The enemy opened with artillery about 2 p. m. and continued until about 4 p. m., when the infantry was brought into action. We were kept busy carrying orders from the general from 2 p. m. until 9 p. m., when the battle for the day was terminated. We were so much exhausted that no attempt was made to get Lieutenant Spencer that night, but early the next morning Lieutenant Miner succeeded in opening communication with him. Lieutenants Fralick and Halsted were ordered in on Saturday, and joined me about midnight. General Buford was compelled to leave Madison, Lieutenant Briggs going with him. Lieutenant Briggs joined me on Monday all right. Lieutenant Pierce remained at Culpeper, by orders of General Banks, to receive communications via the mountain.

Too much cannot be said of the conduct of officers and men of the signal corps. Those who were not in the battle were upon duty elsewhere by orders of General Banks. Lieutenants Spencer and Harvey were of very great benefit to General Pope. Their reports were correct, simply, and lucid, giving exactly the position and strength of the enemy, by which General Pope acknowledged to me he was greatly indebted. Lieutenants Fortescue and Miner acted with great coolness upon the battle field, carrying messages from the general commanding in the thickets of the fight. My horse was killed by a shot while riding him. None of our fragment were in the battle.

I cannot discriminate between the officers, as all were on duty and did their duty fully and satisfactorily. Lieutenant Spencer, by his careful observations and watchfulness from the mountain, which was very much exposed, being at times inside the enemy's lines, and the exactness of his reports, is deserving of the highest commendation.

I am, yours, respectfully,

W. W. ROWLEY.

Captain SAMUEL T. CUSHING,

Assistant Signal Officer.

Numbers 7. Report of Brigadier General Alpheus S. Williams, U. S. Army, commanding First Division, Second Corps.

HDQRS. FIRST DIV., SECOND CORPS, ARMY OF VIRGINIA,
Near Cedar Run, Va., August 16, 1862.

MAJOR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the division under my command in the action at this place on the 9th instant:

My division, since the transfer of Geary's brigade, is composed of the brigade commanded by Brigadier-General Crawford (Twenty-eighth New York, Colonel Donnelly; Forty-sixth Pennsylvania, Colonel Knipe; Tenth Maine, Colonel Beal, and Fifth Connecticut, Colonel Chapman), and of the Third Brigade, commanded by Brigadier-General Gordon (Third Wisconsin, Colonel Ruger; Second Massachusetts, Colonel Andrews, and Twenty-seventh Indiana, Colonel Colgrove). The Twenty-ninth Pennsylvania, nominally attached to this brigade, has been on detached service some months. A battery of artillery is attached to each brigade, and on this occasion Crawford's brigade, which had been some

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