marched with General Patrick's command to Centerville, where I finally joined the brigade. In conclusion, permit me to say that officers and men of this regiment behaved in a most gallant manner. The colors of the regiment as we fell back were in the hands of First Lieutenant Kelly, Company E, of said regiment.

Respectfully submitted.

PETER BALDY,

Lieutenant Colonel, Commanding Twelfth Regiment, Pennsylvania Reserve Corps.

Brigadier-General [MEADE].

[12.]

Report of Colonel Hugh W. McNeil, First Pennsylvania Rifles (Thirteenth Reserves), of operations August 28-30.

HDQRS. FIRST RIFLES, FIRST Brigadier, REYNOLDS' DIV.,
PENNSYLVANIA RESERVE VOLUNTEER CORPS,

Centerville, Va., August 31, 1862.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the six companies of my regiment present with the command during the engagements of the 28th, 29th, and 30th instant: On the 28th, when the head of the column of General Reynolds' division, of the Pennsylvania Reserves, moving down the Warrenton pike, had reached the vicinity of Groveton, the enemy were reported immediately in front. I moved my command rapidly forward, when the enemy opened a brisk artillery fire from an advantageous position on the left of the road. General Meade ordered me to deploy my regiment as skirmishers. I sent Companies B, D, and K into the open field in front of the enemy's battery on the left, and A, E, and F through the woods on the right of the road. After the enemy's battery had been silenced I was ordered to move the whole line forward and feel the position of the enemy in the front. I found the battery withdrawn and the enemy retiring to the left, where a considerable force of cavalry and infantry could be seen in the distance. A small party of scouts was encountered at Groveton and driven back. In the meantime Captain Irvin, with the three companies originally deployed on the left, was ordered by General Reynolds to reconnoiter along the road to the left as far as Sudley Springs. I inclose Captain Irvin's report of the reconnaissance (paper marked A). Receiving information from you that the division had made a detour to the right in the direction of Manassas, I moved the line of skirmishers by the right flank and joined the command without casualty. The next morning (the 29th) I was again ordered by General Meade to throw out a line of skirmishers across the division front as it advanced on the left of Schenck and Milroy, who were then engaging the enemy on the right. Nothing was discovered until the position was reached where the skirmish of tcurred. The fight was confined at this time to the extreme right, the enemy being apparently in the same position as the day before, but our forces were now approaching from the opposite direction. On reaching Groveton I was ordered to call in the skirmishers, move along the road westward, and take a position to protect our left flank. In passing to the point indicated my command was under a most severe fire from the enemy's battery, which was throwing shell and grape, causing a considerable loss in wounded. Soon after the enemy's sharpshooters opened upon us from a thicket and house on our left. I deployed on either side of the road and advanced the line, driving them back and discovering the enemy in force with artillery. The house from which we drove them I ascertained