to a halt and about-face and commenced firing. Lieutenant-Colonel Morrison came up to me, and said that he had ordered the regiment to cease firing and fall back. He informed me that he had received the order from you through Aide-de-Camp Lieutenant Scott, and had given the order to the regiment without communicating it to me.

At this time I saw the other regiments falling back, and gave the order to fall back to my regiment. I regret to say that the coolness that had marked every action of the regiment in advancing in the face of the enemy and receiving and returning his fire until the time of the retreat was ordered was by degrees lost, and in spite of every effort of mine ended in disorder to some extent. This fact is attributable to the want of line officers. From various causes I had less than half of my line officers in the action. Company C was without a commissioned office, and was commanded in the action by Lieutenant George Fesler of Company G.

I wish to state that I am satisfied that the order received by Colonel Morrison did not emanate from your honor, but am satisfied he received the order and acted upon it in good faith, believing it to be from you.

The strength of my regiment in the action was-enlisted men, 431; commissioned officers, 15. Total, 446.

The following is a list of killed, wounded, and missing, so far as I have been able to ascertain. I have no doubt but that the killed and wounded will be materially increased when the full facts shall be ascertained.* Many in the list of the missing are reported to me as having fallen upon the field during the retreat; but I have reported none in the list of killed and wounded except those of whom I have positive information.

Respectfully submitted.

S. COLGROVE,

Colonel, Commanding.

Colonel GEORGE H. GORDON,

Commanding Third Brigade, Fifth Army Corps.

Numbers 35. Reports of Lieutenant Colonel George L. Andrews, Second Massachusetts Infantry of operations May 24-25.

HDQRS. SECOND REGIMENT MASSACHUSETTS VOLS.,
Camp at Williamsport, Md., May 26, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the Second Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteers on the 24th instant:

At about 11 o'clock a.m. the regiment left camp at Strasburg, marching toward Winchester. After a fatiguing march of about 13 miles, when within 5 miles of Winchester I received an order to return toward Strasburg, to assist the rear guard in repelling attacks upon the train. Knapsacks were deposited at the side of the road to relieve the men, already much fatigued with the march over a dry, dusty road. We were followed by the Twenty-eighth New York Regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel Brown, and a section of Best's battery, under Lieutenant Cushing.

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*Nominal list omitted, but see revised statement, p. 553.

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