Immediately upon the receipt of my order, the rest of my troops marched down from their camping places to the road. Colonel Hecker who was at the head of the column, had not advanced very far, closely upon the heels of Tyndale, when he was stopped by an order to halt. This order was delivered by Major Howard, of General Howard's staff, and is said to have come from you. Major Howard had hardly left Colonel Hecker when you rode up in person.

You stopped and asked the colonel "What troops are these?"

"Third Brigade, Third Division, Eleventh Corps," was the reply. You asked, "Where is General Schurz?" "He is in front," answered Hecker, "and one of his aides was just brought by here wounded." After having made an inquiry about my Second Brigade, which Colonel Hecker pointed out to you, you left him saying, "You stay here," and rode on to Colonel Krzyzanowski, with whom you halted.

What your conversation with him was, I do not know, and I have now no means of ascertaining, as Colonel Krzyzanowski is absent. But I do know that colonel Krzyzanowski, upon what was said, although ready to march, continued to stand still, remaining continually in your presence until called off by me in person.

Thus the troops were halted there, and the brigade which was to "push on to Geary," as ordered, was kept back by your own order. After this had happened, and after Tyndale's brigade was properly placed in the position assigned to it, I hurried back to the place where the rest of my troops were. Colonel Hecker was still where you had ordered him to stay, and Colonel Krzyzanowski I found in your immediate presence. If their troops were the column to be "pushed on to Geary," as ordered, I may respectfully ask why they had been ordered to stop, and why permitted to stand there so long a time under your very eyes and within the reach of your voice?

When coming up to you and reporting that Tyndale's brigade was in the position assigned to it, and asking for further instructions, you asked me "why I had not pushed a column to Geary?" I replied that only Tyndale's brigade had been at my disposal, and that brigade had been directed to occupy the hill near the railroad gap. Your ordered me then to push on a column to Geary without delay, and to my question whether I could now have the rest of my troops, as I would have to give up the important position held by Tyndale, if I used his brigade for that purpose, you replied, I might take them all. I then ordered Colonel Hecker forward. He marched through to Geary without delay. Colonel Krzyzanowski, with one regiment and a fraction, was placed by my order in the gap, through which the main road runs. Colonel Hecker's movement was executed in as brief a space of time as it could be done. Your report speaks of its being alleged that "this brigade lost its way and became involved in a swamp, where there was no swamp or other obstacle." Nobody alleges any such thing with regard to this brigade, for it marched through to Geary on the road.

It was General Tyndale's brigade which was detained although not long, by marshy and brushy ground in its front, to the existence of which General Howard, who was present, can testify, as well as myself. Yet General Tyndale's brigade is not blamed for it, as it accomplished its object in dislodging the enemy from the hill on the left. But the other brigade is blamed, although it was not so delayed at all.

That this column arrived at General Geary's camp after the