THIRD DIVISION, SIXTH CORPS - 4 p. m.

Captain E. M. TILLEY,

Quartermaster to General Newton:

General Newton directs that you send the light wagons near Banks' Ford, and report here when you get there.

WM. RUSSELL, JR.,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

5.10 P. M.

Brigadier General HENRY J. HUNT:

Chief of Artillery:

Your dispatch is just received. Have communication with General Sedgwick.

R. O. TYLER,

Brigadier-General.

Communication was kept up all day without any interruption. Though inconvenienced considerable by the enemy's fire, I was not compelled to abandon my station.

Messages were sent and received with great rapidity. Placed Lieutenant Lyon on a house, a mile toward the ford, from where he could distinctly see Lieutenant Miner's station. I did this to prevent signal communication from being broken, in case I should have been forced to abandon my station.

8 p. m. - Our forces being now withdrawn, I recrossed the river with them.

May 6, 11 a. m. - Reported for further orders to Captain Cushing, at Falmouth, Va.

Remarks: Lost haversack for signal equipments, containing shades, shears, wicking, and funnel, while on field of battle, by the breaking of the strap. It is my humble opinion that the black haversacks now in use are made of too weak material. I think leather would be a good substitute.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

M. DENICKE,

Second Lieutenant, Acting Signal Officer.

Captain SAMUEL T. CUSHING,

Chief Signal Officer, Army of the Potomac.

Numbers 18. Report of Lieutenant Isaac S. Lyon, Eleventh Connecticut Infantry, Acting Signal Officer.

NEAR FREDERICKSBURG, VA.,

May 8, 1863.

SIR: I have the honor to make the following report of services rendered as acting signal officer during the late engagement near Fredericksburg, Va.:

Having reported from Georgetown to the headquarters of the Signal Corps, near Fredericksburg, Va., on the evening of May 1, 1863, I proceeded on the following morning with two other officers to Banks' Ford, 5 miles above Falmouth, on the north side of the Rappahannock. There we opened a station of observation through the day, though our object more especially was to open communication with the advance forces of General Hooker when he should succeed in driving the enemy down the river. This object was not effected, by reason of our forces under