woods and again form line of battle, which I was in the act of obeying when General Gibbon, as I understand by your directions, ordered me to return and support Clothran's battery, which was doing good execution upon the right of the woods. I obeyed the order, formed my men in line of battle in front of the enemy, marched up to the battery, occupied the position assigned to us until past 3 o'clock, when the battery and my regiment were relieved by General Slocum's division. We were under severe fire from early in the morning until about 4 o'clock. The officers and men, so far as I know, of the One hundred and seventh Regiment behaved well, and obeyed every order with alacrity. During the time I was supporting Cothran's battery, General Greene directed me to send two companies as skirmishers into the woods immediately in front, I detailed Company I, Captain Colby, and Company E, Captain Morgan, to that duty. They did it in gallant style, but found the road and woods teeming with rebels.

Captain E. Chalmers Clark, a brave officer, while in the active discharge of his duty on the field, fell seriously wounded through the left breast by a musket-ball. Captain W. F. Fox was injured by the concussion of a shell, and Lieutenant Gleason was wounded in the leg.

I desire to commend the coolness and bravery of Captain Cothran, who was in command of the battery. His decision and promptness, in my opinion, contributed in a great measure to the sustaining of that position.

Inclosed herewith I send a list of killed and wounded so far as I have been able to ascertain them.*

I am, general, yours, very respectfully,

R. B. VAN VALKENBURGH,

Colonel, Commanding One hundred and seventh Regiment New York Vols.

General GEORGE H. GORDON.

Numbers 179. Report of Colonel Thomas H. Ruger, Third Wisconsin Infantry, of the battle of Antietam.

HDQRS. THIRD REGIMENT WISCONSIN VOLUNTEERS,
Camp near Sandy Hook, Md., September 22, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following brief report of the part taken by the Third Regiment Wisconsin Volunteers in the battle fought near Sharpsburg, Md., on the 17th day of September, 1862:

The regiment arrived at the position assigned it, in company with other regiments of the brigade, between the hours of 6 and 7 a.m. The particular place occupied by the regiment was a knoll overlooking a corn-field, from which, as the brigade arrived, the enemy were driving our troops, belonging to some other brigade. The regiment suffered somewhat before the corn-field was sufficiently clear of our own troops to render it safe to fire. The fire of the enemy was returned with steadiness and spirit for a long time, until the ammunition in the boxes became nearly exhausted, and in some cases quite so. At one time the enemy had succeeded in advancing to within about 100 yards, at which point he became exposed to a cross-fire from the Second Massachusetts Volunteers, on my right. The combined fire of the regiments

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*Embodied in revised statement, p. 198.

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