nature of the country prevented them from doing signal service. As the services rendered during the first four epochs of the campaign were of a very general character, I would beg leave to refer to them in this report in the same manner. During the crossing of the Rapidan the stations of observation upon Stony, Pony, and Garnett's Mountains were occupied by parties watching the movements of the enemy upon the south bank of the river, and reporting the same to the commanding general until the withdrawal of the cavalry from Culpeper County necessitated their being abandoned. Before these stations were abandoned the enemy's force had nearly all disappeared from the line of the Rapidan, and the direction taken by them learned and reported. During the battle of the Wilderness, the battles in front of Spotsylvania Court-House, the march to the North Anna, and thence to Cold Harbor, and in the several battles attending these latter movements, the officers of the detachment were almost constantly engaged in reconnoitering from the flanks of the army and tree tops in the vicinity of our lines, and made numerous reports of the enemy's movements and position, which aided, more or less, the commanding general in determining the actions of our army. In the battle of the Wilderness communication by mens of flag signals was established between the headquarters of General Warren at the Lacy house and those of General Crawford near Parker's Store. This communication was very opportune, as the enemy, moving against this advanced position, allowed but limited time to the officer commanding in which to receive instructions.

Upon the 9th and 10th of May, during the operations of a portion of the Second Corps upon the south bank of the Po River, signal communication was opened with advantage between the several division headquarters and those of General Hancock. At this time and upon other occasions the signal officers aided materially in directing the firing of the artillery. Upon the 19th and 20th of May the reports of Colonel Beale, commanding the enemy's cavalry covering the right flank of their army, to General Lee were intercepted and forwarded to the chief of staff. During the operations on the North Anna several lines of signal communication were established between the Second Corps headquarters and the several divisions upon the opposite side of the river. From this point until we reached the James River our services were confined entirely to making observations. To indicate the character of these observations I would beg leave to insert here a paragraph from the report of Captain P. A. Taylor, the signal officer in charge with the Second Corps, to wit:

On the 30th of May Lieutenants Holland and Neel were directed to occupy the station at the Shelton house, where our batteries were established, to direct their fire, and give the general commanding any information of the enemy's position and movements which they might observe. The enemy's batteries were posted on the opposite side of the creek, at a distance of not more than 700 yards from ours, and kept up a fire during the entire day. Lieutenants Holland and Neel remained on duty at this station when every person around them had left, and sent frequent reports for the information of the commanding general, besides directing the fire of our batteries. Fifty shots from the enemy's batteries passed through the house, upon the roof of which Lieutenants Holland and Neel were stationed; solid shot cut down trees all around them, yet they remained firm at their posts of duty.

* * * General Hancock, on hearing of their behavior on this occasion, sent at once a special dispatch to General Meade, commending his signal officers for great gallantry, mentioning the names of Lieutenants Holland and Neel.