enemy at the point of the bayonet. A good many of the officers and soldiers of the regiment wee captured by the enemy and again recaptured, and many of them severely wounded while in the hands of the enemy. Several officers and men of the regiment whom we recaptured from the enemy informed me that they were most brutally maltreated by the enemy, and saw many of our men brutally murdered after being captured.

During this portion of the engagement the regiment was thrown in great confusion and became much scattered, but a larger portion of those remaining were afterward rallied and moved forward with General Branch's brigade, and charged through the wheat field to the woods and halted. The loss was very light during the charge. The regiment as them marched through the wheat field and across the road to the right into a corn field, and remained during the night. After this, nothing worthy of note occurred.

The loss in the regiment, both in killed and wounded, was very heavy, but not more than 6 or 8 were missing. The regiment captured a large number of the enemy, both officers ad men, and sent them to the rear.

Respectfully submitted.

A. DOBYNS,

Captain, Commanding Forty-second Regiment Virginia Volunteers.

Numbers 40. Report of Captain J. H. Horton, Forty-eighth Regiment Virginia Infantry.

CAMP NEAR LIBERTY MILLS, VA.,

August 13, 1862.

LIEUTENANT: I herewith transmit a report of the part taken by the Forty-eighth Regiment, of the Second Brigade, commanded by Captain William Y. C. Hannum, in the battle of the 9th instant:

My regiment, being the advance of the Second Brigade, let camp near Rapidan River about 8 a. m. and followed the First Brigade until about 2 p. m., when it was ordered with the rest of the brigade to the front, when we were halted to allow the Hampden Artillery (Captain Caskie's battery) to pass to the front, during which time a shell from the enemy's gun, bursting in our ranks, killed 5 and wounded 6 men. The order was given to advance, when leaving the road to the left we proceeded about a quarter of a mile under cover of the woods for the space of half an hour. At the expiration of half an hour we were again ordered to advance by the flank a distance of probably a quarter of a mile, when we were thrown into line of battle upon the left of the Twenty-first Virginia Regiment, which constituted the right of our brigade, the Forty-second Virginia Regiment upon our left. The regiment, at this time being commanded by Captain Hannum, was, by order of Lieutenant-Colonel Garnett, so thrown into line as to cause the right and left flanks to form right angles with each other. Skirmishers were sent to the front, with orders to fire as soon as the enemy came within range of their guns. The firing soon began with the skirmishers, which [in a few] minutes became general, and lasted for about an hour. Finding that the enemy had got in our rear, almost entirely surrounding us, we were ordered to make our way out; but a portion of the regiment not understanding the order remained at their post, continuing to fire at the enemy in front. At this time re-enforcements came up, driving the