I bear glad testimony to the excellent conduct, in all respects, of the officers and men of my division in this their first engagement under their present division organization. Colonels Orr, McQuiston, and Thomas handled their brigades with skill and courage. The Artillery - Battery F, First Michigan, Captain B. D. Paddock, and the Fifth Illinois Battery, Captain A.m. Wood - behaved well under the circumstances, trying to that arm of the service. The ground afforded Little or no shelter to men or material, and the batteries were exposed to an annoying musketry fire.

There were present with me of my staff Major Joshua Healey, One hundred and twenty-eighth Indiana Volunteers, acting assistant inspector-general; Captain Henry A. Hale, assistant adjutant general of volunteers; Captain June E. Cravens, One hundred and twenty-third Indiana Volunteers, acting aide-de-camp; Captain Andrew Davis, One hundred and seventy-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, provost-marshal; Lieuts. George L. Binney, Second Massachusetts, and Edwin G. Fay, One hundred and seventh New York, aides-de-camp; Lieutenant Miles Hollister, Eighth Minnesota, acting ordnance officer; Surg.

John H. Spurrier, One hundred and twenty-third Indiana Volunteers, medical director, to whom I am indebted for much assistance and commend for faithful and fearless performance of duty.

Accompanying are the reports of brigade and regimental commanders, to which I respectfully refer for details concerning their respective commands; also a list of casualties. *

Among the worthy ones lost to their country was Lieutenant-Colonel McKay, One hundred and eightieth Ohio Infantry, a capable and brave young man, who was mortally wounded while in charge of the skirmish line of his brigade on the evening of the 9th of March.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

THOMAS H. RUGER,

Brigadier-General of Volunteers, Commanding First Division.

Major THEODORE COX,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 239. Report of Colonel John M. Orr, One hundred and twenty-fourth Indiana Infantry, commanding First Brigade, of operations March 8-10.

HDQRS. FIRST Brigadier, FIRST DIV., 23rd ARMY CORPS,
Near Lenoir Institute, N. C., March 30, 1865.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report the part taken by my command in the operations near Kinston, N. C., on the 8th, 9th and 10th of March, 1865:

The brigade moved into position near Wise's Forks, on Trent road, making front of three regiments, the One hundred and eightieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry being held in position in reserve. The right of my brigade connected with General Palmer's left, my left connecting with the right of Second Brigade, the line being in the following order: One hundred and twenty-fourth Indiana Volunteers on right, One hundred and twentieth Indiana Volunteers in center, One hundred and twenty-eighth Indiana Volunteers on left, One hundred and eightieth Ohio Volunteers in reserve. Four companies from the brigade (one from each regiment) were deployed as skirmishers, and immediately engaged the enemy, keeping up a brisk fire while the brigade built works. At

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* Embodied in table, p. 60.

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