engineer officer, rendered also the most efficient aid, and the maps annexed, * to illustrate my report, are from his field notes.

Colonel Campbell, of the Fifty-seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, with his arm still in a sling from a wound received at Fair Oaks, fell, severely wounded. I would ask that one of the new regiments be assigned to this division to replace my loss, and that my request for the consolidation of some of my skeleton regiments be duly considered.

Respectfully submitted.

D. B. BIRNEY,

Brigadier-General, Commanding Division.

Captain ALEXANDER, Assistant Adjutant-General, Third Corps.

Numbers 147. Report of Captain George E. Randolph, Chief of Artillery, First Division,

CAMP PITCHER, VA., December 17, 1862.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor respectfully to report the operations of the artillery of this division during the actions of the 13th, 14th,and 15th instant, as follows:

My two batteries, F and K, Third Artillery, and E, First Rhode Island Artillery, crossed the Rappahannock River, about 10.30 a.m., December 13, following the infantry of the division, and were almost immediately placed in position to support the line of General Reynolds, relieving the battery of Captain Ransom. The position was quite good, a ridge protecting limbers and caissons, and within easy range of the enemy's line of battle, in the edge of the wood and on the railroad, Livingston's battery, under First Lieutenant Turnbull, on the right of the line occupied by the Pennsylvania Reserves, and mine, under Lieutenant Jastram, immediately too the left of Livingston's.

Our first action was to fire shell and spherical case shot into the edge of the wood, receiving in reply the fire of the rebel battery, which occupied a commanding position on a hill opposite the left of the line occupied by our division subsequently. I was soon compelled to cease firing any fuse projectiles, having found the fuses entirely unreliable, and that the use of them endangered our troops, over which I was firing.

Upon the repulse of the Pennsylvania Reserves, under General Meade, the enemy's line of infantry was pushed within canister range of our line, under cover of a ridge, and opened fire upon our cannoneers, but he was so cautious that we suffered but little from his fire, and we had not the opportunity of injuring him, which we would have had had he been a little bolder. However, the batteries opened with canister with greater effect than might have been supposed, especially from Livingston's battery, which, from the formation of the ground in front, could see and reach the enemy most easily.

The admirable firmness of our regiments prevented my fearing for the safety of the guns, and the manner in which they drove the enemy to the wood proved that my confidence was not misplaced, and that a little temerity on the part of the enemy would have caused his ruin. There was occasional firing between our batteries and those of the enemy during the entire day. Toward evening they opened fire from some ten guns upon General Doubleday, who was engaged to our left; but a well-directed fire from our batteries, including those of Captains Cooper and Leppien,

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*To appear in Atlas.

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