resumed our march, going toward the Wilderness, reaching the junction of the plank road and stone road (Orange Court-House and Fredericksburg pike) at about 1 p.m., and marching out on the stone road about 2 miles. Here the regiment went on picket, covering the front of the Third Brigade (General Bartlett), First Division, Fifth Corps. The line was established about three-fourths of a mile in advance of the bivouac of the brigade, the right resting on and covering the Orange Court-House and Fredericksburg pike, the left swinging back and connecting with the pickets of the Second Brigade (Colonel Sweitzer). There was no connection on the right, the pickets of the First Brigade (General Ayres), that should have joined on my right, being at least a half mile in the rear of the line of pickets of the other two brigades, and without any connection, which made it necessary for me to watch and protect my own right flank. When my picket-line was established there was no enemy in our front. About an hour after daylight on the morning of the 5th a strong column of the enemy's infantry, preceded by cavalry, was discovered coming down the road front the vicinity of Robertson's Tavern. Upon seeing the advance of the enemy, I at once extended the right of my line to the right of the road, and

re-enforced it by a company to check a party of the enemy's cavalry which had been sent to turn this flank of my picket-line. Upon striking my pickets the enemy immediately deployed his infantry on the right and left of the road in line of battle, covered by a heavy line of skirmishers. I at once dispatched my adjutant to report to General Bartlett, commanding brigade, the force and disposition of the enemy that had appeared on our front. Fifteen minutes before the appearance of the enemy, I had received written orders to withdraw my pickets and rejoin the brigade on the march, and was in the act of assembling the regiment when the enemy was reported advancing, when I again deployed the regiment on a strong line and made the dispositions before mentioned. The regiment remained deployed as skirmishers, supported by the Eighteenth Massachusetts and Eighty-third Pennsylvania Volunteers, until lines of battle had been formed in our rear, when we were ordered to advance, which was done on a double-quick over an open, but broken piece of ground, driving the enemy's skirmishers, who were strongly posted in the edge of a wood back onto their line of battle, where we met so severe a fire that we were obliged to retire from the woods and fall back to our supports, who soon relieved us by an advance of the whole line; in this advance our loss was very heavy. After this engagement we retired a short distance and bivouacked for the night.

On the morning of the 6th we moved to the right of the stone road, and formed in line of battle with our brigade, the brigade connecting on the right with the Sixth Corps. We remained here in line all day under a severe artillery and sharpshooters' fire until nearly sundown, when, by the giving way of part of the Sixth Corps, our flank was exposed, and we were obliged to fall back to our breast-works in the rear, where our lines were reformed, and we lay until the night of the 7th instant. My command was the first to discover and report the advance of the enemy on the 5th day of May, were the first to engage them, and opened the present campaign by its advance on their skirmish line. At the time we advanced on and drove the skirmishers of the enemy, part of my line engaged them in the wood in a well-sustained hand-to-hand conflict, using the bayonet freely. Captain David Stanway had his arm blown to pieces