I cannot too warmly express my admiration of the coolness and steadiness of the officers and men of the brigade during this engagement; but in simple justice I would call to your notice the conspicuous gallantry of the following officers and enlisted men: Colonel D. Macauley, Eleventh Indiana; Colonel N. W. Day, One hundred and thirty-first New York; Lieutenant Colonel L. D. Sargent, Third Massachusetts; Lieutenant Colonel W. M. Rexford, One hundred and thirty-first New York; Major G. Butler, Eleventh Indiana; Major C. Lewis, One hundred and seventy-sixth New York; Actg. Adjt. Samuel D. Pryce, Twenty-second Iowa; Lieutenants Ripley, Beaton, and Maddux, Thirteenth Connecticut; Captains Noyes, Dean, and Twitchell, Third Massachusetts; Lieutenants Stevens, Grover (wounded), Cunningham, and Brownell, Third Massachusetts; Captain Richmond, Lieutenants Smith and Howard, both wounded, One hundred and fifty-ninth New York; Captains Hunt, Corsa, and Raymond, Lieutenants Pinckney, Hentry, and Abbott, One hundred and thirty-first New York; Captain Jesse Custer and Ross, Lieutenants Mulledn (killed), Woods (wounded), and Adjutant Macauley, Eleventh Indiana; Sergt. Major George A. Remley (killed), Twenty-second Iowa; Sergeant-Major Bonneif, One hundred and thirty-first New York; Sergeant Simonds, Third Massachusetts; Color-Sergeant Seston,* Eleventh Indiana, (killed); Corporal Bierbower, Privates Regan and Sterling,* Eleventh Indiana; First Sergeant and Acting Lieutenant Leich, Corporals Scott and Miller, Private Roach, One hundred and thirty-first New York; Sergeants Brown and Coons, One hundred and fifty-ninth New York.

To the following officers of my staff I am indebted for prompt and gallant services under fire: Captain G. W. Hussey, Lieuts. B. F. Copeland, G. W. Handy, and H. D. Pope.

I regret that my loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners is very heavy, especially amongst the sharpshooters, who rendered efficient service and lost more than half their number. I have the honor to inclose herewith a list of the killed, wounded, and missing in the engagement (marked A).+

On the morning of the 20th I broke camp at 5 o'clock and marched to Strasburg, where we went into position, and camped on the extreme left near the ford. On the 21st changed camp to the right of the Strasburg and Woodstock pike. On the morning of the 22nd moved to the right and formed in line of battle in rear of First Brigade. About 8 a. m. I was ordered to march back and take up a position on the left, protecting our line of communication with Strasburg, with orders to assume command of all the infantry and artillery in that position. Finding the Third Brigade, Colonel Macauley commanding, throwing up works to protect the hill and the ravine to the right, I formed my brigade in rear and threw up a second line. I then placed two companies of the Twenty-second Iowa in the stone mill on the Shenandoah to guard against any advance in that direction, and sent the One hundred and fifty-ninth New York to throw up and held a rifle-pit in the orchard and on the road, to more completely guard against any attempt to outflank us on our left. The works held by the two brigades were strengthened, so as to enable the First Maine Battery to open on the enemy a very efficient fire. Our working parties and the battery were much annoyed by the enemy's sharpshooters in a line of rifle-pits directly in our front, and at 1 o'clock I was ordered to make a simultaneous attack in connection with a regiment of the First Division and one from my own line upon their rifle-pits. The following disposition

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*Awarded a Medal of Honor.

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+Embodied in table, p. 114.