A list of killed and wounded has been forwarded to division headquarters, from which it will appear that out of less than 700 men carried into action the brigade lost 228 in killed and wounded.

Very respectfully submitted.

JAMES A. WALKER,

Colonel, Commanding Brigade.

Major S. HALE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 272. Report of Brigadier General Harry T. Hays, C. S. Army, commanding First Louisiana Brigade,of the battle of Sharpsburg.

HEADQUARTERS FIRST LOUISIANA BRIGADE,

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, ----, 1862.

GENERAL: Tuesday afternoon, September 16, I received an order from General Lawton, commanding the Third (Ewell's) Division, to hold my brigade in readiness to move at an instant's notice. The brigade was then stationed on the left of the road leading from the ford at Shepherdstown to Sharpsburg, about a mile from the battle-field. Between 4 and 5 o'clock I was directed to follow the brigade of General Early, which took up the line of march in the direction of what I subsequently ascertained was the extreme left of our line of battle.

About sunset we arrived in a body of woods behind the Dunkard church, on the Hagerstown road, subjected, as we proceeded to this position, to the shelling of a battery of the enemy posted on an opposite eminence. Remaining here until after dark, and discovering that Early's brigade had moved its position still farther to the left to prevent a flank movement of the enemy, I put my brigade in motion and placed it, at General Early's suggestion, immediately in the rear of his brigade. Here we remained that night.

At light next morning, we were aroused by the report of musketry, and in a short while after putting the troops in readiness I received an order from General Lawton to proceed to a point in our lines yet unoccupied, and fill up the gap thus occasioned. The precise position assigned me being uncertain, from the vagueness of the direction, I dispatched my assistant adjutant-general, Captain John H. New, to General Lawton for more definite instructions. Captain New was met by a courier sent by General Lawton to point out the place intended for my brigade. This I discovered to be an opening in our lines between General Lawton's brigade, on the right, and Generals

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's brigade, on the left. I was accordingly marching to the point, when I was overtaken by another courier from General Lawton, directing me to return with the brigade and take up a position in an open field immediately in rear of his brigade. I obeyed the order. Here I remained until I received from Colonel Douglass, commanding General Lawton's brigade, a request to come to his assistance. I then formed in line of battle and moved to the support of Colonel Douglass. Advancing to the position occupied by his brigade, I proceeded about 150 yards beyond his line in the direction of the enemy, having commenced firing as soon as I came up to the lines of Colonel Douglass.

My brigade at this time did not number over 550 men, and so peculiarly exposed was the position I occupied to an enfilading fire from sev-