THE BRIGADE LOST IN THIS ACTION 2 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS KILLED, 3 WOUNDED, AND 7 MISSING; 12 ENLISTED MEN KILLED, 41 WOUNDED, AND 201 MISSING. THE MAJORITY OF CASUALTIES IN THIS ENGAGEMENT WERE OCCASIONED BY THE FIRE OF THE ENEMY'S INFANTRY, WHO, POSTED IN ALMOST EVERY HOUSE, POURED IN A MOST DESTRUCTIVE VOLLEY UPON OUR MEN AS THEY CHARGED THROUGH THE STREETS. ON JULY 7, I RETURNED WITH MY BRIGADE TO BOONSBOROUGH, AND WENT INTO CAMP NEAR THAT PLACE UNTIL THE NEXT DAY, WHEN THE ENEMY ATTACKED US IN HEAVY FORCE. SOON AFTER THE ATTACK, I RECEIVED AN ORDER TO MOVE OUT THE PIKE AND TAKE A POSITION ABOUT THE CENTER OF OUR LINE OF DEFENSE, WITH WHICH ORDER I PROCEEDED AT ONCE TO COMPLY. UPON ARRIVING AT THE POINT INDICATED, I FOUND THE ENEMY IN STRONG FORCE IN MY IMMEDIATE FRONT, UNDER COVER OF A THICK PIECE OF WOODS AND LARGE ROCKS. I IMMEDIATELY DEPLOYED ONE REGIMENT (EIGHTEENTH PENNSYLVANIA) DISMOUNTED AS SKIRMISHERS, AND ADVANCED THEM AT DOUBLE-QUICK UPON THE ENEMY'S POSITION, AND AT THE SAME TIME ORDERED ONE SECTION OF ELDER'S BATTERY TO TAKE POSITION AND SHELL THE WOODS. WHICH THEY DID MOST EFFECTIVELY. ABOUT THIS TIME ONE GUN OF PENNINGTON'S BATTERY (M, SECOND U. S. ARTILLERY), COMMANDED BY LIEUTENANT CLARKE, CAME UP AND WENT INTO POSITION, AND BY MY ORDERS ALSO OPENED FIRE UPON THE WOODS, FROM WHICH THE ENEMY SOON BEGAN A PRECIPITATE RETREAT. I THEN ORDERED THE FIRST VERMONT TO CHARGE DOWN THE PIKE, WHICH THEY AT ONCE DID, AND, TAKING THE GUN COMMENDED BY LIEUTENANT CLARKE, THE FIFTH NEW YORK AND FIRST WEST VIRGINIA STARTED ON THE LEFT OF THE PIKE IN PURSUIT OF THE FLEEING ENEMY, WHO MADE SUCH EXCELLENT TIME THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME AGAIN TO ENGAGE HIM; SO, WITHDRAWING MY COMMAND, I RETURNED TO CAMP. THE BRIGADE LOST IN THIS ACTION 2 ENLISTED MEN KILLED, 5 WOUNDED, AND 2 MISSING. A FULL STATEMENT OF THE LOSSES SUSTAINED BY THE SEVERAL REGIMENTS OF THIS BRIGADE IN THE VARIOUS ACTIONS HERETOFORE MENTIONED IS HEREWITH ANNEXED, MARKED A. ON THE MORNING OF JULY 9, COL O. DE FOREST, FIFTH NEW YORK CAVALRY, HAVING REPORTED FOR DUTY, I WAS RELIEVED FROM COMMAND OF THE BRIGADE, AND ORDERED WITH MY REGIMENT TO FREDERICK, MD., ON PROVOST DUTY. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE THAT I SHOULD BE ABLE AT THIS LATE DATE TO MAKE A VERY FULL REPORT OF THE MOVEMENTS OF THE BRIGADE ESPECIALLY AS THERE ARE NO REGIMENTAL REPORTS BEFORE ME FROM WHICH TO REFRESH MY RECOLLECTION AS TO THE EXACT PART TAKEN BY THE SEVERAL REGIMENTS COMPOSING THE COMMAND. THO OFFICERS AND MEN, WITH SOME FEW EXCEPTIONS, BEHAVED THEMSELVES IN THE VARIOUS ENGAGEMENTS IN THE MOST PRAISEWORTHY MANNER, AND I CONSIDER IT MY DUTY TO MAKE SPECIAL MENTION OF LIEUTENANT-COLONEL PRESTON, FIRST VERMONT; LIEUTENANT-COLONEL BRINTON, EIGHTEENTH PENNSYLVANIA; MAJOR HAMMOND, FIFTH NEW YORK, AND MAJOR CAPEHART, FIRST WEST VIRGINIA, ALL OF WHOM DISPLAYED IN THE MOST DECIDED MANNER THAT GALLANTRY AND COOLNESS SO REQUISITE IN AN OFFICER. LIEUTENANT ELDER HAS BEEN REFERRED TO ELSEWHERE IN THIS REPORT. ALL OF WHICH IS MOST RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED.

I HAVE THE HONOR TO BE, VERY RESPECTFULLY, YOUR OBEDIENT SERVANT,

N. P. RICHMOND,

Colonel FIRST WEST VIRGINIA VOL. CAV., FORMERLY COMDG.

FIRST BRIG., THIRD DIV., CAV. CORPS, ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.

Lieutenant L. G. ESTES, A. S. G., THIRD DIV. CAV. CORPS.