Numbers 569. Report of Colonel John L. Black, First South Carolina Cavalry, of engagement at Brandy Station.

CULPEPER COUNTY, VA., June 10, 1863.

SIR: I respectfully submit the following report relative o the movements of the regiment under my command, in the action near Brandy Station on the 9th: My regiment was formed at sunrise for the purpose of moving to a new camp. About this time, brisk firing was heard, and, being near General Stuart's headquarters, I instantly reported there, and was ordered forward on the road leading to Rappahannock Station, and halted at a point designated by Lieutenant [C.] Dabney, of General Stuart's staff. I here found the first squadron of my regiment [Captains [M. T.] Owen and [S. H.] Jones] dismounted and skirmishing with the enemy on my left. This squadron had been ordered to this point on the evening of the 8th, and remained there through the night. I immediately dismounted a party of sharpshooters from the fifth squadron, and moved them forward to support this squadron, at the request of Major [C. E.] Flournoy, commanding [Sixth] Virginia Regiment, drawn up on the right of the line; but about the time the second line came up, a report reached me that the enemy was advancing on the road from Kellys' Ford and Rappahannock Station. Communicating with Major Flournoy, I at once withdrew my second line, and moved to the right, crossing the railroad, and selecting a position at the junction of the roads leading to Kelly's and Rappahannock Station Fords, not knowing at the time that General Robertson' brigade was in front of me. Soon after I had changed position, Captain Owen, commanding my first squadron, retired from Major Flournoy's left. This was done by a misconstrued order, delivered by a courier. As the ammunition of this squadron was exhausted, I at once replaced it with my fifth squadron [Captains {Niles
Nesbitt and Fox], which retired from this position, as I am informed, by the direction of the officer in charge of this part of the line. At this time i was ordered to join General Hampton's brigade, on the north side of the railroad. Here, by direction of General Hampton, I dismounted first my fifth squadron, and deployed them as sharpshooters, under Captain J. R. P. Fox; afterward the fourth squadron, under Captains [L. J.] Johnson and [J. S.] Wilson, in command of their respective detachments of sharpshooter; one company of the second squadron, under Lieutenant [F. A.] Sitgreaves, the other company of this squadron [Captain [E.] Sharpe] having been left deployed as flankers on the extreme right. These companies deployed and moved forward steadily, and although they, with the sharpshooters from the other regiments of the brigade, were charged by the enemy's cavalry, they held their ground and charged on foot in return, and held their position until ordered by General Hampton to retire, which they did in proper order, coming out with very few rounds of ammunition in their bowes. Before my sharpshooters could remount, I moved rapidly to the left, toward Brandy, as ordered, following Colonel Young, of the Cobb Legion, to support him. This march was made in column of squadrons. As the head of the Georgia Legion was near General