At daylight Wednesday morning, December 2, advanced with my brigade and followed the retreating enemy as far as the river, picking up some 50 or 60 stragglers. Returned to camp at Morton's Ford December 3.

Loss: Killed, 1; wounded, 2.

Respectfully submitted.

STEPHEN D. RAMSEUR,

Brigadier-General, Provisional Army, C. S.

Major PEYTON,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 143. Report of Colonel Edward A. O'Neal, Twenty-sixth Alabama Infantry, commanding Battle's brigade.

HEADQUARTERS BATTLE'S BRIGADE,
Near Orange Court-House, Va., January 26, 1864.

MAJOR: In obedience to orders from division headquarters, I submit the following report of the operations of this brigade on Mine Run: It became apparent on November 26, 1863, that the enemy were moving in force to our right, and, as expected, they crossed the Rapidan on that and the succeeding day. The brigade was in line of battle ont he 26th, at the works near Morton's Ford, and so remained till the morning of the 27th, when, on obedience to orders, I moved to the right of Major-General Johnson's division and took the road which intersects the turnpike at Locust Grove. Proceeding down the road, and when near Locust Grove, the enemy was discovered, and I was ordered to form line of battle to the right of the road on which the division was moving, my left connecting with General Daniel's and my right with General Ramseur.

The position being a weak one and not very defensible, I ordered such works to be thrown up as our means would permit, having no intrenching tools and but few axes. Here we remained in line of battle and under arms till 1 o'clock the next morning. As soon as I was ordered to form line of battle, I threw forward the First Corps of Sharpshooters, under Captain Watt Phelan, who soon encountered those of the enemy, and rapid firing and heavy skirmishing was kept up the balance of the day. My skirmishers were connected on the right and left with those of Generals Daniel and Ramseur. Late in the evening the whole line of our skirmishers were advanced, in obedience to orders from the major-general, and drove those of the enemy handsomely before them, and did considerable execution; but encountering the enemy in line of battle, were force to fall back to their original position, which they held till we fell back that night to Mine Run.

On the morning of the 28th, in obedience to orders, I fell back to Mine Run, and reached the position shortly before day. I was ordered to take a position on General Daniel's left and to the left of the turnpike. Giving the troops what rest they could get, I had them under arms at break of day, and immediately placed them in line of battle and commenced fortifying the position. Here I re-