turning, marched to Dunkirk, on the Mattapony, a point at which the river was narrow enough for my pontoons to reach across.

On my march from Trevilian to this point we halted at intervals during each day to dress to wounded and refresh them as much as possible. Nothing could exceed the cheerfulness exhibited by them; hauled as they were in old buggies, carts, ammunition wagons, &c., no word of complaint was heard. I saw on the line of march men with wounded legs driving, while those with one disabled arm were using the other to whip up the animals. On the 20th we resumed the march at an early hour, to the sound of artillery, in the direction of the White House, and had proceeded but a short distance when dispatches from General Abercrombie notified me that the place was attacked. I had previously sent an advance party with directions to move swiftly, and to report to me by counties the condition of affairs; from these I soon learned that there was no occasion to push our jaded animals, as the crisis, if there had been one, was over, and therefore moved leisurely to the banks of the Pamunkey opposite White House, and encamped, the enemy holding the bluffs surrounding the White House farm. On the morning of the 21st Gregg's division was crossed over dismounted, and Torbert's division mounted, and the enemy driven from the bluffs, and also from Tunstall's Station in the evening, after a sharp engagement. I found here orders to break up the White House depot, and to moved the trains over to Petersburg, via Jones' Bridge. I immediately commenced breaking up as directed and making my arrangements to carry over and protect a train of over 900 wagons, knowing full well that I would be attacked if the enemy had any spirit left in him. On the morning of the 22nd I sent Torbert in advance to secure Jones' Bridge, over the Chickahominy, so that we could make the crossing at that point, and Gregg marched on a road parallel to the one on which the train was moving, and on its right flank, as it was the only flank requiring protection. The train was not attacked, but was safely parked on the south side of the Chickahominy for the night. On the morning after Torbert had secured the crossing, the 23d, the enemy attacked his picket post on the Long Bridge road, with Chambliss' bridge, and drove it in, but on its being re-enforced by six companies of colored troops belonging to Getty's command, the enemy was repulsed, and the picket post re-established. This brigade, I was told by the prisoners taken, was the advance of the rebel cavalry corps, and through it Hampton had been advised of our having already secured the crossing of the Chickahominy. General Getty had relieved General Abercrombie, and was in command of a small infantry force, composed mostly of the odds and ends of regiments and batteries.

On the 24th the march was resumed, with directions to cross the trains at Bermuda Hundred, where there was a pontoon bridge. To reach this point I was obliged to march through Charles City Court-House, thence by Harrison's Landing and Malvern Hill, the latter of which was occupied by the enemy; in fact, he held everything north of the James except the tete-de-pont at the crossing. Torbert's division moved out on the Charles City Court-House road as an escort to the trains, and when in the vicinity of the Court-House the advance guard encountered the enemy and drove him across Herring Creek, on the road to Westover Church. As soon as this attack was reported to me, orders were immediately given to park