commanding corps, on the afternoon of the 8th instant I moved the Second and Third Divisions from their camp near Warrenton Junction to the vicinity of Kelly's Ford. At this point I found Brigadier General D. A. Russell, with 1, 500 infantry and a battery of horse artillery. This force, which was designed to take part in the operations of the ensuing day, having been reported to me by Brigadier-General Russell, I at once made every preparation for crossing at daylight if the following morning. The Second Division, Colonel A. N. Duffie commanding, was ordered to be at the ford at 3. 30 a. m. and to cross in advance, in order that it might move at once upon Stevensburg. Alate start from camp and an unexpected difficulty in following the direct road to the ford on the part of this division delayed the crossing of my advance until between 5 and 6 o'clock. The enemy offering but slight opposition, in a very short time the entire command was on the south bank of the river. In compliance with my instructions to establish the left of my line at Stevensburg, I directed Colonel Duffie to move with the Second Division to that place; General Russell with his infantry to proceed directly from Kelly's Ford to Brandy Station. With the Third Division I started to Brandy Station, taking a road west of that occupied by the infantry (about 5 miles). While crossing the Rappahannock, the artillery firing on the right was evidence that General Buford was already engaged with the enemy. Couriers from General Pleasonton, commanding corps, gave me the same information, as also that he had met the entire cavalry force of the enemy. I pushed on rapidly, and, after marching about 5 miles, overtook the rear of Colonel Duffie's division, and there had a dispatch from him that his advance was at Stevensburg. Turning to the right from this point, I pushed on for Brandy Station and toward the firing in front. An other dispatch from General Pleasonton, informing me of the severity of the fight on the right and of the largely superior force of the enemy, determined me to direct Duffie's division also upon Brandy Station. Colonel Duffie having sent me a dispatch that his advance had reached Stevensburg without encountering the enemy, I sent forward an order to push to Brandy Station, but at a point about 3. 1/2 miles from the station I came upon the rear brigade of the Second Division, and, in order to get the whole force at once to Brandy Station, I again sent to Colonel Duffie to follow with his division on the same road that the Third Division was following. I would thus have my entire command in hand. When the head of the Third Division arrived near Brandy Station, it was discovered that the enemy were there in great force. The country about Brandy Station is open, and on the south side extensive level fields, particularly, and having at hand only the Third Division(total strength 2, 400), I either had to decline the fight in the face of the enemy or throw upon him at once the entire division. Not doubting but that the Second Division was near, and delay not being admissible, I directed the commanders of my advance brigade to charge the enemy, formed in columns about Brandy House. The whole brigade charged with drawn sabers, fell upon the masses of the enemy, and, after a brief but severe contest, drove them back, killing and wounding many and taking a large number of prisoners. Other columns of the enemy coming up, charged this brigade before it could reform, and it was driven back. Seeing this, I ordered the First Brigade to charge the enemy upon the right. This brigade came for-