gher or Colonel Simpson or the brave men of their respective regiments on account of this ill-turn of fortune, but, on the contrary, they are entitled to the credit of having held their ground until it was tenable no longer.

I have only further to add that throughout this day the Reserves supported the character they had gained in the battle of Mechanicsville on the afternoon of the 26th and the morning of this day.

My thanks are due to Brigadier General J. F. Reynolds, who, I regret to report, was captured, together with his assistant adjutant-general, Charles Kingsbury, by the enemy on the morning of the 28th, the general finding on the previous evening that the enemy was already in his rear, and having retired to the woods, where he passed the night. Generals Meade and Seymour, as usual, led the brigades with the skill and effect to be expected of officers of their distinction. To the officers of my personal staff, particularly to Captain H. J. Biddle, assistant adjutant-general, and to Major Alfred E. Lewis, First Pennsylvania Artillery, acting aide-de-camp, my thanks are due for efficient services.

The loss of my division to-day heavy, and is embraced in the total loss at the foot of this report.*

Battle of New Market Cross-Roads+ on the 30th June, 1862.

On Friday evening, June 27, after the battle of Gaines' Mill, my division crossed the Chickahominy to Trent's Hill, where it remained till 8 p.m. on the 28th, when I was ordered to move in the direction of White Oak Creek, and take with me Hunt's reserve artillery, consisting of thirteen batteries. Owing to unavoidable detention on the route my division was all night on the march, and did not reach White Oak Creek till near noon on the 29th. Having crossed the creek, I was ordered by the general-in-chief to put my division in position to repel any attack of the enemy from the direction of Richmond. This I did, and remained in position till 5 o'clock p.m., when the march was resumed, and continued by my command till I reached the Quaker-road crossing of the New Market road, where I arrived at midnight and took up a position on the cross-road, sending out a regiment and a battery in front and strong picket in advance of them. Here I remained in readiness to repel any advance of the enemy till about daylight, when I was ordered to retire. This I did, left in front, and reached the point where the Turkey Bridge road turns off from the New Market road at about 7 a.m. on the 30th. I here turned into Turkey Bridge road, and was ordered to halt on this ground till the whole of our immense train, which had safely crossed White Oak Creek, had passed on toward James River, and to repel any attack that the enemy might make on it.

At 9 o'clock had commenced the heavy cannonade caused by the enemy attempting to force the passage of the creek in order to fall upon the train, and it continued with little interruption till noon. It was a determined artillery duel, but as I did not apprehend their ability to effect a passage, I was not long in coming to the conclusion that any attack on myself must come from the direction of Richmond on my right flank. I had thrown out a cavalry picket in that direction, and afterward discovering indications of an advance of the enemy, moved out a regiment in the same direction on picket duty.

I now examined the character of the country around me, and made my disposition of the troops facing to the right flank-Meade's brigade

* Not found, but see revised statement, p.40.

+ Glendale, or Nelson's Farm.