Late in the evening the enemy from the opposite point opened a brisk fire upon our camp and upon Hyman's battery, occupying the point of a hill at our left with what seemed to be a battery of two 6-pounders. This was probably a cover to his retreat, but he was replied to with so quick and hot a return by Hyman, Rigby, and De Beck that his fire was very soon silenced and, as afterward ascertained, both his guns dismounted. Subsequently a company of skirmishers from the Seventy-third had an encounter with skirmishers of the rebels in the woods immediately in front of us, in which we had 1 man killed and another man wounded; but otherwise we rested undisturbed until called to march in pursuit of the enemy again in the morning.

I regret to have to state that in the night a party detailed from the battalion of Connecticut Cavalry-Sergeant Morehouse and 4 men of Company D-being sent to ascertain the position of Colonel Cluseret, commanding the advance brigade, lost their way, and were captured, as is supposed, by the enemy's pickets.

The whole number of effective men of my brigade that I was enabled to take into action was as follows:

The 32nd Ohio ............................................. 500

The 55th Ohio ............................................ 525

The 73rd Ohio ............................................. 295

The 75th Ohio ............................................ 444

The 82nd Ohio ............................................. 374

---------

Total infantry ........................................... 2,138

De Beck's battery (six guns) ............................. 94

Rigby's battery (five guns) .............................. 91

Connecticut cavalry ...................................... 113

The casualties were, altogether, but 4 killed, 7 wounded, and 4 missing. I append in a separate report the names and corps of the killed and wounded.*

I cannot close this report without expressing my satisfaction with the officers and men generally of my command. Although worn down and reduced in numbers by days and weeks of constant fatigue and privation, under long marches with insufficient supplies, which they have necessarily had to undergo, they were actively and cheerfully eager to meet the rebel forces, and only regretted that it could not be their fortune to encounter them for their share in more obstinate and decisive battle.

To the officers commanding my several regiments and detached companies who had any opportunity to be in the engagement my acknowledgments are especially due: Lieutenant-Colonel Swinney, of the Thirty-second; Colonel McLean, of the Seventy-fifth; Colonel Smith, of the Seventy-third; Colonel Lee, of the Fifty-fifth; Colonel Cantwell, of the Eighty-second; Captain De Beck, of the First Ohio Artillery, and Captain Blakeslee, of Company A, Connecticut cavalry, commanding my guard.

To the officers of my staff also-Captain Donn Piatt, assistant adjutant-general; Captain Margedant, of Engineers; Captain Crane, commissary of subsistence, and my two aides-de-camp, Lieutenants Chesebrough and Este-I am greatly indebted for their constant energy and activity in conveying orders and attending to other duties during the day.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

ROBT. C. SCHENCK,

Brigadier-General.

Colonel ALBERT TRACY, Asst. Adjt. General

---------------

*Embodied in revised statement, p. 665.

---------------