position during the night of the 2nd against the enemy, who occupied the woods in some force and made repeated attacks on our line, which were handsomely repelled by close volleys of musketry. About a dozen prisoners were taken.

At daylight on the morning of the 3rd, we commenced a movement to the right, in conjunction with the other advanced forces, to regain the general lines of the army. After marching about a mile, we were thrown into position; first on the left, and afterward on right of the Plank road, and the whole brigade was soon hotly engaged with the advancing columns of the enemy. this was a very severe encounter of some hours' duration, during which the enemy was not only checked in his advance, but was driven back by repeated charges of our troops, who almost universally, both officers and men, behaved with great gallantry. Over 100 prisoners were here taken. We finally withdrew, under orders, without confusion and in good order, within the general lines, and were not again actively engaged.

During all the shifting scenes of these two days' battles, the regiments were handled by their commanding offices with the proper military precision, and every one seemed determined to do his best against teh foe. The regiments were in many cases so individualized in their encounters that justice cannot be done to them in a general report without accompanying it with the reports of the regimental commanders, copies of which I accordingly append.

I beg leave to give my testimony to the zeal and thorough good conduct of my staff officers, Captain Benjamin M. Piatt and Lieuts. John C. Long and Henry P. Ramsdell.

Respectfully submitted.

EMLEN FRANKLIN,

Colonel, Commanding Brigade.

Captain HENRY R. DALTON,

Asst. Adjt. General, Third Division, Third Army Corps.

No. 162. Report of Captain Jacob H. Lansing, Eighty-sixth New York Infantry.

HDQRS. EIGHTY-SIXTH NEWS YORK VOLUNTEERS,
May 8, 1863.

SIR: In compliance with circular dated May 7, 1863, I herewith make a written report of the part the Eighty-sixth Regiment New York Volunteers took in the late engagement on the Rappahannock and in the vicinity of Chancellorsville, Va., all of which I respectfully submit, as follows:

Our regiment crossed the Rappahannock, May 1, at the United States Ford, and moved down on the opposite side about 6 miles.

The next day we moved forward and took position, supporting a battery that was firing upon the enemy's supply trains. Here we were joined by the balance of our brigade, and moved forward an to the left through a piece of woods to a meadow, where the enemy were in force. We remained there about thirty minutes, under a brisk fire of the enemy, and were then ordered back. We returned in good order to a hill, were our batteries were in position, and formed line in their support. We were then ordered to fall back and take position in an open field, where we lay on our arms all night.