day, and soon drove them from the rifle-pits occupied by their pickets, and continued to drive them over a second line of rifle-pits for about three-quarters of a miles, and would have continued to drive them into their main works if an order had not come down from the right ordering them to fall back to the first line of rifle-pits from which they drove the enemy. They immediately fell back to this line, but so soon as Major-General Johnson was informed of the order to fall back he ordered Wise's and Johnson's brigades to move forward some 300 yards to a small redoubt thrown up by the enemy on a road leading to Ware Bottom Church, and establish a line of rifle-ditches from that point to the James River, and he also directed that the left of Ransom's brigade should be thrown forward, so as to connect our new line with theirs. This order was at once executed, and we now have a very fine, continuous rifle-ditch along the whole of our front, which completely covers our pickets.

The casualties in the brigade yesterday and last night were 3 officers wounded (1 mortally), 9 men killed, and 46 wounded. Three of this number were wounded by picket-fire last night. The officer of the picket reports that the Yankee picket kept up a fire upon our pickets all night, and that he did not allow our men to fire any more than he could possibly help. There were 29 Yankees captured by this brigade yesterday during the engagement. Our pickets report this morning that they have been beyond where the enemy had their vedette posts yesterday, but could see nothing of the enemy. They did not go to their rifle-ditch, but were in sight of it and could see no Yankees at all.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEORGE D. WISE,

Captain and Assistant Inspector-General.

Major G. O. WATTS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 105. Report of Colonel William B. Tabb, Fifty-ninth Virginia Infantry, of operations May 8.

HEADQUARTERS,
Nottoway Brigade, Va. May 9, 1864.

CAPTAIN: When I arrived with my regiment at Hicksford on the 7th instant I found there General Beauregard's telegram directing me to proceed to Stony Creek and defend the railroad bridge at that point.

I reached this place about sunset the same day, and learned from citizens and from stragglers from Major Zeigler's command that the enemy had burned Stony Creek brigade and were rapidly advancing in this direction. A few minutes afterward a detachment of cavalry, about 500 strong, appeared in my front and made dispositions as if for an attack. Soon after dark they withdrew in a southeasterly direction.

About 8 a. m. on the 8th I discovered a long train of wagons passing in my front along the Halifax road toward Jarratt's Depot. The force at my disposal numbered 600 in the aggregate, consisting of the Fifty-ninth Virginia, two companies (Captains Street's and Captain