the Fifth Corps, at the angle in our line near the white houses, and one of thirty-two guns, twenty light rifles and twelve light 12-pounders (Hall's Second Maine, six 3-inch guns; Wiedrich's, I, First New York, four 3-inch guns; Knap's First Pennsylvania, four 10-pounders; Reynolds', L, First New York, six 3-inch guns; Ransom's, C, Fifth [U. S.] Artillery, six 12-pounders, and Stewart's, B, Fourth [U. S.] Artillery, six 12-pounders) under command of Colonel Wainwright, First New York Artillery, commanding the artillery of the First Corps, on the right of our line, near Hunting Creek.

After examining these batteries, and giving such instructions as were required, I proceeded to ascertain the positions of the other batteries of the corps, which I found mostly in the open ground near the United States Fond or in the woods behind the line of the army. I had them replenished with ammunition and so placed as to become available should their services be needed.

On the afternoon of the 4th, during a reconnaissance made by Griffin's division, Fifth Corps, a cannonade took place between the large battery at the center of our line, under Captain Weed, and the enemy's artillery. This closed the active operations of the main body of the army on the south side of the river.

At daybreak on the morning of Tuesday, the 5th, I received your instructions to cross all the batteries not in line of battle to the north side of the Rappahannock, under cover of the fog, and to send them by way of Hartwood Church to their old camps. This duty was performed under the immediate direction of Captain Best, Fourth Artillery, commander of the artillery of the Twelfth Corps. By my other he stationed several batteries in the open space on the hill below the ford, so a to sweep the front of the left of our line and to command all the open ground upon which the enemy could place guns to shell our bridge, which he had attempted the previous evening. At the same time, batteries were placed upon the bluffs, commanding the ford both above and below the bridges, to hold the enemy in check should he attempt to follow the army on its withdrawal.

The army passed to the north bank during that night and a portion of the next day. The enemy, as I had foreseen, sent a force to the position from which he had shelled our bridges, but, after a sharp cannonade, it was driven off, principally by the fire of Knap's and Thompson's batteries (Knap's First Pennsylvania, six 10-pounders, and Thompson's Fourth Pennsylvania, four 10-pounders), with some loss in killed and wounded on our part. The enemy suffered considerably and lost one caisson-blown up.

Our loss in all these operations, so far as I can learn from the imperfect reports furnished me, was 5 officers-Captain R. B. Hampton, Third Independent Pennsylvania Battery; First Lieuts. F. B. Crosby, Fourth [U. S.] Artillery; F. Dorries, Battery L, First Ohio; B. E. Kelley, Battery G, First Rhode Island Artillery; Lieutenant [William] O'Donohue, Second Independent New York Battery-and 50 enlisted men killed, and 13 officers-Captain G. F. Leppien (mortally), First Lieutenant G. T. Stevens, and Second Lieutenant A. B. Twitchell, Fifth Maine Battery; Second Lieutenant [Beldin] Spence, Battery G, First Pennsylvania; First Lieuts. E. Kirby, First U. S. Artillery (mortally), C. Allen, jr., and O. L. Torslow, Battery G, First Rhode Island; J. B. Sluson, Battery B, First New York; J. E. Dimick, First U. S. Artillery (mortally); F. M. Sackett, C, First Rhode Island; J. C. Carlisle, Thirteenth New York Battery; Jacob Blind and Theodore Tiebel, Second New York Battery; C. A. Atwell, First Pennsylvania Battery-and 268 enlisted men wounded, 53 cap-