in the capture of Harper's Ferry and the immediately following battle of Sharpsburg, Md.:

Having marched from martinsburg abut dawn on the morning of September 13, we reached the vicinity of Bolivar Heights, where the enemy was strongly entrenched the vicinity of Bolivar Heights, where the enemy wa strongly entrenched, shortly after noon on the same day, and bivouacked on the Charlestown road just beyond the range of his guns until 2 o'clock the nest day. At that hour we were ordered to move by an unfrequented road to our left and almost at right angles with the by an unfrequented road to our left and almost at right angles with the Charlestown road, to a position nearer the Potomac, supporting the Baltimore battery of light artillery, commanded by Captain Brockenbrough and attached to this brigade, which opened upon the enemy and continued its fire until dark, the enemy responding, but without damage to us.

At 8 p. m., when darkness entirely concealed the movement, we were ordered to move forward in closer proximity to the Potomac, and within close range of the enemy's artillery, in obedience to which order we silently occupied a wooded ridge overlooking the river, and along the crest of which a road leads directly to the enemy's fortified position.

The brigade being formed in line across, and at right angles with, the course of the ridge, we lay upon our arms till nearly daylight, the quietude of the night being unbroken, save by a sharp musketry fire of a few minute's duration in front of our right and few hundred yards distant, which ;proved to have occurred between two regiments of the enemy on picket duty, who had mutually mistaken each other for foes.

Shortly before dawn we resumed our position of the evening before, again supporting the Baltimore battery, which reopened its fire and delivered a few telling shots, some of them, I regret to say, after the besieged hoisted the white flag. It is but justice however, to add that from the position we occupied the flag was imperceptible, nor were we aware of the surrender until a message was received from the major-general commanding, directing a cessation of the fire.

It gives me pleasure to be able to say that not a single casualty of any kind is to be reported in this brigade on that occasion, although the result was so glorious to our arms.

BATTLE OF SHARPSBURG.

having previously cooked two days' rations, we left our bivouac near Bolivar Heights on Tuesday, September 16, at 2.30 a. m. and took up the line of march by way of Shepherdstown; again crossed the Potomac, and halted about noon in the vicinity and to the southwest of the town of Sharpsburg, Md., where we rested in line of battle till near sunset, at which time we resumed our line of march and moved forward about a mile to take the position assigned to us on the extreme left, preparatory to the anticipated combat of the next morning. In doing so we encountered the shells from three of the enemy's batteries, and had the misfortune about dark to lose several of our number, among whom was the gallant young Gordon, a lieutenant in the Ninth Louisiana Regiment and acting assistant adjutant-general of the brigade, who was killed by a shell which cut off both his legs at the thigh. Under command of Brigadier-General Starke, who remained with us constantly, we lay upon our arms all night, throwing out a line of skirmishers in front and to the left. During the early part of the night we were much disturbed by several of the enemy's batteries, which, crossing their fire, cut the tree-tops over our