to General Hood. Without delay, as I thought, Generals Hood and Law, and shortly after General French, were at the cross-roads and dispositions of infantry made. Bradford's battery was occupying the works above Henry's, and were ordered out by you through me, and I had succeeded in getting out al the pieces but one. General Hood ordered it back again, where it remained until last night, when everything was brought out in safety. The orders given to and obeyed by Captain Bradford were to fire at nothing but boats in passing or the enemy at short range. One wheel in this battery was shattered and the muzzle molding of one gun struck by the shot of the enemy. This battery, as well as the Hill's Point Battery was commanded, the former by three, the other by two, land batteries over the river, and both by large bodies of sharpshooters.

F. J. BOGGS,

Major, Commanding.

Major L. M. SHUMAKER, Chief of Artillery.

Numbers 27. Report of Major James Dearing, C. S. Artillery, of the capture of Battery Huger, April 19.

APRIL 21, 1863.

GENERAL: Your letter recommending me a quartermaster was received just as we were starting on to Suffolk, and this is the first opportunity I have had of replying. I sent up a recommendation approved by General Pickett and General Longstreet about a week or ten days before receiving your letter, and hope every day to see the "phiz" of my quartermaster. I have two medical officers with my battalion, one ordnance officer, one adjutant, and a lieutenant acting as quartermaster.

I had just succeeded in getting Captain [M. C.] Macon four Napoleons, giving him a battery of four Napoleons and two Parrotts, and also getting him 50 conscripts. Captain [W. H.] Caskie was in a fair way to get four Napoleons, and I was hard at work to obtain a rifle Parrott battery, if possible, for Captain [J. G.] Blount, when we were ordered to this side of the Blackwater. Soon after getting here - that is within 1 1/2 miles of Suffolk - Major-General French came down, and having no command (though being the ranking major-general here), General Longstreet finally gave him the command of all the artillery. General French immediately took two of my batteries - Captain Stribling's and Captain Bradford's, which had been assigned me at Petersburg, composed of four 12-pounder brass pieces - and sent them away down on Nansemond River, some 15 miles from me, putting Captain Stribling between two streams just where they unite and both of them navigable for gunboats, giving Captain Stribling only two companies of infantry as support. The enemy came up in front, on both flanks, and in rear, and captured Captain Stribling, his battery of three Napoleons, and two 24-pounder brass howitzers, and 56 of his men. The caissons, with the chests taken off, and the horses were half a mile back and escaped. Lieutenant [G.] Carroll also escaped, not being present. He has some 90 odd men and the horses yet remaining. All of the best of the horses General French has turned over to some other batteries. I do think it very trying to have one's command thus split up and captured, especially in such a way as this has been done. If it is a military necessity to separate battalions no one will more cheerfully acquiesce than myself; but this has