I cannot speak too highly of the ability and soldierly qualities, both on the field of battle and no less creditably on forced marches by day and night, over terrible roads and with scarcely half teams, by the officers of my battalion; nor of the splendid courage and tenacity of both officers and men under as deadly a fire as has often been faced; nor of the cheerfulness wtih the men endured the fatigue, exposure, and short rations which often fell to their lot, the latter, I fear, being necessarily incidental to the make-shift arrangements by which rations are supplied to them. I very respectfully recommend for special merit and gallantry, Majors Huger and Dearing; Capts. T. C. Jordan, G. V. Moody P. Woolfork, jr. W. W. Parker, O. B. Taylor, and W. Ficking; Lieutenant Gilbert, commanding Brooks' artillery until severely wounded; Lieutenant J. Donnel Smith and Lieutenant[James] Sillers, temporarily commanding their respective batteries or detached sections, and Lieutenant [F. M]Colston, ordnance officer. Under Assistant Surgeons[H. V]Gray and [Aristidesa] Monterio, Captain[P. A] Franklin, quartermaster, and Lieutenant[George D.] Vaughan, commissary, the arduous duties of their respective departments were creditably performed. Captain Jordan, Moody and Fickling, and Lieutenant Woolfolk, commanding Woolfolk's battery, decline specifying any of their brave commands for praise, on the grounds that were all so well deserve it it would be invidious to particularize. Captain Parker speaks highly of the behavior of Lieutenant [George E.] Savile in particular, and First Sergeant[E. S]Wooldridge. Captain Taylor also praises the behavior of Corps. W. WP. Ray and Joseph T. V. Lantz, both of whom were killed on the field while behaving most gallantly.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. P. ALEXANDER,

Colonel, Artillery

Lieutenant Colonel G. MOXLEY SORREL.

Assistant Adjutant-General.

No. 465. Report of Cap. Osmond B. Taylor, Virginia Battery.

CAMP NEAR ORANGE COURT-HOUSE, VA., August 3, 1863.

COLONEL: In accordance with a circular from your headquarters issued this morning, I make the following report:On or about June 3 last, I left Milford Station, Caroline Country, with my battery, in company with the other batteries of your battalion. We proceeded to Culpeper Court-House, near which place we went into camp on June 6. We remained here until the 15th, recruiting our horses, repairing our gun-carriages, wagons, harness, &c., with little else of interest, excepting that when the enemy's cavalry made a dash upon ours, near Brandy Station, our battalion marched out to meet them, but we did not have the pleasure of a meeting. Our cavalry drove them back. On June 15, we started for the Valley of Virginia, and arrived at Millwood, in Clarke Country, on the 18th, where we remained several