O'Brian, Twenty-fourth, lost a leg; Captain Myers, Fourteenth New York State Militia, lost a leg.

As I have already forwarded a list of killed and wounded, I will not enter into details here. The aggregate of killed, wounded, and missing is as follows: Commissioned officers killed and wounded, 10; enlisted men killed and wounded, 147; missing, 29. Total, 186.*

The brigade went into the action of Wednesday, September 17, with about 425 officers and men, and their loss in killed, wounded, and missing (the missing being about 29) is a fraction over 43 per cent. of those engaged. Their loss on Sunday, September 14, at South Mountain (see of killed, wounded, and missing) was a fraction less than 25 per cent. of those engaged.

The conduct of officers and men was all that I could have wished. Major De Bevoise, commanding Fourteenth New York State Militia, had his horse shot, and was considerably injured by his fall, but remained on the field to the end, acquiring himself with great credit. Lieutenant Becker, Thirtieth New York Volunteers; Lieutenant Cranford, Fourteenth New York State Militia, and Lieutenant Schenck, Twenty-second New York Volunteers, acting aides to myself, conducted themselves gallantly on the field, and afforded me great assistance.

The brigade remained in line of battle until ordered by General Doubleday to fall back slowly and in good order, and, having gained the other brigades of the division, I stacked arms and allowed the men to rest. This was about 1.30 p.m.

Very respectfully, &c.,

WALTER PHELPS, JR.,

Colonel Twenty-second New York Volunteers, Commanding Brigade.

Captain HALSTEAD,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

No. 15. Reports of Lieutenant Colonel J. William Hofmann, Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania Infantry, commanding Second Brigade, of the battles of South Mountain and Antietam.

HDQRS. SECOND Brigadier, FIRST DIV., FIRST ARMY CORPS,
Near Sharpsburg, Md., September 21, 1862.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report the operations of this brigade, late under the command of General Doubleday, since the afternoon of the 14th instant:

At about 6 p.m. on that day, the brigade, under command of Brigadier-General Doubleday, was deployed in line of battle and ascended the South Mountain on its eastern slope as a support to Colonel Phelps, commanding the brigade late under General Hatch, and then hotly engaged with the enemy at the summit of the mountain. The brigade was moving forward, and, when about entering the woods near the summit, General Hatch, who had been in command of the division, passed to the rear very severely wounded. This placed General Doubleday in command of the division, and myself, by Colonel Wainwright being subsequently wounded, in command of the brigade.

The brigade moved steadily on to the summit, relieved Colonel Phelps'

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* But see revised statement, p.189.

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