General Griffin, commanding First Division, moved to a line of partially constructed works (thrown up by the enemy) occupied by a brigade of the Second Corps. Relieved said brigade and placed my command in line of battle, right resting at Armstrong's Mill on Hatcher's Run and extending along the line of works to within fifty yards of the Vaughan road. Threw out a strong picket-line in my front and built a good line of works. Remained in that position until 4.15 p.m., when I received the following order:

FEBRUARY 5 [6], 1865-4 p.m.

Brevet Major-General GRIFFIN:

I want to take your right brigade from the line further to the right. I wish you would have the commanding officer of that brigade place himself there on the right to receive a call from me.

G. K. WARREN,

Major-General, Commanding.

In pursuance of said order and by direction of a staff officer from Major-General Warren, I moved my brigade (through the line of works) by the flank through a strip of woods. The enemy at this time opened on us with a battery of 3-inch guns on my right, killing and wounding a few of my men. Was met by Major-General Warren who ordered me to place my command in line of battle, which I immediately did, my right resting in rear of center of one of the brigades of Third Division and extending along to rear of a brigade of Second Division and in following order: Thirty-second Massachusetts (Colonel Edmands); One hundred and fifty-fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers (Captain J. T. Bell); Sixteenth Michigan (Brevet Colonel Partridge); One hundred and eighteenth Pennsylvania Volunteers (Brevet Colonel Herring); Twentieth Maine (Lieutenant-Colonel Gilmore); Eighty-third Pennsylvania Volunteers (Lieutenant-Colonel Rogers); Ninety-first Pennsylvania Volunteers (Captain Donnell), and First Michigan (Lieutenant-Colonel Lockley). Had no sooner formed than I received orders from Major-General Warren (in person) to double-quick a portion of brigade to the front and report to Brevet Major-General Ayres, whose troops were then hotly engaged with the enemy. Took the One hundred and fifty-fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers and Thirty-second Massachusetts Volunteers, and double-quacked them by the left flank to the front and quickly placed them on the left of brigade of Second Division near Dabney's Mill, where they immediately became fiercely engaged with the enemy.

By order of General Ayres I brought up another regiment (Sixteenth Michigan) and placed it on the right of the brigade of the Second Division spoken of above, with orders to the commanding officer (Colonel Partridge) to hold the position as long as possible. The brigade on my right having broken, I proceeded to bring up the rest of the brigade, but was met by a flank fire, which caused the troops to falter and finally to fall back. At the same time the Thirty-second Massachusetts and One hundred and fifty-fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers were forced to fall back in consequence of a body of the enemy's troops attacking them on their left and also from a severe fire from their rear, which, in my opinion, came from troops of the Third Division of Fifth Corps and a mass of troops (seemingly without officers) of the Sixth Corps, who had become partially demoralized. After much hard labor and exertion the brigade was again nearly reformed, when a volley from our rear (killing and wounding many, among whom was Captain Smith of the Eighty-third Pennsylvania, killed) caused my command to break. Fell back a short distance, and again reformed and advanced in good