same day the enemy began shelling the ravine, and continued it for about an hour. The hills rising between this position and the river afforded an excellent shelter against the enemy's missiles, and I quickly moved the regiments to positions where they were well protected. It affords me great pleasure to be able to state that as far as this brigade was concerned the fire of the enemy was perfectly harmless.

During all of Friday, May 1, my command occupied the same position. At 3 o'clock the troops were in readiness, as ordered, for crossing the river, but the movement was not made.

On Saturday morning, May 2, we received orders to march, and were about starting when the enemy's batteries on the opposite side of the river again opened upon us, and dropped their shells all around in the ravine; not daunted, however, the line of march was begun under this heavy fire, and, partly protected by a hill, the men moved on. A delay of several minutes occurred in getting my men out of their exposed position, in consequence of the blocking of the way by a regiment of the Second Brigade of this division. I succeeded in getting them extricated in a short time, and the command, with the exception of the One hundred and thirty-fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers, which was left behind to protect the batteries it had so efficiently supported since the night of the 28th, moved on. The line of march on Saturday was up the Rappahannock River to the United States Ford, where we crossed at sunset. In spite of the heat of that day, and the burdensome loads carried by the men, they bore up manfully, and their march was in excellent order, with little or no straggling.

The One hundred and thirty-fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers did not leave their position below Fredericksburg until late in the morning, and the distance was such that it was found impossible to overtake the remainder of the brigade before it crossed, and, being without a guide, some little delay occurred in this regiment reaching the ford. We encamped for the night near the pontoons. The other regiments of the brigade were marched inward toward the front, where the heavy firing was heard, which point they reached about 12 o'clock. Here the arms were loaded and the men were prepared for immediate action. They were not, however, called into action at this point, but were moved about 1 1/4 miles to the right, when the whole division formed in line of battle and lay on their arms the remainder of the night.

Early Sunday morning, sharpshooters were sent out to ascertain if the enemy were appearing in our front. An hour or two later five companies were sent to the front to do picket duty. The first picket line was formed on the left of that established by General Robinson's division. They were not on their posts long before skirmishing began between our pickets and those of the enemy, which continued steadily during the entire day, the result of which was our line was advanced several hundred yards, and upward of 100 prisoners were taken by the pickets of this brigade alone, besides some 15 or 20 killed and wounded. The loss on our side was 1 killed, 12 wounded, and 36 missing; 4 or 5 of the wounded men are now supposed to be dead, as no intelligence has been received from them.

Lieutenant Reinhold, One hundred and thirty-fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers, with 27 men from the same regiment, was placed in the woods as a partial support to the picket line, which was expected to be driven in on the afternoon of Tuesday, May 5, and as nothing has been heard from him it is to be supposed that he and his command were all captured after having been withdrawn from the line.

At an early hour on the morning of the 6th, the brigade, with the