Here the men were ordered to lie down, but were scarcely on the ground before Major-General McDowell ordered us to move by the left. This was promptly done, the regiment being at the time third in line. When we came upon the brow of the hill we found it already full of troops and the firing very hot. In consequence of the crowded state of the ground we were ordered to occupy, the troops immediately in our front were thrown into a momentary confusion, preventing me from at once forming line. This was, however, soon after done by a change of front forward on the left company, the left of the regiment immediately engaging the enemy as far as the crowded state of the ground would permit, the hill being occupied by another brigade and a regiment of this brigade being immediately in front of my regiment. This regiment having been withdrawn, we engaged the enemy along our works and under a most murderous fire until ordered to fall back out of the way of a battery of artillery now brought into action behind us. In the mean time the enemy was steadily advancing in front and on our right and left, subjecting us to a most galling cross-fire. We moved to the right of the battery, and continued to engage the enemy with diminished ranks until ordered to withdraw.

In this connection I beg leave to mention Lieutenant Colonel William A. Leech, Major A. J. Sellers, and Adjt. D. P. Weaver for bravery and coolness displayed during the fight, and also the line officers and men engaged in the action.

Respectfully submitted.

P. LYLE,

Colonel, Commanding Regiment.

Captain PALMER,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Tower's Brigade.

Numbers 41. Report of Brigadier General John F. Reynolds, U. S. Army, commanding Third Division, of operations August 21-September 5, including engagement near Gainesville and battles of Groveton and Bull Run.

HEADQUARTERS REYNOLDS' DIVISION,
Camp near Munson's Hill, Va., September 5, 1862.

COLONEL: I have the honor to report the operations of this division since leaving Fredericksburg, on the 21st of August last, under orders from Major-General Burnside to proceed to Kelly's Ford, on the Rappahannock River.

The division having been united at Fredericksburg, with the exception of the Second Regiment, Colonel McCandless, not yet debarked at Aquia Creek, accompanied by an ammunition train supplied by General Burnside, proceeded to Kelly's Ford, where it arrived, after a severe and arduous march, on the evening of the 22nd ultimo, and relieved a brigade of Reno's division, under Colonel Farnsworth of the Seventy-ninth New York.

On the morning of the 23rd the division joined the Army of Virginia under General Pope, then on its march to Warrenton from Rappahannock Station, and on arriving at Warrenton was attached temporarily to McDowell's army corps. On the 24th division encamped on the Sulphur Springs road, 1 mile south of Warrenton with Meade's brigade advanced 2 miles on that road. On the 26th we moved to the Waterloo