During the afternoon of Thursday, the 2nd instant, this brigade was formed and marched by the flank toward the left. During this march the Thirty-ninth New York Volunteers, by order of Colonel Willard, were detached, and ordered about a third of a mile from the point where the residue of the brigade advanced in line of battle. The commanding officer of this regiment claims that, in obedience to such order, at the point designated, he charged on a line of rebel skirmishers, drove them in, and retook four pieces of artillery with caissons belonging to Battery I, Fifth U. S. Artillery, which had been captured by the enemy. The commanders of the other regiments of the brigade claim that at least two of these guns and caissons were captured in the advance of the brigade. I am unable to settle the conflict of statement from my personal knowledge, nor am I able to state whether any regiment of this brigade is the one referred to in this circular from my knowledge, or from evidence before me which I deem conclusive.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JAMES M. BULL,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding Third Brigade.

Captain G. P. Corts, Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 129. Report of Colonel Clinton D. MacDougall, One hundred and Eleventh New York Infantry.

CAMP NEAR ELK RUN, VA., August 26, 1863.

COLONEL: After recovering from wounds received at Gettysburg, July 3, and my return to my regiment, upon assuming command of this brigade I found, upon looking over the official report and other papers pertaining to the battle, a circular from Major-General Hancock, of which I insert a copy. I have every reason to suppose the general referred to my regiment, as will appear from my statement following the circular.

CIRCULAR.]

PHILADELPHIA, PA., July 7, 1863.

Major-General Hancock desires to know the designation of a certain regiment, and the name of its commander, belonging to the First, Second, or Twelfth Corps, which, at the instance of General Hancock, charged a rebel regiment which had passed through our lines on Thursday evening, 2nd instant. The conduct of this regiment and its commander were so marked in this as in the subsequent advance in line of battle, that General Hancock desires properly to notice the subject. By order of Major-General Hancock:

W. G. MITCHELL,

Aide-de-Camp, and Assistant Adjutant-General.

On Thursday evening, July 2, when the Third Brigade, Third Division, Second Corps, marched down from the left of Cemetery Hill to re-enforce the Third Corps {as I was afterward informed
, the brigade commander ordered me to remain at the left in reserve about 200 yards in the rear, when General Hancock came riding up shortly, and ordered me with my regiment to the right in great haste, to charge the rebel advance, which had broken through our lines on the right of the Third Brigade, and had advanced between 20 and 30 rods beyond our lines, and was in the act of turning the right flank