arrived in position with our entire command, less nine men, for it was a subject of remark at the time, when the result of the roll-call was announced.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. M. GREGORY,

Colonel, Commanding.

[19.]

Report of Lieutenant Colonel D. Watson Rowe, One hundred and twenty-sixth Pennsylvania Infantry, of operations September 18.

HDQRS. 126TH REGIMENT PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS,
Camp near Falmouth, Pa., April 11, 1863.

GENERAL: In compliance with you request of yesterday evening, I have the honor to state that when the One hundred and twenty-sixth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers arrived at the battle-field of Antietam and occupied the position vacated by the troops of General Morell, about 11 a. m. of the 18th of September, the number of men present was 730. I form this estimate of the strength of the regiment at that time from my recollection of conversations with Colonel Elder, who then commanded the regiment.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

D. WATSON ROWE,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding 126th Pennsylvania Volunteers.

Brigadier General A. A. HUMPHREYS,

Commanding Third Division, Fifth Army Corps.

[19.]

Report of Colonel Henry L. Benning, Seventeenth Georgia Infantry, commanding Toombs' brigade, of operations September 15-17.

HEADQUARTERS TOOMBS' BRIGADE,
Camp near Winchester, October 13, 1862.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit to you the following report of the part taken in the battle of Sharpsburg on the 17th ultimo by Toombs' brigade, the command of which devolved on me by his being in command of the division:

On the morning of the 15th I was ordered by General Toombs to place the brigade across the road leading from Sharpsburg to Rohresville at the Stone Bridge over Antietam Creek and to defend the bridge. Hardly had I received this order and commenced to execute it when I received another order from him to detach two regiments of the brigade and send them toward Williamsport in pursuit of the enemy's cavalry, which the night before had escaped from Harper's Ferry and gone toward Williamsport to the peril of our wagon train, proceeding to that place from Hagerstown. Accordingly, I detached the Fifteenth and Seventeenth Georgia and sent them off under Colonel Millican on this duty. This left me for the defense of the bridge only two small regiments, the Second Georgia, under Lieutenant-Colonel Holmes, and the Twentieth Georgia, under Colonel John B. Cumming. With these two regiments I proceeded to the bridge and there put them in position as ordered. For a long distance below the bridge, and for some distance above it, the ground rose very steeply from the

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