PIECES IN SUFFICIENT TIME OF THEIR LAST EFFORT TO HAVE GIVEN THEM A ROUND BEFORE THEY WERE IN THE BATTERY, THEY SHOULD NEVER HAVE TAKEN THE GUNS-THERE, AT LEAST. ONCE IN THE BATTERY, IT BECAME A HAND-TO-HAND FIGHT WITH PISTOL AND SABER BETWEEN THE ENEMY AND MY CANNONEERS AND DRIVERS, AND NEVER DID MEN ACT WITH MORE COOLNESS AND BRAVERY, AND SHOW MORE OF A STERN PURPOSE TO DO THEIR DUTY UNFLINCHINGLY, AND, ABOVE ALL, TO SAVE THEIR GUNS; AND WHILE THE LOSS OF THEM IS A MATTER OF GREAT REGRET TO ME, IT IS A CONSOLATION AND A GREAT SATISFACTION TO KNOW THAT I CAN POINT WITH PRIDE TO THE FACT THAT OF THAT LITTLE BAND WHO DEFENDED THE BATTERY NOT ONE OF THEM FLINCHED FOR A MOMENT FROM HIS DUTY. OF THE 36 MEN THAT I TOOK INTO THE ENGAGEMENT, BUT 6 CAME OUT SAFELY, AND OF THESE 30, 21 ARE EITHER KILLED, WOUNDED, OR MISSING, AND SCARCELY ONE OF THEM BUT WILL CARRY THE HONORABLE MARK OF THE SABER OR BULLET TO HIS GRAVE. THE THREE GUNS LOST WERE SO DISABLED BY BURSTING, WEDGING, AND SPIKING THAT THEIR POSSESSION WAS OF NO BENEFIT TO THE ENEMY FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE ENGAGEMENT, AND THE AMMUNITION (FUSE SHELL AND CASE SHOT) WHICH THEY TOOK WITH THE GUNS WAS RENDERED USELESS BY THE DESTRUCTION OF THE FUSES BELONGING TO THEM. ALL THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN LESS TIME THAN IT TAKES TO WRITE IT, BUT IT WAS COMPLETE AND EFFECTUAL. FINDING THAT IT WAS FUTILE TO DO MORE THAN HAD BEEN DONE, I MADE MY WAY TO WHERE I HOPED TO FIND THE GENERAL COMMANDING THE DIVISION, MY OBJECT BEING, IF POSSIBLE, TO SECURE SUFFICIENT FORCE TO RECAPTURE THE GUNS (AND I BELIEVE, FROM THE CHARACTER OF THE ENEMY'S FIGHTING, THAT IT COULD HAVE PEEN DONE WITH LITTLE LOSS), AND TO ASSIST IN THEIR RECAPTURE I INTENDED TO TAKE UP THREE OF THE CAISSON LIMBERS TO BRING OFF THE GUNS WITH (THE HORSES BELONGING TO THE GUNS HAVING ALL BEEN EITHER KILLED OR WOUNDED) IF THE EFFORT WAS SUCCESSFUL, AND, IF IT WAS ATTENDED WITH NO SUCCESS, I FELT ASSURED THAT I COULD FALL BACK WITH THE LIMBERS AS SAFELY AS COULD THE ASSISTING FORCE. AFTER FIFTEEN MINUTES' UNSUCCESSFUL SEARCH, I RETURNED AND FOUND THAT OUR FORCES WERE FALLING BACK ON THE ROAD LEADING TO BERRY'S HILL, AND I ACCORDINGLY MOVED MY CAISSONS AND THE REMAINING PORTIONS OF THE TWO SECTIONS TO THAT POINT, AND LEFT THEM UNDER THE CHARGE OF LIEUTENANT CLARK, WHILE I WENT TO THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE CORPS TO REPORT MY DISASTER TO CAPTAIN ROBERTSON, CORPS CHIEF OF ARTILLERY. THE OPERATIONS OF THE LEFT SECTION WERE CONDUCTED SOLELY BY ITS CHIEF, LIEUTENANT WILSON, AND FROM ALL SIDES I HEAR NOTHING BUT HIGH ENCOMIUMS ON HIS EXCELLENT MANAGEMENT OF HIS COMMAND AND OF THE GALLANTRY OF HIMSELF AND HIS MEN. THE REPORTS OF HIS OPERATIONS AND OF THOSE OF LIEUTENANT CLARK* FROM THE TIME HE TOOK THE ADVANCE UNTIL I JOINED HIM ON THE FIELD, ARE HEREWITH INCLOSED. AT 3 P. M., IN ACCORDANCE WITH ORDERS FROM THE GENERAL COMMANDING THE DIVISION, I CROSSED THE RAPPAHANNOCK AT THE STATION FORD, AND REMAINED IN CAPM UNTIL 7 A. M. ON THE 10TH, WHEN I MARCHED WITH THE DIVISION TO WARRENTON JUNCTION, REMAINING, UNDER THE ORDER OF THE GENERAL COMMANDING THE DIVISION, UNTIL THE 13TH INSTANT, WHEN I REPORTED TO YOUR HEADQUARTERS FOR DUTY WITH THE BRIGADE. I HAVE THE HONOR TO REPORT THE FOLLOWING CASUALTIES: 8 WOUNDED AND 13 MISSING. NONE KNOWN TO BE KILLED. AMOUNT OF AMMUNITION EXPENDED: 122 ROUNDS SCHENKL PERCUSSION SHELL, 126 ROUNDS HOTCHKISS CASE SHOT, AND 15 ROUNDS HOTCHKISS CAN-

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* CLARK'S REPORT NOT FOUND.

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65 R R-VOL XXVII, PT I