passed. The enemy swept the ground with his guns, killing and wounding many, our men in the mean time keeping up a spirited fire upon the unseen foe.

The firing at last gradually slackened,and, as no further orders came to us, I withdrew my regiment, with others, and reformed it deliberately some few rods in the rear, taking with us such of our wounded as we could find on the field. We remained some half hour, until we received orders to fall back to the town, which was quietly accomplished without further loss.

On our return, we halted at the railroad, and found that our wounded, under the care of Assistant Surgeon Sullivan, assisted by Chaplian Jones and the members of the band, had been removed, and placed under the shelter of the hill, in rear of the railroad. They were, as soon as possible, removed to the hospitals in the city and properly cared for.

In looking back and reviewing the scenes of that memorable day, I am happy to assure Your Excellency that I have no reason to feel otherwise than proud of the conduct of the officers and soldiers of my command. I know of no officer present on the field who did not come up manfully and bravely to the duty with which he was charged. The men, with one or two exceptions, behaved admirably, not one leaving the field, though stricken with a fire so terrible and sudden.

I desire to refer particularly to Lieutenant-Colonel Bowers and Major Storer in terms of commendation for their intrepidity and coolness in the advance and attack. With particular pride and pleasure I call your attention to the services of Assistant Surgeon Richardson, who, in those dreadful days, proved himself an honor to his profession and an invaluable aid to the army in its hour of suffering. While I look with shame and horror on the conduct of men calling themselves surgeons, attached to regiments of other States, I am proud to say that I know, from personal observation,that for two days and nights after the battle and at times when the shells of the enemy were falling around him, Dr. Richardson pursued his arduous duties in the hospital and out of it unremittingly and with a fidelity and ability that has endeared him to me personally, and gained him an enviable distinction among his professional brethren in the army. Dr. Sullivan, though suffering from illness, was assiduous in his attention to the suffering of our regiment and the wounded on the field of battle. Surgeon Twitchell was not present, being detained in Washington, and arriving here on Tuesday after the battle. I sincerely regret his absence at a time when his distinguished abilities and experiences would have rendered him so useful to the poor and suffering victims of the day's carnage.

Sunday and Monday following the battle we occupied our old position in Carolina street. I received orders on Sunday to be ready to move again to the attack, and the positions of the battalion lines were assigned,but the plan of renewing the attack was abandoned during the day. Monday night my regiment was thrown out ass pickets on the line of the railroad, and to the south of it, along Hazel Run, which position, aided by a detachment of two companies of Berdan's Sharpshooters, was held until 2.30 o'clock Tuesday morning, our pickets continually exchanging shots with those of the enemy. We were then withdrawn,and returned to our old encampment on this side of the river.

I have the honor to furnish. Your Excellency herewith a list* of the killed, wounded,and missing; also a list of officers absent at the time

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*Embodied in revised statement, p. 133.

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