works, so as to keep his attention engaged by a threatening advance; while I ordered the Ninety-ninth Pennsylvania Volunteers (Colonel Biles), supported by the One hundred and tenth Pennsylvania Volunteers (Major Hamilton), to make the real assault some 200 yards below, near a broken dam, and to carry the position. After waiting about a quarter of an hour without hearing any report from Colonel Biles, I went myself to ascertain the cause of the delay; when, to my astonishment, I found the two regiments lying down in the woods and completely inactive. When asked why he did not even attempt to execute my orders, Colonel Biles answered that the run was reported to him as impassable for the men, and that he supposed that he had to regulate his movements on the Second U. S. Sharpshooters. Without losing any more time in explanation I ordered the two regiments forward, and charged with them across a small open field to the run, whereupon the enemy abandoned his position, and we crossed the stream without further resistance, but not without material difficutly, as the men had to jump, one after the other from log to log, and I myself had to leave my horse on the bank and to pass the stream on foot among my men, in order to put them at once in proper position to secure the possession of the ground just carried. My first object was to cover the two roads by which an attack would likely be made-that is the Vaughan road and the Armstrong Mill road. I disposed my regiments in line immediately as they arrived, in the shape of an are of a circle, crossing the two roads, my right resting on the run and my left on a small swamp, while a strong picket-line covering my front was connection the left with the captured works, were I had left two full companies. The First Maine Heavy Artillery (the strongest of my regiments) I kept in reserve, so as to re-enforce any part of my line in case of an offensive return of the enemy, who had kept his skirmishers at a short distance in front of my center and right. The position was very soon strengthened by a parapet extending from the run on the right to the swamp on my left, across the two roads already mentioned. In the meantime two bridges had been thrown across the run by the pioneers and had enabled the cavalry to pass, while easy communication was established between the two banks. Major-General Humphreys, commanding the corps, and Brevet Major-General Mott, commanding the division, having then come over to inspect my position, I was instructed to push forward on the Vaughan road, so as to take possession of the Dabney's Mill road at F. B. Keys' house. The Fortieth New York Volunteers and the One hundred and fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers (which had reported to me from the Second Brigade) were sent forward, supported by the One hundred and tenth Pennsylvania Volunteers. The enemy's skirmishers were driven back and the position secured, when the Second Brigade was brought to take position on my left and rear; and soon after, the connection was established with the Fifth Corps by the cavalry and the One hundred and fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers. I remained in that position during the afternoon of the 5th and most of the night.

Between 3 and 4 o'clock on the following morning I was relieved by General Griffin, commanding First Division, Fifth Corps, and ordered to move in reserve near Tucker's house, behind the line, where Brevet Brigadier-General McAllister had repulsed the enemy the day before and where his command was still in position.

At 9 a.m. (Monday, 6th instant) the enemy having disappeared during the night from in front of the Third Brigade, I was ordered to make a