operations of this brigade during the recent engagements in front of Richmond:

Thursday the Fourth Brigade, Brigadier General J. G. Walker commanding, to cross the James River and re-enforce Major-General Huger's division.

The brigade, composed of the Third Arkansas, Thirtieth Virginia, Fifty-seventh Virginia, Twenty-seventh North Carolina, and Forty-sixth North Carolina Regiments, Second Georgia Battalion, Capts. D. A. French's and J. R. Branch's light batteries, and Captain Goodwin's cavalry company-in all amounting to about 4,000 men and officers-crossed the pontoon bridge, and reached General Huger about 12 m. on Friday, June 27. While with General Huger's division the fifty-seventh Regiment Virginia Volunteers was relieved from duty with this brigade, and in its place Colonel R. C. Hill's Forty-eighth Regiment North Carolina Troops was substituted.

Friday night the brigade was ordered to cross the Chickahominy on a bridge thrown across the stream by the enemy, which was accomplished in good order by noon Saturday, and the command moved down and bivouacked on the battle-field of the day before, where they remained until Sunday morning, when orders were received to recross the Chickahominy and report to Major-General Huger again. The troops were crossed by daylight Sunday morning and proceeded at once to general huger's division.

Orders came in the afternoon of Sunday to move down the river road. The column was immediately put in motion, and after an exceedingly fatiguing march reach General Holmes' division in the evening, in the vicinity of the pontoon bridge across James River.

Monday, June 30, the brigade moved forward about 5 or 6 miles and formed line of battle on a very commanding hill, in order to check the reported advance of the enemy.

In the afternoon of Monday the brigade was advanced and came into action with the enemy about 5 p. m. A heavy fire of artillery was kept up between a section of Captain French's battery, under Lieutenant Cooper, a section of Captain Branch's battery, under Lieutenant M. A. Martin, and the enemy's numerous batteries advantageously posted on Malvern Hill. Unfortunately, our troops were under the range of the enemy's gunboats, which kept up an incessant fire with guns of the heaviest caliber with extraordinary precision. The firing ceased before dark, except an occasional shot, and about 9 o'clock the command returned to its original position.

Notwithstanding the exceedingly heavy fire the brigade was exposed to during the evening of the 30th comparatively few casualties occurred, 20 men having been wounded, 1 of whom has since died.

During the greater part of Tuesday, July 1, the brigade remained in line of battle on Warren's hill. In the afternoon an advance was ordered. The command moved forward in line of battle for about half a mile, when they were halted and remained in line during the night.

It is proper to state here that the brigadier-general commanding met with a painful accident on Tuesday evening, which incapacitated him to retain command of the brigade, and as senior colonel I was assigned command.

On Wednesday evening at 5 o'clock orders were received for the brigade to move back to Drewry's Bluff. After a fatiguing march through a drenching rain and over muddy roads we reached the bluff safely by daylight Thursday morning.

With few exceptions the conduct of the officers and men, both on the march and in action, was everything that could be desired.