Numbers 105. Report of Colonel William Monaghan, Sixth Louisiana Infantry, commanding Hays' and Hoke's brigades.

HEADQUARTERS HAYS' BRIGADE,
January 22, 1864.

MAJOR: In pursuance of orders from division headquarters, at 2 o'clock in the morning of November 27, 1863, I put in motion from the camp near Raccoon Ford the brigade to which I was then in Tate, which had been placed under my orders, taking up the line of march in the direction of Verdierville. I pursued this route, passing through the old town of Verdierville, taking the turnpike leading to Fredericksburg for about 3 miles. Resting here for several hours, at 8 o'clock we resumed the march on the turnpike, crossing Mine run, and proceeded a distance of a mile and a half, where we encountered an advance force of the enemy.

At this point, under direction of Brigadier-General Hays, commanding Early's division, I formed a line of battle to the right of the turnpike, my left touching the right of Gordon's brigade. In my own line, Hoke's brigade was on the right and Hay's on the left. Skirmishers were immediately thrown out to the front, and brisk firing at once began, which continued without intermission until night. One officer (Captain Bringhurst, Company B, Ninth Louisiana Regiment) and 3 privates were killed and 2 privates slightly wounded during the day.

In this position we remained until 1 o'clock in the morning of the 28th, when we fell back to the west side of Mine Run-about a quarter of a mile-from which we occupied a new line of battle, and, as soon as there was light enough, began the construction of a breastwork of logs. In this we were harassed by shelling from the enemy's batteries, without, however, receiving any injury; nor was there any loss in Hays' brigade from the skirmishing which was still kept up in front.

This line we continued to hold until about 9 o'clock that night, when we again charged our position, and, by the aid of torchlights, formed another line of battle about half a mile in the rear of the former, and there early in the morning we constructed substantial breastworks, felling for that purpose the pine and oak trees which about there in profusion.

Here, during November 29 and 30, we remained, awaiting the advance of the enemy, our skirmishers occupying the line near the west side of Mine Run taken on the night of the 28th.

On November 30, 1 officer (Lieutenant F. J. Wehner, Company B, Fifth Louisiana Regiment) and 3 privates were wounded and 1 private taken prisoner in skirmishing with the enemy.

During November 30, the right of my skirmish line fell back in some confusion under the fire from the enemy's artillery, when the Thirteenth Virginia Regiment, of Pegram's brigade, was sent out as a re-enforcement. This regiment deployed as skirmishers, and, under the command of Major John W. Daniel, assistant adjutant-general of Early's division, drove back the enemy's skirmishers, who had advanced, until we resumed our original skirmish line. One of the enemy was wounded and fell a prisoner into our hands. After the re-establishment of the skirmish line, the companies from Hoke's