railway trestle-work at that place and destroying the road bridges after I had crossed, and went into camp near Mechanicsville, picketing in my rear and on both flanks.

The enemy during the evening skirmished slightly with my pickets, and about 12 p. m. attacked the Second Brigade in force. My command at once mounted and formed, but the Second Brigade in force. My command at once mounted and formed, but the Second Brigade, unassisted, repulsed the attack made on them, and I moved to the vicinity of Old Church, which was reached about 4 a. m. on the morning of the 2nd of March. About 8 a. m. I moved my command about 1 mile beyond Old Church, and there took up a position. The enemy's cavalry in small force appeared, but were instantly put to flight by a squadron of the First Maine Cavalry, which drove them at the first attack. I then moved on the the vicinity of Tunstall's Station, where the brigade encamped for the night. While on the road this day I was overtaken by Captain Mitchell, Second New York Cavalry, who brought in about 250 of the men who had been sent on the expedition intrusted to Colonel Dahlgren.

The next morning, March 3, I moved on the Williamsburg road, meeting a short distance from the station a portion of the command sent up by Major-General Butler to New Kent Court-House. I marched through New Kent Court-House that day as far as the Twelve-Mile Ordinary, where I went into camp for the night.

The following day, March 4, I marched through Williamsburg to Yorktown, where I went into camp in the afternoon.

On Saturday evening, March 5, pursuant to orders from division headquarters, I ordered Major Hall with 400 men to march to Newport News, there to embark on transports for Portsmouth, Va., while with 400 more men of the command I embarked at Yorktown on transports for Portsmouth. The whole command reached Portsmouth about 11 a. m. on Sunday, March 6, and after moving out from the town it was found that the emergency that required our presence no longer existed. I therefore went into camp near Portsmouth that evening.

The following two days, March 7 and 8, were occupied in shipping the men and horses back to Yorktown, where I returned on the afternoon of the 8th of March.

Wednesday, March 9, I received orders to embark my brigade on transports to return to the Army of the Potomac, landing at Alexandria. I reached Alexandria on the morning of March 10, and the same day the Fifth New York Cavalry and Ransom's battery, with detachments from other regiments, arrived there.

March 11, the Fifth New York Cavalry started for Stevensburg, which they reached on the evening of the 12th.

On the 11th the whole of the Second New York and Eighteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry and a portion of the detachment from the Second Division reached Alexandria. These men, together with the battery, were sent forward to the Army of the Potomac on the 12th of March, under command of Colonel Bryan, Eighteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, and reached their camps on the morning of the 14th. The remainder of the Second Division detachment reached Alexandria on the 12th, and moved out to rejoin their command on the morning of the 13th, and the detachment from the First Division reaching Alexandria on the 13th moved on the 14th to their former headquarters.

I believe that the above will include all the movements of the force under my command on the late expedition.

13 R R-VOL XXXIII