Brigade, Colonel McLean, who placed his three remaining regiments on the slope of the hill, under cover and within easy supporting distance of the battery, which was placed on the crest.

General Stahel, commanding the First Brigade, at the same time marched forward and took position in advance of that but recently occupied by the Second, and on either side of Dogan's house, in the following order: Schirmer's battery on the crest of the hill, joining two other batteries that were already there, with the Forty-fifth, Twenty-seventh, and Eighth behind it to the right of the house, and the Forty-first Regiment to the left of the house and on the other side of the road. The Second Brigade had hardly taken their position on the bald hill when General Reynolds put his troops in motion, marching past their entire front to some point on the right or rear, thus leaving Colonel McLean on the extreme left without other support. This movement on the part of General Reynolds necessitated a change in the position of the troops, which was done by placing the battery in the center and two regiments on either side (the Fifty-fifth Regiment having rejoined the brigade), and deploying them in line of battle, fronting west.

It was at this time, while all attention was directed to the front, where General Porter's was hotly engaged, that a heavy column of the enemy were seen advancing on McLean's front, driving before them a regiment of Zouves, and also repulsing some other troops who advanced to meet them from his right. Colonel McLean now opened on them with his four pieces of artillery, throwing shell, and as they approached nearer, canister. The infantry also commenced a heavy fire, and in a short time they were compelled to retreat, which they did in great confusion. At this time a large force was seen advancing from a piece of woods to the left and rear, but they were supposed to be friends, from the fact of their clothes being dark. Soon after this another body of the enemy marched out of the woods across the position lately occupied by General Reynolds and commenced a heavy fire on the left flank, which was replied to with interest, and the contest became very severe. Almost at the same time those whom we had taken for our own men opened a heavy fire on our rear. General Schenck then gave the order to change front, so as to repel this attack. This maneuver was well executed, the regiments wheeling by battalion and coming up into line, fronting the enemy in fine order. It was about this time that your ordered General Milroy up to the assistance of Colonel McLean, but owing to some contradictory orders only one regiment, the Fifth Virginia, Colonel Zeigler, went up the hill, the others going in a different direction.

The fight now raged fiercely, but so heavy and continuous a fire was delivered by the Second Brigade that the enemy were again compelled to retire. Our men followed them closely, and would undoubtedly have driven them from the field had it not been for another force of the enemy which was seen advancing on the right flank from the point where they had first been driven back-the late front. It was about this time that General Schenck was wounded and carried off the field. He had been in the thickest of the fight, cheering and rallying the men, and at the moment he received the wound he was gallantly leading on a regiment of Pennsylvania troops to the support of McLean.

The tide of battle now turned. After fighting most successfully against superior and steadily increasing numbers without any support, and their right flank threatened, they were compelled to retire. The order was given, and they fell back across the bald hill, and, following the road toward Centerville, halted at a white house on the left of the