looking the sunken road and about 30 yards distant from it, and at once became engaged in a most desperate contest, the enemy then occupying that position in great strength, supported by other troops in their rear toward Piper's house.

The regiments of this brigade were posted in the following order, from right to left: The Sixty-first New York and Sixty-fourth New York Volunteers, consolidated temporarily, under command of Colonel Barlow; the Seventh New York Volunteers, commanded by Captain Brestel; the Eighty-first Pennsylvania Volunteers, commanded by Major McKeen, and the Fifth New Hampshire Volunteers, commanded by Colonel Cross. At this time Colonel Broko's brigade formed a second line in support of Caldwell's brigade, the regiments of General Meagher's brigade retiring to the rear to replenish their ammunition, having received an order to that effect from General Richardson.

The enemy having pierced the troops on the right of Roulette's house, belonging to some other division of our forces, Colonel Brooke, observing it, applied for orders to General Richardson to repair the accident, and immediately led three regiments in that direction, and formed line of battle on the crest in front of Roulette's house and inclosure, sending one regiment (the Fifty-third Pennsylvania, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel McMichael) to dislodge the enemy, who had then gained a foothold in the corn-field in rear of those buildings. The enemy was promptly driven out by this regiment, which held the ground until ordered subsequently to march to another part of the field. The enemy having retired on these demonstrations, the other two regiments (the Fifty-seventh New York Volunteers, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Parisen, and the Sixty-sixth New York Volunteers, commanded by Captain Wehle) were then led by Colonel Brooke to the support of General Caldwell's brigade, forming line on the same crest with it, that brigade being then hard pressed by the enemy, and a vacant space having been made in the line owing to the fact that the Fifth New Hampshire Volunteers had been moved to the left by Colonel Cross to prevent a flank movement by the enemy toward our left, which was handsomely frustrated by that officer. A spirited contest arose between his regiment and a force of the enemy, each endeavoring to be the first to gain the high ground to the left, and each force delivering its fire as they marched by the flank in parallel lines. Colonel Cross captured one regimental collum in this contest.

The two regiments of Colonel Brooke's brigade last referred to immediately became engaged on the left of the reminder of General Caldwell's, the Fifth New Hampshire Volunteers being still farther to the first line having been driven off the field. Finally an advance was made from this position to Piper's house by the brigade of Caldwell and the two regiments under Colonel Brooke, under a heavy fire of musketry and artillery, the enemy having a section of brass pieces in the front firing grape and a battery to the ring throwing shell. This advance drove the enemy from the field and gave us possession of the house and its surroundings - the citadel of the enemy at this position of the line, it being a defensible building several hundred yards to the rear of the sunken road first referred to. This having been accomplished, the musketry firing at this point cease. At the time the enemy broke the line on our right previously referred to, when Colonel Brooke advanced toward Roulette's house, Colonel Frank, of the Fifty-second New York Volunteers, then in command of that regiment and the Second Delaware, also observing a movement to our right and rear,