Captain Cooper seeing it would be useless to attempt a charge with his small force halted and opened on the enemy's gunners. I was then directed to take four more companies and charge the fort. On arriving on the line of the first four companies I halted to reconnoiter the position of the enemy and the probable success of an attack. I soon became convinced that I could arrive at no other result with my eight small companies (in all not numbering 250 men) than to have them slaughtered and still make no impression general, but told him I would go ahead if he ordered it. He sent me word to remain where I was and hold the line. I kept up a skirmish all the afternoon with the enemy, when at sundown he moved with a heavy force against my left flank, turning it and getting to my left and rear. I immediately ordered a company from the right of my line and double-quicked them to the left, driving the enemy back to their forts. Soon after I was relieved by the Seventh U. S. Colored Troops and my regiment returned to the during this day's fighting were 4 officers wounded, 7 enlisted men killed, and 42 enlisted men wounded.

On the morning of the 30th my regiment, with the balance of the brigade, moved to the left, and I was ordered to throw up a line of entrenchments in front of it. While busily engaged at this orders came to be ready to move, and I was soon afterward ordered to move into the trenches on the right of the Forty-fifth U. S. Colored Troops. It was at this time the enemy charged on General Paine's command. My regiment moved into on the double-quick, but took no active part in the engagement. During this movement I lost 14 enlisted men wounded. Since then my regiment has been doing duty in the trenches.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEO. E. WAGNER,

Major, Commanding Regiment.

Captain M. BAILEY,

Asst. Adjt. General, First Brigadier, Third Div., Tenth Army Corps.

HEADQUARTERS EIGHTH U. S. COLORED TROOPS,
In the Field, October 14, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to report the following as the part taken by my regiment in the movement of yesterday:

When the division formed for an advance on the enemy's position i was ordered by Brigadier-General Birney to deploy my command as skirmishers so as to cover the front of the division and extend 200 paces beyond its left flank, to connect with and conform to the movements of the skirmish line of General Ames' division on my right. An advance being ordered we moved forward through a wood with a dense undergrowth, encountering the enemy's skirmishers and driving them from one line of rail breast-works and two lines of pits till my center came in contact with a line of battle. This stopped an advance there. I continued swinging forward my right till I was close to the enemy's works. An examination proved a strong line of entrenchments in my front, a battery to my left, and one immediately in front of my right, all strongly manned. I reported these facts to General Birney, and