the line of Couch's division with extraordinary audacity. Averell's cavalry sentinels in front gave way judiciously, leading the enemy forward to within 50 yards of our line, when a section of Captain McCarthy's battery, commanded by Lieutenant Munk, First Pennsylvania Artillery, opened with canister and case-shot, which being followed up by Averell's cavalry and assisted by Lieutenant Dougherty, of Flood's battery, First Pennsylvania Artillery, who commanded a section on the right, damaged the assailants to the amount of about 80 killed, wounded, and prisoners. Our side lost not a man. This little affair produced an excellent effect in clearing the roads, as the contrabands informed me that all the cavalry we did not kill had run away to Richmond. I desire to call particular attention to the fact that Lieutenants Munk and Dougherty were ready with their guns to fire when the enemy appeared. Lieutenant Munk had measured the ground in front of his guns, and was thus able to cut his fuses to the proper length.

On the afternoon of June 29 I was ordered by General McClellan to move my whole force to the James River, where I was to communicate with the gunboats, guard Turkey Bridge, the mill-pond, and stream leading to the river. Brigadier General Fitz John Porter's corps was ordered to support me in case of attack.

By the assistance of scouting parties from the Eighth Illinois and Eighth Pennsylvania Cavalry and persons belonging to the country I had learned all the roads and paths to the James River. I directed Colonel Farnsworth, with his [Eighth] Regiment of Illinois Cavalry, with all the baggage and mule trains, to march after dark by a road to the left. The whole of the infantry, artillery, and Colonel Gregg's Eighth Pennsylvania Cavalry I directed along an obscure road through the woods, which had been brought to my knowledge by Captain Keenan, of the Eighth Pennsylvania Cavalry, an excellent officer, and as skillful as an Indian in woodcraft. A portion of that road had not been used for wheels in many years, and old trees were lying across it. The cavalry and artillery were divided through the column, the infantry of Couch's division in advance and that of Peck's division in the rear. In this way the Fourth Corps moved all night silently 6 miles through the woods, and early in the morning of June 30 it encamped, with all its artillery and baggage in good order, on the banks of James River, below Turkey Bridge, which was strongly guarded, without delay.

After the arrival of the commanding general and other portions of the army the line of defense on the down river side of the new position was assigned to the Fourth Corps. The enemy having attacked above Turkey Bridge, I was ordered successively to detach the brigades of infantry of Couch's division to strengthen our forces in that direction. By a reference to the reports of Brigadier-General Couch and his subordinates, and of Major West, chief of artillery, and other artillery commanders, it will be found that at Seven Pines, Malvern Hill, Bottom's Bridge, Jones' Bridge, and elsewhere the troops of the Fourth Corps fought with the same gallantry with which they have uniformly met the enemy in this campaign. That corps has won many advantages over the enemy and has never given an inch of ground to equal numbers.

With the balance of my command, embracing Peck's division of infantry, thirty-five pieces of artillery, and two regiments of cavalry, I was charged on the night of July 1 to form the rear guard of the army in its movement down the river to Harrison's Bar, 7 miles below Turkey Bridge.

13 R R-VOL XI, PT II