which was driven back and over a line of railroad where the road-bed was 10 feet high, behind which was posted another heavy line of infantry, which opened a terrific fire upon the regiment as it emerged from the woods. The Eleventh Regiment, being the battalion of direction, was the first to reach the railroad, and of course received the heaviest of the enemy's fire. This staggered the men a little, but, recovering in an instant, they gave a wild hurrah and over they went, mounting the embankment, driving everything before them at the point of the bayonet. Here for two or three minutes the struggle was very severe, the combatants exchanging shots their muskets almost muzzle to muzzle and engaging hand-to-hand in deadly encounter. Private John Lawler, of Company D, stove in the skull of one rebel with the butt of his musket and killed another with his bayonet. The enemy broke in confusion and ran, numbers throwing away their muskets, some fully cocked and the owners too much frightened to fire them, the regiment pursuing them some 80 yards into the woods, where it was met by an overwhelming force in front, at the same time receiving an artillery fire which enfiladed our left and forced it to retire, leaving the dead and many of the wounded where they fell. It was near the railroad embankment that the brave Tileston, Stone, and Porter, and other gallant men received their mortal wounds.

Being thus overpowered by numerical odds, after breaking through and scattering two lines of the enemy and compelled to evacuate the woods and enter into the open fields beyond, the enemy pursuing us hotly to the edge of the woods, I was greatly amazed to find that the regiment had been sent to engage a force of more than five times its numbers, strongly posted in thick woods and behind heavy embankments, and not a soldier to support it in case of disaster. After collecting the regiment together and moving back to our original position we encamped for the night.

The officers and men of the regiment fought with the most desperate bravery; not a man flinched, and the losses were proportionately severe. Out of 283 officers and men who participated in the fight 3 officers and 7 enlisted men were killed, 3 officers and 74 enlisted men were wounded, and 25 missing, making an aggregate of 10 killed, 77 wounded, and 25 missing, all in the space of fifteen or twenty minutes. The regiment bivouacked on the field, and the next day, after being marched from one part of the field to the other, fell back to Centreville, where it remained until September 1, 1862, whence it was marched to camp near Fort Lyon, where it arrived on the 3rd of September, 1862.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WILLIAM BLAISDELL,

Colonel, Commanding Regiment.

Lieutenant C. H. LAWRENCE,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General Grover's Division.

Numbers 72. Report of Major Gardner Banks, Sixteenth Massachusetts Infantry, of engagement at Kettle Run and battles of Groveton and Bull Run.

The regiment left Alexandria Monday evening, August 25, by railroad for Warrenton Junction. Arrived at Warrenton Junction on the morning of the 26th, marched about 2 miles, and encamped for the night.