of Captain Alexander, and I do but simple justice when I say that the officers and men are entitled to high esteem and admiration for their skill and bravery exhibited in this action.

Receiving information that the enemy were being heavily re-enforced, I went forward with the regiment, composed of companies of the One hundred and forty-fourth and One hundred and forty-ninth Ohio National Guard, commanded by Colonel Brown, who took possession of the enemy's deserted lines soon after daylight Friday morning. The most of Friday was spent in cavalry skirmishing with the enemy, under the personal direction of Lieutenant-Colonel Clendenin, and was very efficiently done. I continued to receive reports during the day of the increasing strength of the enemy, which w as communicated to the commanding general, who directed me to fall back on Monocacy Junction, which was successfully done during the night, leaving the One hundred and forty-ninth Ohio National Guard to hold the stone bridge across the Monocacy on the National or Baltimore pike.

Saturday morning found us in line of battle, my command forming the right of the line, my left resting on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and connecting with General Ricketts, the One hundred and forty-ninth Ohio National Guard and three companies One hundred and forty-fourth Ohio National Guard holding the extreme right; Colonel Gilpin's Third Regiment Potomac Home Brigade, Maryland Volunteers, and three companies First Maryland Potomac Home Brigade, under Captain Bamford, extending along the base of the hill holding the ford between the stone bridge and Junction, and the Eleventh Maryland, Colonel Landstreet, completing my line. The enemy appeared directly in my front about 9 a. m., and opened on us with artillery, and attacked in considerable force our skirmish line formed on the west bank of the Monocacy and composed of the troops of the First Maryland Potomac Home Brigade, under command of Captain Brown. Three guns of Captain Alexander's battery (three having been sent to General Ricketts) and a 24-pounder howitzer soon checked their advancing lines; and the action in my front, with the exception of sharpshooters and skirmish firing, was an artillery fight. This at time was quite spirited, continuing until near the close of the action, we maintaining our position without serious loss.

The conduct of Captain Brown, of First Maryland Potomac Home Brigade, and his command merit special notice. They successfully maintained their skirmish line against a superior force to the close, and resisted several charges of the enemy.

Captain Alexander, with his officers and men, behaved in the most gallant manner, serving their guns with great coolness and effect, and I desire particularly to call the commanding general's attention to their conduct during the three days we were in front of the enemy.

The One hundred and forty-ninth Ohio and three companies of the One hundred and forty-fourth Ohio National Guards, under Colonel Brown, considering their inexperience, behaved well, successfully resisting several charges of the enemy.

Colonel Gilpin's regiment, with the three companies of the First Maryland Potomac Home Brigade that were assigned him, although serving in detachments along an extended line, fully sustained the enviable reputation they had won on Thursday.

The Eleventh Maryland was not brought into action, but were exposed for a time to the artillery fire of the enemy.