No. 112. Report of Lieutenant Colonel William B. White, Eighteenth Massachusetts Infantry, of operations May 4-23.

HEADQUARTERS EIGHTEENTH MASSACHUSETTS VOLS., Camp near Fort Corcoran, Va. August -, 1864.

LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by the Eighteenth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers, of the Third Bridge, First Division, Fifth Corps in the campaign against Richmond, during the months of May, June, and July, 1864:

FIRST EPOCH:

On the morning of May 4, at 1 o'clock the regiment, commanded by Colonel Joseph Hayes, and consisting of 20 officers and 296 men equipped, left camp near Culpeper, and marched to Germanna Ford, on the Rapidan. Early in the forenoon it crossed the river on pontoon bridge, and marched to Wilderness Church, on the stone road, where it bivouacked for the night in lines of battle.

On the morning of the 5th of May, after the regiment had prepared for a day's march, a report came that the enemy was moving down the stone road, and immediately the division commenced to throw up a defense of logs and earth near where it had bivouacked. At about 8 o'clock Colonel Hayes was directed by General Bartlett, the brigade commander, to take the Eighteenth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers and the Eighty-third Pennsylvania Volunteers move up the stone road, and discover whether the enemy's force consisted of cavalry or infantry and what his intentions were. The two regiments moved up to the picket-line, and Colonel Hayes ordered two companies from each regiment to be detailed to move forward as skirmishers. The companies taken from the Eighteenth Massachusetts Volunteers were placed under command of Captain Bent, and were moved forward by him on the right of the road, promptly engaging the enemy's skirmishers, and driving them back. It was quickly ascertained that the enemy was present with strong infantry force, and that he was busily engaged throwing up breast-works, and upon making this report to the brigade commander the skirmishers were ordered to retire. The regiment in this movement lost 1 man, Charles Wilson, Company I, who was the first infantry-man killed in the campaign. Soon after the withdrawal of the skirmishers the regiment was placed on the left of the first line of battle of the division, which had been moved up to the picket-line. The regiment on its left was joined by a brigade of the Fourth Division, and on its right by the Eighty-third Pennsylvania Volunteers. At the command to advance it moved forward with the division across a patch of open ground and into the woods beyond. The enemy, unable to withstand the attack, fell back rapidly, leaving his wounded and about 40 prisoners, who were passed through the regiment to the rear. The advance was continued until orders were received to fall back on account of the failure of the right to drive the enemy. The brigade had for some time exposed an open flank to the enemy, who was moving down the road to cut it off. The regiment returned through the woods to the breast-works, where it reformed its ranks, which had been thrown into confusion by the