ward gallantly through the open fields, dashed upon the enemy, drove him away, and occupied the hill. Now that my entire division was engaged, the fight was everywhere most fierce. Fresh columns of the enemy arriving upon the ground received the vigorous charges of my regiments, and, under the heavy blows of our sabers, were in every instance driven back. Martin's battery of horse artillery, divided between the two brigades, poured load after load of canister upon the rebel regiments. Assailed on all sides, the men stood to the guns nobly. Thus for an hour and a half was the contest continued, not in skirmishing, but in determined charges. The contest was too unequal to be longer continued. The Second Division had not come up; there was no support at hand, and the enemy's numbers were three times my own. I ordered the withdrawal of my brigades. In good order they left the field, the enemy not choosing to follow. Retiring about 1 mil south of the station, I again formed my brigades, and discovered the Second Division some distance in the rear. Hearing that General Russell had gotten up to General Buford's left with his infantry, I moved my command in the direction of Rappahannock Bridge, and soon united with General Buford's left. On the hills near Brandy Station the enemy had artillery posted, the fire of which they directed upon my line in this new position. A few guns well served were sufficient to prevent any advance in that direction. When engaged with the enemy Brandy Station, cars loaded with infantry were brought three from Culpeper. Before they could quite get to the station, I sent a party to obstruct the rails. Finding a switch above the station, they reversed it, and thus prevented the cars from running into my command. The field having been well contested and the enemy being reenforced with infantry, which could be thrown in my force upon us from Culpeper, I received orders from Brigadier-General Pleasonton to recross my command at Rappahannock Ford. The Second Brigade, Second Division, covered my crossing. I got my command entirely over without being molested by the enemy. When the last men had crossed, the enemy displayed a regiment in front of the ford. I directed a regiment of the Second Brigades, Second Division, to recross and offer them fight. This they declined, and the regiment quietly returned to the side. In this engagement the loss of the Third Division was very severe. Three field officers (2 regimental commanders) were wounded and missing, 2 line officers killed, and 15 wounded; 18 enlisted men killed, 65 wounded, and 272 missing. *Of these last many were killed and wounded. The division captured from the enemy 8 commissioned officers and 107 enlisted men and 2 colors (these taken by the First Maine and First Maryland.)The field on which we fought bore evidence of the severe loss of the enemy. The Third Division behaved nobly, and where every officer and man did his duty it is difficult to particularize. I would, however, mention Colonel P. Wyndham, First New Jersey Cavalry, commanding Second Brigade, and Colonel J. Kilpatrick, second New York, commanding First Brigade, who gallantly led their brigades to the charge, and throughout the entire engagement handled them with consummate skill. Colonel. Wyndham, although wounded, remained on the field and covered with a portion of his command the withdrawal of the division. Cap. J. W. Martin, commanding Sixth New York Bat-

---------------

*Rut see reviesed statment, p. 170.

---------------