column left the Centerville and Manassas road in the morning and passed to the right we, in conjunction with others, repulsed the enemy's cavalry, who attempted to charge. Before leaving the field a portion of the right wing, owing to the configuration of the ground and the intervening woods, became detached, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Miller, whose gallantry was conspicuous throughout the entire battle and who contested every inch of the ground with his forces thrown out as skirmishers in the woods and succeeded in occupying the original ground on the right after the repulse of a body of cavalry. I deem it worthy of remark that during a part of the engagement my regiment and that of the enemy at some points became so intermingled as scarcely to be able to distinguish friends from foes and my forces made several prisoners, among whom was Lieutenant- COLONEL Boone, of Mississippi, who is now in Washington and fully recognizes his captors. I regard it as an event of rare occurrence in the annals of history that a regiment of volunteers not over three months in the service marched up without flinching to the mouth of batteries of cannon supported by thousands of infantry and opened and maintained a fire until one- fifth of the whole regiments was killed, wounded, or made prisoners before retiring, except for purposes of advantage of position. My heart is full of gratitude to my officers and en for their gallant bearing throughout the whole of this desperate engagement, and to distinguish the merits of one from another would be invidious and injustice might be done. Major Dike and my adjutant bore themselves with coolness throughout. My chaplain, Rev. E. D. Neill, was on the field the whole time and I the midst of danger, giving aid ane comfort to the wounded. Doctor Stewart, while on the field, was ordered to the hospital by a medical officer of the army. Doctor Le Boutillier continued with the regiment and actually engaged in the fight, neither of whom have been heard from since. That I have not unfairly or unjustly to the truth of history stated the facts in regard to the gallant conduct of my regiment is fully proved by the appended list of killed and wounded, showing 49 killed, 107 wounded, and 34 missing. THE names and companies to which they belong, in detail, will more fully appear in the accompanying list and abstract.* Among the incidents of the engagement my command took several prisoners, among whom was Lieutenant-Colonel Boone, of the Mississippi regiment, taken personally by Mr. Irvine, of my regiment, and since said prisoner's confinement in the Capital at Washington City Mr. Irvine, in company with Honorable Moron S. Willison, U. S. Senator from Minnesota, visited him, when he promptly recognized Mr. Irvine as his captor and thanked him very cordially for his humane treatment and kindness to hi as a prisoner. I deem it but just that this fact should be officially known, as Lieutenant-Colonel Boone was an officer of the highest rank taken in the battle.

The humble part which I have performed as an officer commanding one of the regiments of your brigade, individually and otherwise, is now left to you and those commanding the division.

Respectfully,

W. A. GORMAN,

Colonel First Regiment of Minnesota.

Colonel FRANKLIN,

Commanding First Brigade Colonel Heintzelman's Div.,

Northeastern Virginian.

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*Omitted.

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