Market, Greenwich, and Catlett's Station, and encamped near Warrenton Junction; distance, 22 miles. The distance marched from June 28 to July 26 was 250 1/2 miles.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant.

GEO. A. COBHAM, JR.,

Colonel, Commanding Second Brigade.

Captain THOMAS H. ELLIOTT,

A. A. G., Second Division, Twelfth Army Corps.

Numbers 304. Report of Colonel William Rickards, jr., Twenty-ninth Pennsylvania Infantry.

ON THE FIELD, NEAR GETTYSBURG, PA.,

July 4, 1863.

GENERAL: For the information of the general commanding, I respectfully submit the following report of the part taken by my regiment in the action of July 1, 2, and 3: On the afternoon of July 1, we arrived within 3 miles of Gettysburg, having left Littlestown at 7 a. m. Formed line of battle on the left of the pike and lay on our arms all night. On the 2d, at 9 a. m., moved to a hill about three-quarters of a mile in advance, and from thence we advanced and crossed the pike, and took position in the woods at the head of a ravine, which spreads into a wide plateau on Rock Creek. We commenced to fortify our position, and had nearly finished, when we were, at 7 p. m., ordered by General Geary to leave our breastworks and move rapidly to the rear, with, as I suppose, the intention of re-enforcing some point on the left of our lines. Having forded the creek and moved about 1 1/2 miles to the rear on the pike, we were halted, and ordered to return to our former position. We moved back on the pike, turned to the right, the Twenty-ninth Pennsylvania Volunteers in advance, and as we were about to enter the woods in which our breastworks were, it being dark, we were fired on by a heavy force from behind a stone wall, at a distance of 25 paces, killing Lieutenant Harvey, Company K, and 3 men, and wounding 10 men. Believing we had been fired on by the men of the Third Brigade in mistake, I gave the order for my men not to fire, and, gathering up our dead and wounded, about-faced the regiment, and marched back about 100 yards; halted the regiment, and then rode back to the wall, and called to those behind it, telling them who I was, and was answered by a heavy discharge of musketry. I returned to my regiment, and found an order directing me to march my regiment to the pike, where I found the other two regiments of the brigade. The brigade then moved to the left of our old position, and entered the woods in rear of General Greene's brigade, and moved near our position, when we learned to a certainty that the firing on us came from the enemy. Being ordered by General Kane to send out a company of skirmishers, I sent Company B, Captain Johnson, to ascertain the position of the enemy. The captain and 5 men were captured, having,