in this contest that Lieuts. J. Milton Alexander was mortally and Dickey and Blackmer seriously wounded.

In this battle I have no complaint to make of any officer or man in their advance not only of the officers whom I have just named, but also of Captain J. G. Harris, Company H, and Lieutenant N. A. Pool, commanding Company K.

This night my regiment spent upon the field, and on Tuesday evening, about 7 o'clock, while we were under marching orders and actually on the march, we were ordered into the action at Malvern Hill. We advanced under a heavy fire of artillery and musketry, but the darkness came upon us so rapidly that we were not actively engaged that night.

We were then continued in pursuit of the enemy until the 9th instant, when we were ordered to our present camp, 4 miles from Richmond.

During these contests we have lost 6 officers killed or mortally wounded and 16 wounded, 29 men killed on the field and 202 wounded. The number actually carried into action on Friday, 27th ultimo, was near 450 officers and men.

In specially commending certain officers, whose conduct was markedly brought to my own notice, I have reason to believe that my officers generally behaved quite as gallantly as they.

It is a painful duty in such a regiment to record the fact that Lieutenant W. C. Green, of Company K, absented himself from his company and regiment without leave, as did also Lieutenant M. W. Hill, of Company A, after the fight of Friday. It is but fair, however, to these officers to state that no official investigation has yet taken place of their place of their conduct upon this occasion.

I have the honor, general, to be, with high respect, your obedient servant,

ED. GRAHAM HAYWOOD,

Colonel, Commanding Seventh Regiment North Carolina Troops.

Brigadier General L. O'B. BRANCH,

Commanding Fourth Brigade, Light Division.

No. 343. Report of Colonel Robert H. Cowan,

Eighteenth North Carolina Infantry, of the battles of Mechanicsville, Gaines' Mill, Frazier's Farm [Nelson's Farm, or Glendale], and Malvern Hill.

HDQRS. EIGHTEENTH Regiment NORTH CAROLINA TROOPS, Near Richmond, Va., July-, 1862.

GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of this regiment under my command in the recent battles around Richmond:

Our march across the Chickahominy on the morning of Thursday, June 26, and down its northern bank to Mechanicsville having been conducted under your personal direction, it is not necessary to refer to its incidents. We reached Mechanicsville Thursday afternoon in time to participate in the attack upon the batteries which commanded that crossing, but were not prominently engaged.