ON THE MORNING OF THE THIRD DAY, AT A QUARTER BEFORE 4 O'CLOCK, THE ENEMY ENGAGED THE LEFT OF THE PICKET LINE, AND AT 4 A. M. OPENED WITH THEIR ARTILLERY, WHICH WAS REPLIED TO BY A BATTERY ON THE ELEVATED GROUND IN OUR REAR, FIRING OVER OUR HEADS. THIS FIRE CONTINUED BUT A SHORT TIME. AT ABOUT 2 P. M. THE ENEMY AGAIN OPENED WITH THEIR ARTILLERY SEVERELY. THEY ARE REPORTED TO HAVE HAD OVER ONE HUNDRED PIECES IN OUR FRONT. THIS CONTINUED FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS. AT ABOUT 4 P. M. THE ENEMY ADVANCED A LINE OF BATTLE AGAINST MY PICKET LINE WITH GREAT VIGOR. THE PICKETS STOOD FIRM AND OPENED FIRE UPON THEM. THE FOURTEENTH VERMONT WAS MOVED DOWN TO THE RIGHT OF MY RESERVES, WHICH CONSISTED OF SIX COMPANIES. TWO OF THE OTHER FOUR COMPANIES WERE ON THE PICKET LINE BEFORE THEY RALLIED ON THE RESERVES, AND TWO (B AND G) WERE IN SUPPORT OF A BATTERY. THE THIRTEENTH VERMONT MOVED FORWARD TO THE RIGHT OF THE FOURTEENTH AND A LITTLE TO THE REAR OF THEIR LINE, AND THE THREE REGIMENTS OPENED A RAPID AND DESTRUCTIVE FIRE UPON THE RIGHT OF THE LINE OF THE ENEMY (PICKETT'S DIVISION), WHICH SOON DIVERGED TO THEIR LEFT, AND THEREBY LEFT THEIR RIGHT FLANK EXPOSED. PURSUANT TO AN ORDER TO ME, THE SIXTEENTH REGIMENT PASSED BACK AND ALONG BY THE REAR OF THE FOURTEENTH AND MOVED TO THE LEFT OF THE THIRTEENTH, AND JOINING ON TO THE LEFT OF THAT REGIMENT, CHANGED FRONT FORWARD, CORRESPONDING TO A LIKE MOVEMENT OF THE THIRTEENTH, AND THE TWO REGIMENTS CHARGED INTO THE FLANK OF THE ENEMY AND VERY SOON CRUSHED THE FORCE IN OUR NEW FRONT. VERY MANY PRISONERS WERE TAKEN IN THIS CHARGE. THIS LINE ADVANCED FARTHER TO THE LEFT AND OBLIQUELY TO MY REAR. I IMMEDIATELY RECEIVED AN ORDER TO MARCH BACK AND GET INTO POSITION TO OPPOSE THIS NEW LINE. I MOVED ABOUT 15 RODS BY MARCHING BY THE LEFT FLANK AND FILING TO THE LEFT, SO AS TO GAIN UPON THE ENEMY AND BRING MY FRONT FACING OBLIQUELY TO HIS LEFT FLANK. WHEN THIS POSITION WAS GAINED I RECEIVED PERMISSION TO CHARGE. THE RESULT OF THIS CHARGE WAS A VERY LARGE NUMBER OF PRISONERS, AND, IN THE TWO MOVEMENTS, THREE STAND OF COLORS, THE COLORS BEING STRIPPED FROM ONE STANDARD. THE TWO BROUGHT IN WERE THE SECOND FLORIDA AND THE EIGHTH VIRGINIA. THE FORMER HAD INSCRIBED UPON IT "WILLIAMSBURG" AND "SEVEN PINES. " NO FURTHER DEMONSTRATIONS WERE MADE BY INFANTRY IN OUR FRONT, BUT MY REGIMENT SUFFERED SEVERELY FROM ARTILLERY AFTER WE HAD DESTROYED THEIR INFANTRY LINES. I COULD NOT SPEAK TOO HIGHLY IN PRAISE OF THE CONDUCT OF BOTH OFFICERS AND MEN. I KNOW OF NO INSTANCE OF A MAN LEAVING THE RANKS UNTIL DISABLED. I REGRET TO MENTION AS ONE OF THE KILLED LIEUTENANT LAWTON, COMPANY F. HE WAS A YOUNG MAN OF GREAT FIDELITY AND BRAVERY, TO WHOM I WAS MUCH ATTACHE. HE FELL MORTALLY WOUNDED NEAR THE CLOSE OF THE BATTLE. A LIST OF THE KILLED AND WOUNDED IS HERETO ATTACHED. *

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED.

W. G. VEAZEY,

COLONEL, COMDG. SIXTEENTH REGIMENT VERMONT VOLS.

Captain W. H. HILL,

ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL.

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*SEE REVISED STATEMENT, P. 174.

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