feint on the part of the enemy, but a serious and determined attack, I dispatched an orderly to bring up my Second Brigade, and I went to confer with General Willcox in regard to the situation. On my way to General Willcox's headquarters I saw Colonel Loring, of General Parke's staff, through whom I received an order to place my Second Brigade in position on the hill rear of Stedman, and covering Meade's Station. I requested him to communicate with General Willcox, and I proceeded to join my Second Brigade. Two regiments of the Second Brigade, the Two hundred and fifth and Two hundred and seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, had already been moved to the right as far as the Avery house, on the double-quick, by Major Bertolette, assistant adjutant-general (who received the order to do so through Colonel Van Buren, aide-de-camp on General Parke's staff), and were by him conducted through the ravine on the right of the Avery house to a point on the right of General McLaughlen's headquarters and in the rear of Fort Stedman under cover. I then went to General McLaughlen's headquarters and found the Two hundred and eight Pennsylvania Volunteers in a good position on the right of his headquarters, left resting near Fort Haskell and facing northward. Several small detachments of the Third Brigade, First Division, mostly from the One hundredth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, numbering, perhaps, 200 men, were formed on the left of the Two hundred and eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers and between it and Fort Haskell. I also found that the reserves of the First Brigade, First Division, had formed a line on the right of and at right angles with the main line held by that brigade. The Two hundred and fifth and Two hundred and seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers were a short distance to the right of the Two hundred and eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers, and the distance from the left of the Two hundredth Pennsylvania Volunteers to the right of the Second Brigade was probably about 300 yards, which distance was not covered by any troops.

I saw that any further advance on the part of the enemy was impossible under the concentrated infantry fire from the Two hundredth and Two hundred and ninth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers and Batteries 9 and McGilvery on the right, and the Two hundred and fifth, Two hundred and seventh, and Two hundred and eighth Regiments Pennsylvania Volunteers and Fort Haskell on the left, and from the field artillery in position on the hills in rear of Stedman, the fire of which was concentrated on the fort, and covering the open space in rear. This position being so favorable, I did not move the Two hundred and fifth and Two hundred and seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, of the Second Brigade, in position on the hills covering Meade's Station, as ordered through Colonel Loring, but ordered the Two hundred and eleventh Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers (which hand ot yet arrived on the ground on account of the great distance from its camp on the left to this point) to take this position. It was now about 7.30 a.m., when I received an order from General Parke, through one of his staff, to retake the line. My plan of attack was as follows: Orders were sent out that an assault would be made by my whole division in fifteen minutes, and that the signal for the assault would be the advance of the Two hundred and eleventh Pennsylvania Volunteers from the hill in the rear toward Stedman. Captain Hodgkins was directed to advance with the Second Brigade under Colonel Mathews, Major Bertolette with the Two hundredth and Two hundred and ninth Pennsylvania Volunteers on the right, and as soon as the Two hundred and eleventh Pennsylvania Volunteers could be put into position it was advanced toward