebel prisoners) by eight regiments and a part of the rebel legion, who advanced within 25 or 30 paces of our line, and left as a memento of their rashness over 500 killed and wounded, exclusive of prisoners. No higher commendation is needed to show the services of my brigade.

The following is a list of casualties of the regiments of my brigade engaged under command of General Sumner:

First Regiment U. S. Chasseurs, 7 killed, 24 wounded; total, 31.

Thirty-first Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, 5 killed, 15 wounded, 12 missing; total, 32.

Company H, Brady's battery, 6 wounded; total, 6.

Total killed, 12; total wounded, 45; total missing, 12; grand total, 69.

Horses shot, wounded, and missing are 10.

A complete list of the casualties in all the regiments of my brigade has been forwarded to the division commander.*

I am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. J. ABERCROMBIE,

Brigadier-General, Commanding Brigade.

Captain J. H. TAYLOR, Chief of Staff, Second Corps.

Numbers 82. Report of Colonel John Cochrane,

Sixty-fifth New York Infantry.

HDQRS. 1ST U. S. CHASSEURS, ABERCROMBIE'S BRIGADE, Camp near Fair Oaks, Va., June 3, 1862.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report the movements of this regiment in the action of Saturday, 31st ultimo, at Fair Oaks.

The regiment, upon a sudden alarm of firing by the enemy, at about 1 o'clock p. m. of Saturday, the 31st ultimo, was drawn up in line of battle in front of its camp at the Seven Pines. By orders from the brigadier-general in command it proceeded by the right flank to the railroad station of Fair Oaks. There we were directed to support Captain Brady's battery, which we did, the Thirty-first Pennsylvania resting on our left. Having thrown out pickets to the front, and they reporting that the enemy were moving toward our right flank, the regiment was ordered and accordingly formed line of battle facing outward to the right, and supported by the Thirty-first Pennsylvania Volunteers on the left and the Seventh Massachusetts on the right. Three pieces of Brady's battery were advanced to the front of the line, and the Sixty-second New York (Anderson Zouaves) supported us in the rear.

Having been ordered by General Abercrombie to withdraw from our position, we moved by his command along the road leading from Fair Oaks Station to the eminence near the Courtney place. Here we awaited the approach of the enemy until, re-enforcements arriving, by order of General Abercrombie, the regiment took position in front of a belt of woods through which the enemy's forces were approaching.

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*Embodied in return, p. 761.

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