I cannot close this report without speaking of the meritorious conduct of First Lieutenant H. Belcher, of the Eighth Michigan, a regiment belonging to another division. His regiment having suffered severely on the right, and being partly in confusion, he rallied about 100 men and led them up to the front. Being separated from the brigade to which he belonged, he reported to me for duty, and asked a position where he might be of use until his proper place could be ascertained. He was assigned a post on the left, and subsequently in support of the advanced section of Simmonds' battery; in both of which places both he and his men performed their duty admirably, and after the enemy in the evening he carried his command to their proper brigade. About 600 prisoners were taken by the Kanawha Division and sent to Middletown under guard. The losses of the enemy in our immediate front were not definitely ascertained, but it is known they very greatly exceeded our own.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. D. COX,

Brigadier-General.

Lieutenant-Colonel RICHMOND,

Asst. Adjt. General, Burnside's Hdqrs., Right Wing, A. P.

Numbers 155. Report of Colonel Eliakim P. Scammon, Twenty-third Ohio Infantry, commanding First Brigade, of the battle of South Mountain, and, commanding Kanawha Division, of the battle of Antietam.

HEADQUARTERS KANAWHA DIVISION,
Camp near Harper's Ferry, Md., September 20, 1862.

SIR: This is the earliest moment a which it has been practicable to make a report of the killed, wounded, and missing of the First Brigade of the division under my command, in the battles which have occurred since we left the city of Washington.

In the battle of South Mountain, Md., the First Brigade, having left its bivouac at 6 a. m. of the 14th, reached the immediate vicinity of the scene of action at about 9 o'clock. I ordered the Twenty-third Regiment, under Lieutenant-Colonel Hayes, to move through the woods on the left of the road, crossing the mountain so as to attack the enemy on the right and rear of the right flank. The regiment moved up promptly and effectively. Early in the encounter, Lieutenant-Colonel Hayes, commanding the regiment, who had gallantly and skillfully brought his men into action and charged the enemy in his front, was severely wounded and carried to the rear. He remained on the field a considerable time after receiving his wound, and left it only when compelled to retire.

On arriving a the foot of the slope in front of the enemy, I sent the Thirtieth Regiment, commanded by Colonel Hugh Ewing, to attack the left of that position of the enemy which was immediately opposed to us, with orders, if practicable, to seize a battery in that part of the enemy's lines. In executing this order it was ascertained that the battery was beyond reach, and that its infantry support far outnumbered the force opposed to it; but the Thirtieth Regiment attacked vigorously, and drove the enemy from their immediate front. They were assailed by a