perpendicular to the road leading to Chancellorsville, one regiment on each side, and advance them to the edge of the woods bordering the open ground of Chancellorsville, then held by the enemy. The object was to hold the enemy in check until the two corps of Major-Generals Couch and Sickles were placed in the new positions they were to occupy. This duty fell to the One hundred and thirty-third and One hundred and fifty-fifth Regiments Pennsylvania Volunteers, who, under the command of Colonel Allabach, advanced their skirmishers, engaging those of the enemy, to the ground they were directed to occupy. Upon their near approach to it, the enemy opened upon them with shell and canister. The new positions of the two corps having been taken up, the two regiments retired slowly through the wood and rejoined their brigade, having performed the duty in a creditable manner, losing 1 officer and 3 enlisted men killed and 1 officer and 30 enlisted men wounded. Having accompanied Colonel Allabach until his regiments occupied the ground assigned them, I returned to my command, by direction of Major-General Meade, and, as soon as the ammunition supplied to General Tyler's brigade was distributed, massed my division in rear of the center of General Sykes' division, under instructions to support him and General Griffin.

Before daylight on Monday, the 4th, I received directions to support Major-General Sickles, on the left, in a certain contingency, and immediately opened a route for my division through the thick underbrush to the ground I should occupy in such a contingency. During the day I likewise received directions to support Major-General Reynolds, commanding the First Corps, on the right, and opened a similar route to the rear of his position.

On the morning of Tuesday, the 5th instant, the pioneers of my division, and subsequently two regiments of it, were detailed for fatigue duty with the engineers of the army, in constructing entrenchments and opening roads. These regiments rejoined the division about midnight. In the afternoon, by direction of Major-General Meade, I formed Allabach's brigade in line of battle 150 yards in rear of Sykes' left and Tyler's brigade 100 yards in rear of Allabach's. My instructions were, in the event of the enemy entering the intrenched line, to charge with the bayonet. This position my division occupied until the march to the United States Ford began.

At nightfall two regiments were detached to aid the passage of the artillery as far as the United States Ford. One of these regiments rejoined the division on the march, the other at the United States Ford.

At about 1 a.m. on the 6th instant, my division commenced the march to the United States Ford, but was halted and massed on the right of the road, after marching 1 mile.

At daylight the march was resumed, and a position taken up at the United States Ford, the left resting on the brick house on the Mott or River road, and the right on the outbuildings on the United States Ford road. In this position it remained until Griffin's division took up a position in its rear, when my division crossed the Rappahannock by the upper bridge simultaneously with Sykes' division on the lower bridge, and marched to our camp, which it now occupies, reaching it before dusk.

My thanks are due to the officers of my staff for the zealous and efficient performance of the duties they were incessantly called on the perform. I beg leave to mention them by name: Captain Carswell McClellan, assistant adjutant-general; Lieuts. Henry C. Christiancy and H. H.