No. 11. Report of Captain Francis G. Young, of Colonel Baker's staff.

SIR: At the request of the relatives and many friends of Colonel Bake I have the honor to submit a statement of the facts of the engagement on last Monday, the 21st instant, fought opposite Harrison's Island, on the Virginia shore.

In obedience to an order of General Stone, the first battalion of the California regiment, Baker's brigade, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Wistar, left Camp Observation, near the month of the Monocacy, at 4 a. m. Monday, and reached Conrad's Ferry at sunrise. The battalion stacked arms and I proceeded to Edwards Ferry, distant 5 miles, nd reported to General Stone for orders. Lieutenant Howe, of the Fifteenth Massachusetts, arrived there at the same time, and reported that he had crossed the river at Harrison's Island during the night, and with some others of his regiment had scouted the country in the direction of Leesburg and found no enemy. General Stone thereupon directed me to return to Lieutenant-Colonel Wistar, with an order for the battalion to stand fast until perchance he should hear heavy Harrison's Island. At this time the summit of the bluff opposite the island on the Virginia side was occupied by six companies of the Fifteenth Massachusetts, Colonel Devens, a detachment of the Twentieth Massachusetts, Colonel Lee, and two companies of the Tammany regiment; also, two small howitzers of the Rhode Island Battery on the island. these forces had crossed during the night preceding, and on my return to Colonel Wistar irregular firing of musketry was heard from the bluff opposite the island. Shortly afterwards Colonel Baker arrived with the other office of his staff, and in a little while General Stone dispatched to him from Edwards Ferry an order in writing that in the event of heavy firing in direction of Harrison's Island he should advance the California regiment or retire the Union forces from the Virginia side of the river at his discretion and to assume the command on reaching the Virginia side. Colonel Baker immediately sent for three regiments and a squadron of cavalry from his brigade and for Colonel Cogsewell and the rest of his Tammany regiment.

Proceeding to the crossing at Harrison's Island, we found the means of tranpsortation to consist of two flat-boats of the capacity of 25 to 40 men, and a small skiff, which would carry but 3 or 4 men. The river was swollen and the current rapid, and there was much labor and delay in making use of the boats. Another flat-boat was fount in the canal 1 mile distant, and being towed down to the crossing, was with much difficulty got into the Potomac. Colonel Bake immediately crossed with me and as many men as could be got into the boats to the island, and reaching the opposite side of the island found one flat-boat and a small metallic boat. He crossed to the Virginia shore without delay with Adjutant-General Harvey, sending me back with an order for Colonel cogswell to bring over the artillery.

It was now 2 o'clock p. m., and Colonel Cogswell coming over from the Maryland side with two pieces of artillery, horses and men, we carried with us the two howitzers of the Rhode Island Battery and crossed to the Virginia side. The bank is of miry clay, and the heights almost precipitous, with fallen trees and rocks, making it very difficult to get up the artillery. Arriving by circuitous routes on the summit, we found and open field of six acres, covered with wild grass, scrub oak,