of straggling from the front was witnessed from the beginning to the end of the conflict, and every man who left his post did so upon authority. The terrific cannonading from the batteries of the rebels massed upon the left center subjected my lines from the rear from 1 p. m. to 3. 15 p. m. to a galling fire, as the missiles thickly swept over and into the position occupied by us, causing a number of casualties. I disposed my men under the best cover their duties and the ground could afford. From the moment of the retiring of the enemy in our front, active sharpshooting was kept up by them along our entire line until dark. Detachments of skirmishers were sent out, and ably managed by Lieutenant-Colonel Redington, of the Sixtieth New York Volunteers. The Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers was early pushed forward, and maintained lively skirmishing with the rebel skirmishers, causing them considerable annoyance, as they carried out their instructions to pick out their adversaries and fire deliberately. Several night attacks were made upon our position, evidently in the vain hope of taking us by surprise. At 9. 30 p. m., when about to be relieved in the entrenchments by Greene`s brigade, Candy`s brigade was opened upon by the enemy with heavy fire, which was silenced by a timely and well-directed resistance. At 10. 30 p. m. the enemy were discovered advancing in force up the slope, but were met by a heavy fire, which they returned, but they were compelled to retire after an active fight of from twelve to fifteen minutes. The day was a most disastrous one to Ewell`s corps, and equally, if pot more so, to the whole rebel army, in consideration of the importance which the turning of our flank would be to them, and which alone could compensate them for the repulses they had received upon to be parts of the line in their well-conceived designs upon the keypoints to the position of our army. They were not only defeated, but terribly punished. I estimate upon personal observation-in which I am supported by statements from intelligent prisoners in our hands-their killed in front of our lines at nearly or quite 1, 200, of which we succeeded in burying 900, and wounded in the ratio of at least four to one killed, the greater portion of whom were carried off during the night by the enemy. We took over 500 prisoners, independent of those who were wounded, 600 of the latter from Rodes` division alone falling into the hands of our army. About 5, 000 small-arms were left upon the field by the enemy 2, 000 of which were turned over to the division ordnance officer, and the balance secured by adjacent commands and carried away as trophies by citizens; also, three colors, viz: The brigade colors of the Stonewall Brigade, taken by the Sixtieth New York Volunteers; a battle-flag of a Virginia regiment, taken by the same, and the battle-flag of the Fourteenth Virginia Infantry, taken by the Seventh Ohio Volunteers. The battle-field remained in our possession, and the following day, July 4, was devoted to burying the dead of both sides and collecting the arms. The efficiency of our entrenchments was clearly demonstrated from an early period in the action. Not only did they impede the advance of the

overwhelmingly superior numbers of the enemy, but