Numbers 362. REPORT OF Colonel NATHANIEL P. RICHMOND, FIRST WEST VIRGINIA CAVALRY, COMMANDING FIRST BRIGADE, THIRD DIVISION.

CAMP NEAR HARTWOOD CHURCH, VA., SEPTEMBER 5, 1863.

SIR: IN ACCORDANCE WITH INSTRUCTIONS THIS DAY RECEIVED FROM DIVISION HEADQUARTERS, I HAVE THE HONOR TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING REPORT OF THE PART TAKEN BY THE FIRST BRIGADE, OF THIS DIVISION, IN THE VARIOUS ACTIONS IN WHICH THIS DIVISION WAS ENGAGED, FROM JUNE 28 TO JULY 9, AT WHICH LATTER DATE I WAS RELIEVED FROM COMMAND OF THE BRIGADE AND ORDERED UPON DETACHED DUTY: THE FIRST BRIGADE, THIRD DIVISION, CAVALRY CORPS-COMPOSED OF THE FOLLOWING REGIMENTS: FIRST WEST VIRGINIA, Colonel N. P. RICHMOND; FIRST VERMONT, LIEUTENANT-COLONEL PRESTON; EIGHTEENTH PENNSYLVANIA, LIEUTENANT-COLONEL BRINTON; FIFTH NEW YORK, MAJOR HAMMOND; AND BATTERY E, FOURTH U. S. ARTILLERY, LIEUTENANT ELDER, COMMANDED BY BRIGADIER-GENERAL FARNSWORTH, U. S. VOLUNTEERS-MARCHED FROM CAMP NEAR FREDERICK, MK., ON THE MORNING OF JUNE 29, AND ENCAMPED FOR THE NIGHT NEAR LITTLESTOWN, PA. ON THE MORNING OF JUNE 30, THE BRIGADE MOVED IN THE DIRECTION OF HANOVER, WHERE THE ADVANCE OF THE COLUMN ARRIVED ABOUT NOON OF THE SAME DAY WITHOUT ENCOUNTERING THE ENEMY, WHO FROM REPORTS OF HE CITIZENS, WAS SUPPOSED TO BE QUITE NEAR OUR LINE OF MARCH AND UPON OUR RIGHT FLANK. AS THE EIGHTEENTH PENNSYLVANIA, WHICH WAS IN REAR OF THE BRIGADE, WAS ENTERING THE TOWN, THE ENEMY'S CAVALRY MADE A DASH UPON IT, OPENING AT THE SAME TIME WITH THEIR ARTILLERY, WHICH WAS POSTED IN A WOOD ABOUT HALF A MILE FROM THE TOWN. OWING TO THE SUDDENNESS OF THE ATTACK, THE REGIMENT WAS THROWN INTO SOME CONFUSION AND FORCED BACK UPON THE MAIN COLUMN, THROWING THAT ALSO INTO CONFUSION, AND FOR A FEW MOMENTS THE ENEMY EVIDENTLY HAD A DECIDED ADVANTAGE, BUT AT THIS POINT GENERAL FARNWORTH, WITH GREAT COOLNESS, REFORMED THE COMMAND, AND CHARGED, DRIVING THE ENEMY OUT OF THE TOWN AND INTO THE WOODS IN REAR OF THEIR BATTERY. AFTER SOME SKIRMISHING, THE ENEMY WITHDREW, LEAVING US IN POSSESSION OF THE TOWN, NEAR WHICH WE ENCAMPED UNTIL THE DAY FOLLOWING. THE BRIGADE LOST IN THIS ACTION:COMMISSIONED OFFICERS, 2 KILLED, 2 WOUNDED, AND 3 MISSING; ENLISTED MEN, 8 KILLED, 60 WOUNDED, AND 86 MISSING. THIS BRIGADE WAS NOT ENGAGED WITH THE ENEMY DURING THE TWO DAYS FOLLOWING-JULY 1 AND 2-BUT IN THE AFTERNOON OF JULY 3, HAVING PASSED IN REAR OF OUR FORCES, THEN ENGAGED WITH THE ENEMY NEAR GETTYSBURG, PA., GENERAL FARNSWORTH WAS ORDERED TO CHARGE THE ENEMY'S RIGHT, WHICH HE AT ONCE DID, MAKING ONE OF THE MOST DESPERATE, AND AT THE SAME TIME MOST SUCCESSFUL, CHARGES IT HAS EVER BEEN MY LOT TO WITNESS, AND DURING WHICH THAT GALLANT OFFICER (GENERAL FARNSWORTH) WAS KILLED WHILE IN THE THICKEST OF THE FIGHT. IN THE DEATH OF BRIGADIER-GENERAL FARNSWORTH THIS BRIGADE SUFFERED AN ALMOST IRREPARABLE LOSS, AS A MORE GALLANT OFFICER OR PERFECT GENTLEMAN CANNOT, IN MY OPINION, BE FOUND. THE BRIGADE LOST IN THIS ACTION: COMMISSIONED OFFICERS, 3 KILLED, 4 WOUNDED, AND 2 MISSING; ENLISTED MEN, 17 KILLED, 26 WOUNDED, AND 55 MISSING. AS SENIOR OFFICER OF THE BRIGADE, I WAS ASSIGNED TO COMMAND OF THE SAME BY GENERAL KILPATRICK ON THE MORNING OF JULY 4, AND WAS ORDERED TO MOVE AT ONCE WITH MY COMMAND, FOLLOWING THE SECOND-BRI