THE TOWN, AND TOOK POSITION IN REAR OF ELDER'S BATTERY. A FEW REBEL CAVALRY ONLY BEING REPORTED IN TOWN, WE WERE AGAIN ORDERED ON. OUR ADVANCE HAVING BEEN REPULSED BY A FORCE OF CONCEALED SHARPSHOOTERS IN THE TOWN, AND THE ENEMY'S ARTILLERY OPENING TO OUR RIGHT, SKIRMISHERS WERE THROWN OUT IN THAT DIRECTION. I WAS ORDERED TO DISMOUNT MY CARBINEERS AND SEND THEM FORWARD INTO TOWN AS A CHECK UPON THE SHARPSHOOTERS, AND TO TAKE POSITION WITH THE REST OF MY COMMAND NEAR THE SEMINARY, IN SUPPORT OF THE BATTERY. AFTER AWHILE THE ENEMY'S SHARPSHOOTERS BECAME ANNOYING TO THE ARTILLERISTS, AND A CHANGE OF POSITION WAS ORDERED, THE FIRST VERMONT, FIRST WEST VIRGINIA, AND FIFTH NEW YORK ALTERNATELY SUPPORTING THE BATTERY DURING THE CHANGE OF POSITION TOWARD THE LEFT OF THE TOWN. THE ENEMY CLOSELY FOLLOWED AND KEPT UP A SHARP CANNONADE, WHICH DID NO DAMAGE BEYOND WOUNDING AND KILLING A FEW HORSES. THE ENEMY BEING IN SUPERIOR NUMBERS, WE WERE ORDERED TO FALL BACK, AND I WAS ORDERED TO BRING UP THE REAR WITH MY REGIMENT. FINALLY A STAND WAS MADE ABOUT 2 MILES FROM TOWN, ON THE WILLIAMSPORT ROAD. ONE GUM WAS PLACED IN THE ROAD, WITH THE FIRST VERMONT ON THE RIGHT AND MY REGIMENT ON THE LEFT IN AN OPEN FIELD. I WAS ORDERED TO THROW OUT ONE SQUADRON AS SKIRMISHERS, WHICH WAS DONE UNDER A SEVERE FIRE OF THE ENEMY, WHO FOLLOWED US CLOSELY. THEY SWARMED IN THE WOODS ON BOTH FLANKS, AND POURED IN THEIR FIRE, WHICH WAS SO SEVERE AS TO THROW MY MEN INTO SOME CONFUSION. HEARING THAT THE ENEMY WERE COMING DOWN A SMALL BY-ROAD IN OUR REAR, I DETACHED LIEUTENANT DIMMICK WITH A SMALL COMMAND TO DRIVE THEM BACK. IN A FEW MINUTES THEY WERE DRIVEN BACK WITH LOSS, THE LIEUTENANT BEING SEVERELY WOUNDED. I THEN SENT CAPTAIN PENFIELD WITH MORE MEN TO HOLD THE WAY AT ALL HAZARDS, SINCE WHICH TIME I HAVE NOT SEEN HIM. HE AND SEVERAL OTHERS HAD THEIR HORSES KILLED UNDER THEM, AND WERE PROBABLY CAPTURED. AFTER BEING SUBJECTED TO A VERY SEVERE FIRE IN AN EXPOSED POSITION, AND AIDING IN REPELLING SEVERAL CHARGES OF THE ENEMY, I RECEIVED ORDERS TO FALL BACK, WHICH I DID, THOUGH NOT WITHOUT LOSS. THE PURSUIT OF THE ENEMY BEING CHECKED, WE RETIRED WITH THE REST OF THE COMMAND, AND WENT INTO BIVOUAC. NEXT DAY REACHED BOONSBOROUGH, AND ENCAMPED. OUR LOSS WAS 5 OFFICERS AND ABOUT 100 ENLISTED MEN WOUNDED AND MISSING. OF THE NUMBER KILLED, NOTHING DEFINITE IS KNOWN.

BATTLE OF BOONSBOROUGH, MD., JULY 8.

THE ENEMY HAVING ADVANCE FROM HAGERSTOWN AND MADE AN ATTACK UPON OUR FORCES, I RECEIVED ORDERS TO MOVE DOWN TO THE FIELD AND SUPPORT CAPTAIN ELDER'S BATTERY. I PUT THE COLUMN IN MOTION, AND MOVED OVER THE HILL, AND TOOK POSITION ON A RIDGE OUTSIDE THE TOWN, ON THE LEFT OF THE PIKE LEADING TO HAGERSTOWN. THE BATTERY OPENED UPON THE SKIRMISHERS OF THE ENEMY, AND OUR SKIRMISHERS BEING ORDERED FORWARD, DROVE THOSE OF THE ENEMY. THEY, BEING RE-ENFORCED, IN TURN DROVE OURS NEARLY BACK TO THE GUNS. I WAS ORDERED TO SEND FORWARD MY CARBINEERS TO RE-ENFORCE THEM, WHICH WAS DONE, AND THE ENEMY WAS GRADUALLY FORCED TO RETIRE. BY SUNDOWN THE ENEMY WAS IN FULL RETREAT, AND I WAS ORDERED TO RETURN TO THE CAMP I HAD LEFT IN THE MORNING. ALTHOUGH THE ENEMY'S SHELLS FELL FAST ABOUT US DURING THE FIGHT, I AM HAPPY TO STATE WE MET WITH NO LOSS IN MEN AND BUT FEW LOSSES IN HORSES.

VERY RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED.

JOHN HAMMOND,

MAJOR, COMMANDING.