To resume in a few words what my brigade accomplished on the 27th:

On the right five of my regiments, at a critical juncture, repulsed a most dangerous attack of the enemy, threatening to cut off the Second Division, and two of our brigades secured back 2 guns already lost, captured 1 battle-flag and from 150 to 200 prisoners; while on the left my four other regiments, deployed as skirmishers, held their ground against a serious attack, and were equally successful in repulsing the enemy, although the circumstances did not admit their securing any trophies but some prisoners.

In all parts of my command the officers and men behaved bravely and did their duty well, the veterans showing a good example to the new men.

My heavy loss in officers (19 killed, wounded, and missing) bears sufficient testimony to their gallantry, and it would be difficult without the risk of some injustice to discriminate here among them. I still make one exception in favor of Captain Finnegan, One hundred and twenty-fourth New York, who fell mortally wounded on the picket-line, when his noble exertions had succeeded in maintaining his men in spite of the loss of their two field officers and two of their lieutenants.

The officers of my staff did their duty bravely and efficiently. Among them Lieutenant S. Bonnaffon, Ninety-ninth Pennsylvania, one of my aides, was seriously wounded while gallantry charging among my right regiments, and Lieutenant Shoup, Second U. S. Sharpshooters, ambulance officer, volunteering his services as acting aide, remained with me in the thickest of the fight as long as his duties did not absolutely require his presence with the ambulance.

Respectfully submitted.

R. DE TROBRIAND,

Brigadier-General.

Captain J. P. FINKELMEIER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. FIRST BRIGADE, THIRD DIVISION, SECOND CORPS, December 18, 1864.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by the First Brigade, Third Division, Second Corps, under my command, in the recent operations on the Weldon railroad:

On Wednesday, the 7th instant, we broke camp at daybreak and marched during the day on the Jerusalem plank road, crossing the Nottoway River on a pontoon bridge in the evening near Freeman's, and bivouacking in the fields on the south bank. Thursday, the 8th, resumed the march and passed through Sussex Court-House and Coman's Well, reaching the Weldon railroad at sunset near Jarratt's Station. Friday, the 9th, destroyed the railroad during the day from Jarratt's Station toward Three Creeks, and during the evening between Three Creeks and Belfield. Saturday, the 10th, marched back toward Sussex Court-House and bivouacked about three or four miles before reaching it. Sunday, the 11th, recrossed the Nottoway River and bivouacked four or five miles this side of the pontoon bridge, along the Jerusalem plank road. Monday, the 12th, returned to our lines before Petersburg and encamped near the Halifax road. As the brigade was not engaged with the enemy the operations, limited to a march of six days in the enemy's country, with destruction of railroad, houses, barns,