Report of Colonel Thomas C. Devin, Sixth New York Cavalry, commanding Second Brigade.

HDQRS. SECOND Brigadier, FIRST CAVALRY DIVISION,
May 12, 1863.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of this brigade during the recent engagements:

On the morning of April 28, in compliance with orders from division headquarters, I broke camp at Potomac Bridge, and moved with my command to Grove Church, on the Morrisville road. I established my headquarters at the point, and immediately dispatches parties to scour the country, arrest all citizens met with, and watch the river from Bank's Ford to the Rappahannock Bridge. A number of citizens were arrested, and confined in Grove Church until the passage of the army across the river had been assured.

On the evening of the 28th, I was ordered to sent the Seventeenth Pennsylvania Cavalry to report to General Howard, and to withdraw my pickets and concentrate the rest of the brigade in the neighborhood of Mount Holly Church; also to furnish guides (acquainted with the country) to the columns of Generals Howard and Meade.

I was unable to concentrate the Eighth Pennsylvania (then picketing on the extreme left) until 3 a. m., when I marched to Mount Holly Church. On arriving near that point, found the Sixth New York had been ordered to the advance of General Slocum's column, white the Eighth Pennsylvania had been ordered to report to General Meade. I was directed to march with that command.

The brigade was thus distributed, as follows: The Seventeenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, Colonel Kellogg in command, in advance of the Eleventh Army Corps; the Sixth New York Cavalry, Lieutenant-Colonel McVicar in command, in advance of the Twelfth Army Corps; the Eighth Pennsylvania Cavalry, Major Huey in command, and one troop First Michigan Cavalry, in advance of the First Army Corps.

the Sixth New York operated under the direction of Brigadier-General Pleasonton, commanding the First Cavalry Division, until the arrival of the corps at Chancellorsville; the Eighth Pennsylvania under the direction of Colonel Thomas C. Devin, commanding the Second Brigade, First Cavalry Division, until the morning of May 1.

SEVENTEENTH PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.

By referring to the report of Colonel Kellogg,* commanding the Seventeenth Pennsylvania, i find that his regiment was the first to cross the pontoon bridge at Kelly's Ford on the night of the 28th, when he immediately scouted the country to the front, toward Culpeper, for some miles, finding but few of the enemy, who, being dismounted, retired into the woods.

The regiment then picketed the roads to the front, and at daylight again scouted toward Culpeper some 3 miles, where it was met by a force of the enemy, consisting of about 300 cavalry, one section of artillery, and some infantry.

The regiment was then ordered to cover the right of General Howard's column, scouting all the country to the right of the road from Kelly's

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* Not found.

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