No. 266. Report of Colonel Adam G. Malloy, Seventeenth Wisconsin Infantry, commanding First Brigade, of operations March 7 - 10.

HDQRS. FIRST Brigadier, SECOND DIV., DIST. OF BEAUFORT, In the Field, Wise's Forks, N. C., March 12, 1865.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by the brigade under my command during the operations of the 7th, 8th, and 9th, and battle of the 10th instant:

On the afternoon of the 7th the brigade was ordered into position, the left resting on the Dover road and the right crossing and resting about 200 yards to the right of the Trent road. During the evening works were erected by the command.

About 4 p. m. of the 8th instant I received orders from Brigadier-General Carter, commanding the division, to advance my skirmishers and line of battle in connection with the brigade of General Ruger's division on my right and to be governed by the movements of that command. After advancing about 400 yards the command on my right halted and commenced erecting works. I immediately followed the example and soon had a formidable earth-work completed. On the morning of the 9th I received orders from the general commanding to erect works on the Trent road.

Captain Howard, of the Third Battalion, and 150 men of the brigade were detailed for that purpose. About 5. 30 p. m. of the same day the enemy advanced a heavy line and attacked the skirmishers of this brigade, who received from with a well-directed volley, driving them back in confusion. In a few minutes they again attacked and drove in the skirmishers of the brigades on my right and left. The captain commanding the skirmishers of this brigade, discovering that the enemy had flanked his right, ordered his men to retire to the pits dug the night previous. This fact having been reported to the general commanding, I was ordered to regain the advance rifle-pits, which was done about 9 o'clock in the evening.

About 1. 30 o'clock of the 10th the enemy attacked and again drove in the skirmishers of the brigades on my right and left, compelling my skirmishers to fall back to the inner line of rifle-pits to avoid being outflanked. On discovering this I ordered the Artillery to sweep the front of the command with shell, which checked the enemy's advance. About 2. 30 o'clock the enemy again charged and finally succeeded in driving in the skirmishers of the brigade, who fell back to the main works. I at once ordered the gun commanding the Dover road to open with shell and two companies to the right and left of it to open with musketry, which completely repulsed the enemy, who did not again attempt an attack. The detail of 150 men with Captain Howard from this brigade was held in reserve by the general commanding. On the attack being made on the extreme left by the enemy, Captain Howard with his command was ordered to the left of the division, arriving there in time to assist in the repulse of the enemy on that flank.

During the engagement I was sparing of my ammunition, having but thirty-five rounds to the man and not knowing when more might be received.

I take pleasure in mentioning the following-named officers who behaved with distinguished gallantry on all occasions: First Lieutenant W. P. L. Muir. Fifteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, acting assistant adjutant-