had been held all the morning by the pickets who had fallen back that way when attacked on the front. I here sent 15 men in charge of Sergeant-Major Whitney to the left to keep up communication with Lieutenant Hallenbeck at the block-house on the railroad, and deployed 8 men on the right to establish a line with Company F, at the same time advancing skirmishers in front of our position and making a barricade of planks and timber at the mill crossing.

Just as our preparations were completed we received orders from you to fall back to camp. At the same time the enemy appeared, crossing the field with a line of skirmishers and a battalion advancing in line of battle in rear of them. As they were within pistol shot I left 10 men at the mill to check them, and ordered the rest to retire, sending an orderly to Captain Jones and a messenger to the sergeant-major.

The men at the mill fired two volleys, but it did not have the effect of checking them much, for they charged on the barricade, and the force there time to fall back in good order to camp when the rebels appeared on the railroad, and we commanded shelling them from the monitor. At this time they had succeeded in crossing near the Neuse bridge by felling trees across the creek, and were advancing down the Neuse road. As I was riding toward their position I met Lieutenant-Colonel Hitchock, who directed me to go to the Neuse road and repeat his order to the artillery to make the best stand they could on that road at a point just above the railroad crossing, and also to send all out our forces who were coming in toward camp as soon as possible.

I had almost reached the road when I met a portion of the Seventeenth Massachusetts Infantry, who informed me that the artillery had out of sight. I directed them to deploy as skirmishers on the cross-road near camp, and, if necessary, to retreat through the woods to a point on the railroad just below us. As our men were then near the signal station a retreat was ordered, and Company B, under Lieutenant Hallenbeck, which had just retired before the enemy's skirmishers on the signal cut, was ordered to act as rear guard. As this is my own company I remained with them. They marched down the railroad in perfect order, although menaced by a force of infantry just behind them, until one-half a mile from the railroad crossing, when we learned that yourself, Lieutenant-Colonel Hitchcock, and a party who had been just ahead of us had been headed off and obliged to take to the woods, but not believing it possible that the enemy could have intercepted us so soon, we went on until within pistol-shot of a large force which appeared on the railroad crossing. Discovering here that we were cut off, I gave Lieutenant Hallenbeck the order to file right and double-quick through the woods on a road which leads to the old Government corral. But as soon as the rebel saw us trying to escape they pursued with cavalry and infantry, and a brisk skirmish ensued.

Although the woods fairly swarmed with rebels the coolness and steadiness of Lieutenant Hallenbeck and his men carried them through with the loss of 1 corporal and 3 privates taken prisoners. I think they inflicted some damage on the enemy, as our men fired deliberately, and several were seen to fall. We were joined at this place by yourself and escort, and the pursuit being discontinued soon after, the whole party reached the Trent road in safety, and meeting there the rest of the regimental, which had crossed farther up, pro-