enemy and occasioned a brisk fire, which wounded a number of men. At 9.20 a.m. I withdrew my line to the rebel picket-pits (which my men reversed), leaving several men from each company at the edge of the slashing to keep up the occasional fire ordered. At 2.15 p.m. I withdrew these men from the edge of the slashing, by order from General Birney. At 3 p.m. the skirmishers of the Second Division having fallen back, I followed their movements. By a mistake in transmitting my orders along the line, I and F Companies remained on the line fifteen minutes after the rest of our skirmish line had retired, when they discovered that they were all alone and fell back (being fired upon by the enemy, who was pushing out his skirmishers) just as I was returning for them by order of General Birney. The regiment being assembled, I marched to camp with the brigade. No men could have performed what we had to do better than both my officers and men did it.

I had 1 man killed and 1 officer and 30 men wounded.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

LLEWELYN F. HASKELL,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding Regiment.

Lieutenant J. E. LOCKWOOD,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

No. 297. Report of Captain Edwin S. Babcock, Ninth U. S. Colored Troops, of operations September 29-30.

HDQRS. NINTH REGIMENT U. S. COLORED TROOPS,
Near Aiken's, north side of James, October 1, 1864.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of the share taken by this command in the operations of the 29th and 30th ultimo:

The regiment left its bivouac at Deep Bottom about 5 a.m. of the 29th and moved toward the New Market road, nearly a mile, when it was formed in brigade column of battalions, deployed in the edge of the woods, while the enemy was dislodged from his first line. We experienced a considerable shell fire at this point, but with slight loss. The march was resumed on the New Market road until the brigade halted, about 12 m., at the enemy's second line and rested for the space of two hours, when the column again advanced up the road a short distance and the regiment moved by your orders into the woods on the left; thence across a small road (understood to be the Mill road) and formed in a shallow ravine to charge a redoubt of the enemy's, distant about 1,500 yards. Four left companies (C, G, K, and E) were deployed forward as skirmishers, under command of Captain D. G. Risley; the remainder advanced in line of battle. The charge was begun the moment we reached the crest of the ravine and the regiment was immediately subjected to a very severe artillery fire, enfilading the line on both flanks. After advancing about half way to the point of attack, finding the distance unexpectedly great, the men exhausted, and the line somewhat shaken, I ordered the regiment to halt, lie down, and reform, and returned in person to the cross-road and reported to the general commanding for additional instructions, and I went back to the regiment with instructions to attack the fort which enfiladed us on the right. This, however, was already attempted by Captain H. S.