were coming up on the Brock road from Todd's tavern to join General Getty. Birney's division had already taken position on Getty's left. The remaining divisions were forming as they arrived on the ground, as has been described. Owing to the fact of the Brock road being very narrow and heavily wooded on both sides, the formation of the infantry in line of battle was extremely slow. The troops were greatly retarded in their march by the artillery occupying the road. When I first joined General Getty near the Orange plank road he informed me that two divisions of Hill's corps were in his immediate front, and that he momentarily anticipated an attack. I had therefore directed that the breast-works already mentioned should be completed in order to receive the assault should the enemy advance. Between 3 and 4 p. m. I was ordered to attack with Getty's command, supporting the advance with my whole corps. At 4.15 p. m. General Getty moved forward on the right and left of the

Orange plank road, having received direct orders from General Meade to commence the attack without waiting for me. His troops encountered the enemy's line of battle about 300 paces in front of the Brock road and at once became very hotly engaged. Finding that General Getty had met the enemy in great force, I ordered General Birney to advance his command (his own and Mott's divisions) to support the movement of Getty at once, although the formation I had directed to be made before carrying out my instructions to advance was no yet completed. General Birney immediately moved forward on General Getty's right and left, one section of Ricketts' battery (Company F, First Pennsylvania Artillery) moving down the plank road just in rear of the infantry. The fight became very fierce at once. The lines of battle were exceedingly close, the musketry continuous and deadly along the entire line. At 4.30 p. m. Carroll's brigade, of Gibbon's division, advanced to the support of Getty's right on the right of the plank road, and a few minutes later Owen's brigade, of Gibbon's division, was also ordered into action in support of General Getty on the right and left of the Orange plank road. The battle read with great severity and obstinacy until about 8 p. m. without decided advantage to either party. During this contest the Irish Brigade, commanded by Colonel Smyth, of the Second [First] Delaware Volunteers, and Colonel Brooke's (Fourth) brigade, both of Barlow's division, Second Corps, attacked the enemy vigorously on his right and drove his line for some distance, The Irish Brigade was heavily engaged, and although four-fifths of its numbers were recruits, it behaved with great steadiness and gallantry, losing largely in killed and wounded. The section of Rickett's battery, which moved down the plank road when Birney and Getty attacked, suffered severely in men and horses. It was captured at one time during the fight, but was retaken under the direction of Captain Butterfield, of Colonel Carroll's staff, by detachments from the Fourteenth Indiana and Eighth Ohio Volunteers, of Carroll's brigade. It was then withdrawn and replaced by a section of Dow's (Sixth Maine) battery.

During the night of the 5th, I received orders to move upon the enemy again at 5 a. m. on the 6th. I was cautioned to keep a sharp lookout on my left, and was informed that my right would be relieved by an attack by General Wadsworth's division, of the Fifth Corps, and two divisions of the Ninth Corps under General Burnside. General Geetty's troops, under command of General Wheaton (General Getty having been wounded on the 5th [6th]), remained