brigade. I was ordered to form in line of battle in the woods along the left of our line, some distance in rear of the position I occupied when my regiment was in the front before. I formed the line in rear of the Twenty-seventh Connecticut Volunteers and on the left of the Second Delaware Volunteers.

We remained in this position until nearly morning, when I received orders to move by the flank in rear of the Second Delaware Volunteers. We formed line of battle some distance in rear of the former position, my regiment being on the right of the Twenty-seventh Connecticut Volunteers and on the left of the Sixty-fourth New York Volunteers, in the first line. We were ordered to build abatis int he front of our line. My regiment immediately went to work, and had very good and substantial works put up in quite a short time.

I remained in this position, in the first lien, until Sunday morning, when I was ordered to move to the right, following the One hundred and forty-fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers. After we had gone to the right, we were ordered back to our former position, where we arrived in due time.

A short time afterward, we were ordered to move along our line to the right, and occupy the space left by the regiments of General Caldwell's brigade. During this time we were exposed to a terrible fire from the enemy's batteries, losing, however, no men. Soon afterward, I was ordered to the right, to support a battery (Pettit's). We supported the battery, together with the Second Delaware and One hundred and forty-fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers, until we were ordered to fall back. At this time we were quite near the brick house, exposed the greater part of the time to a very destructive fire from the enemy's batteries, and having 1 officer and several men injured. While we were falling back, in accordance with Colonel Brooke's orders, 13 of my men rushed forward and took off of the field two pieces of a battery on our right, which had been abandoned and would certainly have fallen into the hands of the enemy had not my men taken the pieces off. They were taken nearly 3 miles to ten rear. We formed in line of battle some distance in the rear of our old position, where we remained int he third line until the 5th ultimo, when we were put in the rear of the Irish Brigade, in the second line, where we remained during the day and night, until we started for this side of the river.

The loss of this regiment in all the engagements is 1 line officer and 7 enlisted men wounded and 3 enlisted men missing, supposed to be taken prisoners. During all the action and march, my officers and men behaved bravely, always acting the part of good soldiers.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. MCMICHAEL,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding Fifty-third Regiment Pennsylvania Vols.

Lieutenant CHARLES P. HATCH,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Brigade.

Numbers 81. Report of Colonel Hiram L. Brown, One hundred and forty-fifth Pennsylvania Infantry.

CAMP NEAR FALMOUTH, VA., May 7, 1863.

COLONEL: I have the honor to report the part taken by this regiment in the recent action near the United States Ford.