Numbers 50. Export of Brigadier General Alexander S. Webb, U. S. Army, commanding First Brigade, of operations May 3-12.

MAJOR: I have the honor to make the following report operations of the First Brigade, Second Division, Second Army Corps, from the 2nd [3rd] to the morning of the 12th day of May, 1864, at which time I was wounded, and relinquished my command:

This report is necessarily incomplete, from my inability to obtain any reports from regiment commanders, most, if not all, of them being killed or wounded. On May 2 [3], the brigade moved from camp at Cole's Hill at 11 p. m. in the direction of Ely's Ford, and on the 3rd [4th] crossed the Rapidan at Ely's Ford, and moved in the direction of the Wilderness Tavern. At about 3 p. m., went into position on the plank road, about three-fourths of a mile in advance of the Wilderness Tavern. On the 4th [5th] we moved at 6 a. m. in the direction of Todd's Tavern, which we reached at about 12 m and took position to support General Gregg's cavalry division. At 3 po. m. we were moved back in the direction of the Wilderness, where the Sixth and Second Army Corps were then engaged, and arrived at the scene of action of the Brock road about 5 p. m., going into position, reliving a portion of the Fourth Division, Second Corps. The enemy did not advance from the woods. Captain Poinsett Cooper, acting assistant inspector-general on my staff, was wounded at this time, and the enemy's fire was very annoying. We completed this night the breast-work of logs and rails, bivouacking at this point, throwing out skirmishers well to the front. On the 5th [6th], at about 6 a. m., I received orders from General Gibbon to move top the right to the plank road, and report to Major-General Birney, which was promptly done. General Birney ordered my command to deploy on the right of the plank, and move forward to join Brigadier-General Getty, of the Sixth Corps. I deployed and advanced as ordered. I of cause failed to find the line of General Getty, since I do not know that any of our troops ever had been where I was ordered. We met the enemy in force across the plank road, and engaged him. This fight opened without the employment of a line of skirmishers on my part, since I had been distinctly ordered to relieve Brigadier-General Getty with my brigade by Major-General Birney in person. From this moment to the time when my line was destroyed by the forcing in of the troops on my left, I was left total unaware of any special object in disposing of my command, and I am still at a loss to determine whether or not it was my duty to attack and attempt to drive the enemy on the plank road or to hold my position in connection which a line taken up by the rest of the army. I third to drive the enemy and failed to do so, and I believe because I struck him at a time when I had no reason to suppose that I would meet any but General Getty's command. The enemy, finding that my line was but a few hundred yards in length and entirely without support, forces me to change front to rear at a double-quick.

The regiment of my brigade present in this engagement were Fifteenth and Twentieth Massachusetts, Nineteenth Maine, Seventh Michigan, Forty-second and Eighty-second New York Volunteers. The Twentieth Massachusetts, on the left of the plank road and facing the enemy, was ordered forward by Brigadier-General Wadsworth