at the Chancellor house until I received orders to take position in the front of the new line, when they were withdrawn. Ward's brigade had received orders to support an indented attack by Meagher's brigade, and moved again to the left for that purpose, but the order was countermanded. Taking the final position assigned to my command, with the few tools within our reach, my men at once entrenched themselves, and we remained, subjected to the occasional fire of sharpshooters and artillery, until Wednesday morning, when, at 4 a.m., my division moved without interruption to the rear.

To Brigadier-General Graham, a new-comer in our division, fell the post of honor, and, with three new regiments in his command, I looked with some anxiety for the result; but braver men never drew a trigger than those in the First Brigade, and Brigadier-General Graham has gained by this fight, by his coolness, firmness, and enthusiasm, the entire confidence of myself and the division.

Of Brigadier-General Ward I need not speak more than to say that he fully sustained all my previous reports of him in the battles of Williamsburg, Fair Oaks, Glendale, Malvern, Manassas, Chantilly, and Fredericksburg.

Colonel S. B. Hayman, Thirty-seventh New York Volunteers, commanding Third Brigade, has been specially recommended by me for promotion for gallantry on his occasion.

Captain Clark, chief of artillery of the division, was of great service, and displayed skill and gallantry in the management of his batteries.

Colonels Tippin, Madill, Sides, Pierce, Egan, Wheeler, and Lieutenant-Colonels Kirkwood and Sherlock were distinguished for their gallantry. During the fight of Sunday, Colonels Collis, of the One hundred and fourteenth Pennsylvania Volunteers, and Tippin, of the Sixty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers, left their commands without permission and went to the rear. The excuse made by Colonel Tippin was well supported and satisfactory. That of Colonel Collis not being satisfactory, and the brigadier-general commanding the First Brigade mentioning facts showing his behavior before the enemy, he has been placed under arrest.* The conduct of Lieutenant-Colonels Riordan, Thirty-seventh New York, and Merrill, Seventeenth Maine, in taking parts of their command to the rear, is as yet unexplained, and is certainly unsatisfactory.

I send herewith brigade and regimental reports, which mention more particularly instances of courage and meritorious conduct. I refer the major-general commanding the corps to them.

My staff were efficient Major H. W. Brevoort was ever by my side, and my aides-de-camp, Captain [J. Barclay] Fassist and Lieutenants [Joseph C.] Briscoe and [Frank H.] Clark, showed the greatest enthusiasm and ardor in carrying orders. Lieutenant Clark was seriously wounded. Captain [Cassius C.] Markle, division provost -marshall, deserves much credit for taking the great number of prisoners captured by us safely to the provost-marshall-general. Captain Fergus Walker, assistant inspector-general, acted as an aide, and was very gallant and efficient. He received on Sunday a serious wound in his leg.

The division medical department, under Surgeon Lyman, Fifty-seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, was admirably conducted. The wounded were immediately taken to the division hospital at Potomac Creek, where every attention was bestowed upon them. The hospital of this division is unsurpassed by any field hospital in this army.

Lieutenant C. H. Graves, Fortieth New York, the division ordnance officer,

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* Colonel Collis was brought to trial on the charge of misbehavior before the enemy, and honorably acquitted.

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