the road. I sent the Fifteenth Connecticut, under Colonel Upham, to re-enforce the right, and the Eleventh Connecticut, under Colonel Stedman, to re-enforce the left.

The reports of the commanders of these different regiments are herewith forwarded, by which it will be seen that their positions did not vary materially during the rest of the day. The general position remained the same throughout the day, with the exception that part of the artillery took up a more advanced position about 5 p. m., by order of General Getty. About the same time I placed the One hundred and forty-third New York, one of the regiments halt in reserve in the orchard, on the left of the road. The regiment was deployed in a direction parallel to the line of battle, the right resting about 100 yards in rear of the left of the advance while the left of the regiment rested on a bay that set back from the river.

About sunset Captain Stevens, of General Getty's staff, informed me that General Getty wished me to withdraw the troops to the other side of the river as soon as I could, under cover of night; that he desired the pickets withdrawn last, and that he wished one section of Howard's battery and one of Davis' battery to remain until the bulk of the troops had crossed. Captain Stevens indicated the positions which General Getty desired those sections of batteries to occupy. He also stated that General Getty wished me to direct Colonel Derrom, of the Twenty-fifth New Jersey, to make a detail of men from his regiment to take up the bridge after the troops had all crossed, and to superintendent the work himself. I sent one staff officer to give the necessary orders to the troops on the right of the road and another to those on the left. Before these staff officers returned Lieutenant Faxon, aide-de-camp of General Getty informed me that General Getty wished to see me at General Peck's headquarters. I found General Getty, who told me that he had given orders that four pieces of Davis' battery instead of two were to remain to protect the troops in falling back, and that Colonel Davis, of the --- Regiment, would superintend the taking of the bridge instead of Colonel Derrom, and that he wished me to have a detail of men sufficient for that purpose report to Colonel Davis at the bridge. General Getty further directed me to place one of the regiments which had been held in reserve during the day in the rifle-pits on the left bank of the river, to serve as a rear guard. i went to the other side of the river to superintend the withdrawal of the forces.

After the troops had all crossed the river except the One hundred and seventieth New York, which was then marching from the rifle-pits (where it had been placed to serve as a rear guard to the bridge), I saw Lieutenant Faxon, who informed me that it was not General Getty's intentions that the troops should be withdrawn until further orders were received from him; that he had heard that the enemy were retreating, and if so he wished to be in a position to follow them up in the morning. The movement had been conducted so far that in a few minutes all the troops would be across. I therefore did not order the crossing to cease, but waited until the last had crossed and ten reported in person to General Getty that the troops were across and that Colonel Davis was commencing to take up the bridge. General Getty repeated what Lieutenant Faxon had informed me - that it was not his intention to have the forces withdrawn until ordered by him. As the rumor that the enemy were retreating proved to be true it is to regretted that this singular misunderstanding should have arisen.

I forward herewith regimental reports of the movements of the dif-