Captain Turnbull, of the Engineers, and others reported it impossible to move artillery up the hill. General French, however, gave me permission to attempt it after the infantry had crossed, but meanwhile an order was received from General Meade to move around via Germanna.

I still think it would have been easier to have crossed at Jacobs' Ford. Between Jacobs' Ford and Germanna Ford, on this side, is one high hill, and between the plank road and Jacobs' Ford, on the other, are three others,requiring double teams to ascend. The hill at Germanna Ford also required this. This doubling, of course, delayed the column and made gaps in it. The passage of the Sixth Corps batteries in advance of mine delayed me for eight hours.

After reaching Robertson's Tavern, and moving toward our position on the left of the First Corps, the fact that the staff officers of General Meade, who conducted the column, knew nothing of its position caused a very considerable delay, and threw the movement of the reserve batteries late into the night. There was no delay that energy, skill, or foresight on my part could have prevented. Every battery commander worked unceasingly. The march, so far as the artillery was concerned, was the hardest within the range of my experience.

It is not out of place here to enter my protest against overloading batteries with grain, as was necessary, if, with our limited transportation, we were to carry the amount of forage ordered. So far as the mobility of the artillery is concerned, it would be increased and not diminished by increase of transportation. Nothing should be carried on the batteries but the blankets of the men, and if eight or ten days' forage are required to be carried, sufficient transportation should be allowed, without putting the carriages of the batteries to this improper use.

Lieutenants Roder and Bucklyn deserve special mention for the manner in which they fought their batteries. The latter reports that he was ordered by General Prince to advance a section in a line with the skirmishers. His own good judgment prevented his obeying and losing his guns.

Captain Robinson, Fourth Maine Battery, also deserves great praise for the enemy he showed in marching his battery. Having two axles broken while on the march, he patched up a conveyance for his piece, and took the caisson, whose axle was also broken, entirely apart and loaded it in a wagon, not leaving even a bucket. The success of artillery depends so much on good marching that I think an officer who shows especial excellence in this respect deserves credit no less than for good conduct in battle.

I desire to commend the officers of the Fourth Maine Infantry for the cheerfulness with which they helped my batteries through the very heavy road in the woods near our position on Mine Run. It is not common for either men or officers to volunteer so cheerfully to assist or aid the march of another arm than their own. I owe it to this regiment that my column was able to follow in its place on our retreat as promptly as it did.

I would be glad if the major- general commanding would in some manner recognize and reward this voluntary and very opportune assistance.

The casualties were 4 men wounded in Battery K, Fourth U. S. Artillery.