with water, and hard bread, coffee, and sugar for two days. Battery L, First U. S. Artillery, which had encamped with the brigade, was with the wagon train left at this point, and the One hundred and fifty-third Regiment New York Volunteers, of this brigade, was left as a guard for the train and artillery of the division. The brigade marched in the following order: The One hundred and sixty-first New York Volunteers in advance, from which four companies were detached as an advance guard for the division, followed by the One hundred and sixteenth New York Volunteers, the One hundred and fourteenth New York Volunteers, and the Twenty-ninth Maine Volunteers, in the order in which they are here mentioned. As the brigade proceeded on this march, the firing in the front became heavier, and the rumors from the field were of disaster, and indicated that the presence of the command was necessary. Its march was hastened in consequence. Soon fugitives from the field appeared, consisting, at first, principally of negroes with spare horses, followed by cavalrymen and wagons. Acting on instructions from the brigadier-general commanding the division, these fugitives were checked and turned back, but their number continuing to increase, two companies from the One hundred and sixty-first New York Volunteers were marched in line of battle on each side of the column. In this order the command reached the top of a hill, where it met the whole of that portion of the army which had preceded it, in utter rout and panic, flying before the enemy, who were in hot pursuit. On the crest of this hill thee brigadier-general commanding the division directed that the line of battle should be formed. In face of the rout of the army, this became a difficult task, for through the brigade column in many places rushed cavalry, artillery, and wagons in frightful confusion. The companies of the One hundred and sixty-first New York Volunteers were utterly unable to protect the flanks of this column. One of these companies joined its regiment; the other joined the column of the One hundred and sixteenth New York Volunteers. The whole of the One hundred and sixty-first New York Volunteers, with the exception of the company driven into the column of the One hundred and sixteenth New York Volunteers, followed the brigadier-general commanding the division in advance of the line on which he had directed that the brigade should be deployed, and this regiment was used by the brigadier-general commanding the division in checking the advance of the enemy and covering the deployment. There were thus left but three regiments of this brigade to be immediately posted. The One hundred and sixteenth New York Volunteers was placed on the right, with the One hundred and fourteenth New York Volunteers on its left, and the Twenty-ninth Maine Volunteers on the left of the line, and stretching across the road upon which the routed army was passing. After being posted, these regiments were directed to remain firmly in their positions, to reserve their fire until the last moment, and to fire as low as possible. The first attack of the enemy was made upon the front of this line, and was repulsed by its steady and withering fire.

This attack had barely subsided when a body of the enemy appeared to be moving toward the right flank of the brigade. Some shots from their direction falling upon the right flank of the One hundred and sixteenth New York Volunteers caused some confusion in its ranks. I went immediately to the right of the line to restore order, when I found certain troops on the right of the One