Numbers 15. Report of Colonel Walter H. Stevens, C. S. Army, commanding Richmond Defenses.

HEADQUARTERS RICHMOND DEFENSES,
March 8, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to make the following report of the operations of this command during the recent raid of the enemy against this city:

On Monday night, February 29, in obedience to instructions from your office, I ordered Lieutenant Colonel C. E. Lightfoot, commanding the light artillery, to repair to Camp Lee by daylight with Captain Hankins' and Captain Rives' batteries, and to send one section of Thornton's battery to the vicinity of the new brigade, on the Nine-Mile road, and at the same time ordered the forces of Lieutenant Colonel James Howard, commanding Second Division (inner line), and of Lieutenant Colonel J. W. Atkinson, commanding First Division (inner line), to be at the intersection of the Brook turnpike and intermediate line by daylight Tuesday morning, Lieutenant-Colonel Howard being ordered at the same time to double his guards posted at the intersection of the Mechanicsville, the Meadow Bridge, the Brook, and Deep Run roads and the intermediate line.

On Tuesday morning I proceeded to the intersection of the Brook turnpike and intermediate line, and at 10. 30 ordered Captain Rives to proceed to same place, there being no light artillery at that point, and in obedience to verbal instructions from the major-general commanding returned to your headquarters. While there I received a dispatch from Lieutenant-Colonel Howard, stating that the enemy had appeared in his front and driven in his pickets. I immediately returned to the intersection of the Brook turnpike and intermediate line, and upon my arrival there found out that upon the appearance of the enemy Lieutenant Colonel James Howard had ordered Captain rives to push forward one section of his artillery and engage. This command Captain Rives executed, being supported by Company D, Tenth Virginia Battalion Heavy Artillery, commanded by Captain C. S. Harrison. After advancing some 200 yards the enemy's skirmishers, closing upon him, fired so rapidly and accurately that he was obliged to retire to the shelter of the fortifications, with the loss of 2 men wounded and 8 horses wounded. Lieutenant-Colonel Lightfoot had also with commendable promptitude ordered Hankins' battery too the intersection of the intermediate line and the Mordecai's Mill road, at the same time sending him an infantry support from Lieutenant-Colonel Howard's command.

Soon after my arrival the enemy opened upon my position a rapid and tolerably accurate fire from five pieces of artillery, and his skirmishers advanced under cover ditches and the neighboring houses to within 200 yards of our works and annoyed our artillerists so much that at the suggestion of Lieutenant-Colonel Howard I ordered him and Lieutenant-Colonel Atkinson to detach a portion of their commands and drive them from their shelter. This was handsomely performed on the right by a volunteer force from Lieutenant-Colonel Howard's command, under First Lieutenant William M. Chaplain, Company B, Twentieth Virginia Battalion Heavy Artillery, who charged the enemy who were in the house of Mr. J. A. Parker, from