The brigade bivouacked for the night, and at 1 a. m. July 11th the Ninth Regiment formed line of battle and remained in that position until 7 a. m., when they were ordered to occupy the rifle-pits on the left of Fort Stevens. The Twenty-fourth Regiment was then moved to Fort Mansfield, the remainder of the brigade remaining in the same position, excepting one company of the Nineteenth Regiment, which was thrown out on the Rockville pike as pickets, and shortly after taking its position was attacked by the enemy, but held its position until relieved, with a loss of 2 men wounded. At 2.30 p. m. orders were received making the following changes in the line: The First Regiment was sent from Fort Reno to rifle-pits on the left of Battery Smead; the Sixth and Nineteenth Regiments to Fort De Russy, the former occupying the rifle-pits on the right of the fort and reaching to Rock Creek, the latter in the rifle-pits connecting Battery Smead and Fort De Russy. The Twenty-second Regiment moved from Fort Sumner to Fort Kearny and took possession of the rifle-pits in front of the fort. At 4 p. m. the Ninth regiment was ordered to advance as skirmishers and relieve the Twenty-fifth New York Cavalry (dismounted). After a brisk engagement, in which the regiment lost 1 killed and 11 wounded, they succeeded in relieving the cavalry and advancing the line some distance to the front, and remained on the skirmish line until the advance of the Sixth Corps, Army of the Potomac, which relieved seven companies, three companies remaining on the line. After 5 p. m. three companies of the Nineteenth Regiment Veteran Reserve Corps, one company of the Sixth and one company of the First Regiments were deployed as skirmishers in the front and on the flanks of Fort De Russy and Battery Smead, and succeeded in advancing the line some 1,500 yards to the front. The same hour the Twenty-fourth Regiment was ordered from Fort Mansfield to Fort De Russy, and shortly after arriving at that point was sent back to Fort Reno, occupying the rifle-pits on the right of the fort. At 7.30 p. m. the enemy was seen re-enforcing his lines. I accordingly sent the Sixth Regiment to strengthen the skirmish line on the right and center, and six companies of the Twenty-second Regiment on the left of the line. Our skirmish line now extended from the Rockville pike on the left to about 2,000 yards beyond Rock Creek on the right.

At 3 a. m. July 12 the whole command was under arms. At 6 a. m. I ordered Colonel F. S. Palmer, commanding the right of the skirmish line, to advance his line and take possession of a hill about a quarter of a mile in advance, then occupied by rebel sharpshooters, who were annoying our line very much. This was accomplished after considerable resistance from the enemy, with the loss of 1 man wounded. The left and center of the line, which was composed of three companies of the Nineteenth Regiment and six companies of the Twenty-second Regiment, also moved forward until the left of the line was nearly two miles in advance of the defenses. At 7 o'clock the Twenty-fourth Regiment moved from Fort Sumner to Fort Kearny. At 1 p. m. I relieved the Sixth Regiment, which was on the skirmish line, by the First Regiment Veteran Reserve Corps. At 2 p. m. I received orders to send one regiment to Fort ReNumbers My command at that time was in such a position that I was compelled to send the Sixth Regiment, which had just been relieved from picket. This regiment on arriving at Fort Reno was ordered to