very severely during our movement back to our old position, and had 2 men wounded.

May 2.- Clear and warm. Last night we commenced entrenching. Tools were scare, and the most of the work was done with bayonets and tin plates. The Twenty-ninth was ordered to take position in rear of the One hundred and twenty-fourth Pennsylvania Volunteers, who were in the rifle pits. At 3 p. m. we were ordered out to the road, to take a battery of the enemy posted about a mile from our lines. We moved rapidly toward the enemy on the left of the road, and, when making dispositions to charge on the battery, we were ordered to retire. We believed we could have taken the battery, and were much chagrined at being ordered to return before we had time to make the attempt. We lost in this action 3 men killed and 3 severely wounded.

Just as we took our position in the trenches, the enemy made a heavy attack on our right, breaking and driving the Eleventh Corps. We were ordered to the right, in the trenches which had been occupied by the Third Brigade. The firing was very heavy. The men of the Eleventh Corps were retreating very rapidly. I threw a company across the field, and halted the fugitives by hundreds, and formed them into companies, and they were sent to the rear in order.

May 3, Sunday.- The fight commenced at 5 a. m. on the right of our lines. After a severe fight they were driven in, and the rebels made an attack on the right and rear of our brigade. We stood the fire for two hours without a man leaving the trenches. We lost here 2 men killed and 3 wounded.

At 10 a. m. we received orders to retire. The Third Brigade passed out first, then ours, by the left flank, leaving the Twenty-ninth the last to leave the trenches. We then formed in line near the Chancellor house. From there moved to the woods to the right, where we were shelled severely, losing 1 man killed and 2 wounded. After moving to various position during the afternoon, we were moved on the road toward the United States Ford about 10 p. m., and ordered to intrench ourselves.

May 4, Monday.- At work entrenching our position, which was on a spur between the road and a creek in our rear. The Twenty-ninth occupied a front of 200 paces. On this front we threw up a breastwork of logs and earth 4 feet high, surmounted by a heavy log raised 4 inches above the bank, leaving a loop-hole the length of our breastwork, making a very secure defense, and from behind which we left confident that we could defend ourselves from a much superior force to our own. this work was done with but few tools - six old worn out axes, three or four picks and spades, the principal tools used being bayonets and tin plates - and was finished within twenty-four hours. We were in position several times during the day and night, owing to attack on other parts of the line.

May 5.- Nothing occurred in our position to cause the Twenty-ninth to move. A detail was made from the Twenty-ninth to assist in building entrenchments on our right. About 150 men were engaged. At night we were ordered to fall in and prepare to retreat across the Rappahannock.

Did not move until 3.30 a. m. of the 6th, when we left our entrenchments and crossed the river on pontoon bridges about 7 a. m. Marched, to Potomac Creek and bivouacked.

May 7.- Marched at 6 a. m. Halted at Stafford Court House at 12 m., where the men were served with one ration of hard bread. Marched, and reached our old camp-ground near Aquia Landing at 3 p. m.