Volunteer Infantry, with Companies A, C, and F, of that regiment, commanded, respectively, by Capts. James Splaine, John E. Mullally, and Charles O. Fellows. With this force Major Smith moved promptly toward the advance of the enemy, and engaged them with much spirit and effect. In the early part of this action Captain Splaine suggested the possibility of recapturing a piece of Artillery lost by our retreating force, when Major Smith ordered him to make the attempt. He succeeded in reaching the gun and cutting the harness of the dead horses, but the enemy pressed him in such overwhelming force that the enterprise had to be abandoned. At this juncture the Major commenced falling back from position to position, resisting the advance with varying success and, considering the heat of the fire, but slight loss on his part. During the fighting Lieutenant Sillars, Seventeenth Massachusetts Volunteers, in command of a pioneer and fatigue party from the brigade, was sent to the front to erect a breast-works in which our retiring force might make a stand. This work was, however, only partially built when our force fell back to it, and a short stand was made, in which the working party bore an honorable part. This was the last stand made until our works were reached.

From the report of Major Smith, I feel gratified in being able to make a favorable mention of Captain Splaine for his gallantry in the fight and his good management of his company. Though the Major is too diffident to speak favorably of himself, I know from the reports of officers engaged, including an officer of General Carter's staff, that be behaved with the most distinguished gallantry and ability. Major Smith reports very favorably of Lieutenant Sillars.

During the remainder of the day our skirmish line was kept busily engaged, and the enemy's Artillery poured a steady fire on the line of works occupied by my brigade, killing a non-commissioned officer and seriously wounding one private of the Seventeenth Massachusetts Volunteers. On the 9th our skirmish line, composed of companies A, B, and C, Seventeenth Massachusetts Volunteers, a few men of Battery A, Third New York Artillery, and Captain Tucker's company (B), Twenty-fifth Massachusetts Volunteers, was busily engaged all day, sometimes driven by the enemy and sometimes driving him. On the 10th instant the skirmish line was hotly engaged offering a stubborn resistance to superior numbers. In the afternoon the enemy made an attack in force on the front of the line between the Trent road and my center. In this fight the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts Volunteers was engaged, together with the left wing of the Seventeenth Massachusetts Volunteers, and all of Battery A, Third New York Artillery, which had been ordered to the Trent road to strengthen a part of the line at that point, which was fiercely attacked by the enemy. During this assault the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts Volunteers lost 1 officer (Captain Forbes, who was severely wounded), 2 privates killed, and 2 non-commissioned officers and 2 privates wounded.

The skirmishers of the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts behaved well, only retiring when forced back by the line of battle of the enemy. That portion of our line not engaged was still covered be skirmishers, who lost 5 men.

When the enemy was assaulting our left I sent Captain Splaine with a squad of men to deploy a line of skirmishers perpendicularly to the enemy's line of battle. This movement, assisted by Lieutenant Smith's company (B), Seventeenth Massachusetts, opened on the enemy as he was retiring and I think induced a number of the enemy's skirmishers to surrender who would otherwise have escaped.