HDQRS. THIRD BRIGADE, SECOND DIVISION, THIRD CORPS,
November 4, 1863.

MAJOR: I have the honor to make the following report of the action at McLean's Ford on the 15th of October, 1863, in which my brigade was engaged:

After leaving Centreville, with the division, on the morning of the 15th, I was ordered by an aide of General prince to proceed with my brigade and a section of Seeley's battery to McLean's Ford, and to hold it should the enemy attempt crossing at that place. I immediately proceeded there, and ordered Colonel Burling, sixth New Jersey Volunteers, with his regiment, to take possession of some old rifle-pits on the north side of sid ford, and to throw out pickets well in front ont he opposite side of Bull Run stream. I was informed that General Warren, commanding the Second Corps, would connect with my picket on the right, and General Carr, commanding the Third Division, Third Corps, on my left. The communication was not entirely made when a column of the enemy's cavalry at 2.30 p.m. was seen debouching from the woods in the direction of Manassas Junction into a large plain immediately in my front. He immediately dismounted a part of his men and attempted to drive in my pickets, whom I strengthened from the Sixth New Jersey, and ordered the One hundred and fifteenth Pennsylvania to support them, and repulsed his skirmishers, who were soon re-enforced and again advanced on my pickets, who, as I had ordered, had retired to the rifle-pits on the north side of the stream.

The enemy now brought up a battery of artillery, and opened a very sharp and accurate fire, not only on the Sixth New Jersey Volunteers, occupying the rifle-pits, but on the balance of my brigade, which was posted on the high ground, and on the right and left of the road leading to the ford. The dismounted men, now in considerable force, came on with their own peculiar yell, and charged to the bring of the stream, expecting to carry the ford, but that and a number of similar charges were repulsed handsomely by my men in the rifle-pits, assisted by a detachment from the Fifth New Jersey Volunteers that were occupying a small earth-work a little to my right of the ford (all under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Gilkyson, Sixth New Jersey Volunteers) with considerable loss to the enemy and but slight to my command.

I ordered Lieutenant Smith, commanding a section of Seeley's battery, to open with grape, shell, or whatever he had that would be most effective in repulsing the advance of the enemy, when, to my surprise, he started to leave with his guns, giving as a reaso n that he was afraid of losing them. As my whole brigade and the Bull Run river where between the enemy and him, I did not think that the danger was imminent. I therefore repeated the order, when he fired but two or three rounds, and again limbered up for the purpose of leaving. About this time a section of Robinson's battery, Fourth Maine, reported, so I allowed Lieutenant Smith to leave with his section. The conduct of this officer, to say the least, was very strange. Upon inquiry I am informed that it was the first time he had a separate command: that he is a young officer and has formerly conducted himself gallantly, and I hope by passing this over he will prove by his future actions that there was an error in judgment, and not a willful disobedience of order s.

When the section of Robinson's battery reported, it was so short