THIRD EPOCH.

May 22.-We marched 10 miles yesterday, passing Guiney's Station, and crossing the Po and Ny near the railroad. To-day, at 10.30 a.m., marched toward the North Anna River, but were brought up at 1.30 p.m. by the enemy's line, but soon drove them. 4.30 p.m. bivouacked on the Telegraph road, about 10 miles from Guiney's.

May 23.-At 6 a.m. marched toward the North Anna River. 10.45 a.m. turned to the west at Mount Carmel Church. After marching a mile on this road with Ninth Massachusetts ahead as skirmishers, we turned to the left and crossed at Jericho Ford at 3 p.m., the Twenty-second Massachusetts taking the lead. Upon gaining the right flank, I was ordered to deploy my regiment as skirmishers and display them. Soon after was ordered to advance, which I did for some hundred yards, when I found that the road upon both sides of which my skirmishers were marching took a sharp turn to the left through an open field and then entered a wood. I found my present course would take me again to the river, which here takes a great bend. Seeing rebel scouts on the road as it entered the timber, I acquainted Colonel Sweitzer with the situation and received permission to wheel my line to the left, and suggested the same movement of the brigade, which was carried out. The whole command now rested against a fence on the edge on the wood, facing south southwest. A few men were sent out from our skirmish line, who became engaged with the enemy in the timber, when the whole line of skirmishers was pushed forward by Colonel Sweitzer's order. They met the South Carolina Rifles, who soon fled and allowed us to chase them into an open field on the left of the wood, about 400 yards in, and thence to the railroad 500 yards farther on - the Virginia Central Railroad at Noel's Station. My men were halted at the fence of the field (on the edge of the timber) on the left of the road; on the right, the wood continued nearly to the railroad. One-half my men were in these woods on the right, under Captain Field; those on the left were under charge of Major Burt. The woods being thick were my right rested, I requested and obtained 50 men from the Thirty-second Massachusetts to extend my line to the right, for the enemy were now showing face and making demonstrations. The rebels were seen busy now hurrying off trains, both railroad and wagon, and in the course of an hour or two they got everything off and withdraw themselves. Meanwhile Sweitzer's brigade was making a barricade, and the corps crossing the river. At about 6 p.m., however, they returned and threw out a line of skirmishers, and then lines of battle, marching in an oblique direction toward out right, with the evident intention of turning it. I had feared this movement all the afternoon (turning our right), and impressed upon many staff officers who came to the front from brigade, division, and corps headquarters the necessity of covering it; finally, Cutler's brigade, Fourth Division, was sent in upon our right, but barely got in place before the enemy attacked all along the line. I was at this time showing the commander of the regiment upon our right the true direction of our line of battle, but immediately turned to my regiment. They held the enemy in front of Sweitze's brigade until flanked by those who had driven Cutler's brigade, when they came to the rear of the brigade, where I posted the colors and rallied them. Colonel Sweitzer