contest was so heroically maintained by our men, it became evident that the contest was too unequal to maintain it longer. The led horses, the wounded for whom there was transportation, and caissons, were started on the road leading to Charles City Court-House, 8 miles distant. These fairly under way the division began to retire by the right. Our men continued fighting on foot, but were mounted from time to time. The movement toward Charles City Court-House was made in the best possible order, without confusion or disorder. The enemy pressed hard upon the rear of the command, but without advantage. A final stand made by mounted regiments at Hopewell Church on open ground determined the enemy to make no farther advance. For want of sufficient ambulances some of our wounded fell into the hands of the enemy. A portion of these have since been recovered. The intense heat prostrated many of our men and produced some deaths. The division reached Charles City Court-House about 8 p. m., and then encamped near the First Division. The aggregate loss of the division in this engagement was 357 commissioned officers and enlisted men killed, wounded, and missing.

Having thus briefly recounted the operations of this division, it is fit that in closing my report I should mention, as I can with pride, the good conduct of all the officers and enlisted men of my command during these operations. When engaged in battle their gallantry and soldierly determination to win made their successes certain. Instances of particular gallantry are far too numerous to be recounted in this report.

Brigadier General H. E. Davies, jr., U. S. Volunteers, and Colonel J. Irvin Gregg, Sixteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, commanding, respectively, the First and Second Brigades, are deserving of my highest commendation for the great ability and untiring energy displayed by them as commanders; skillful in handling their brigades they accomplished handsomely whatever they undertook. The successes of the division were not secured without the loss of many valuable lives. Lieutenant Colonel George H. Covode, Fourth Pennsylvania Cavalry; Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Boothby, First Maine Cavalry, died of wounds received in action; the former where he fell. To these might be added a long list of officers of inferior grade who gallantly fell in the various actions in which their regiments were engaged.

To my own staff my thanks are especially due for their valuable services in the transmission of my orders, and performing all the varied and arduous duties of staff officers to a cavalry command in the field. Captain W. Phillips, First Maine Cavalry, assistant commissary of musters on my staff, was killed at Saint Mary's Church on the 24th. To say of this officer that he was a true gentleman and excellent soldier is but a slight tribute to his memory. The Independent Sixth New York Battery, Captain J. W. Martin, and Light Battery A, Fourth U. S. Artillery, were on duty with this division until May 31; Light Batteries H and I, First U. S. Artillery, Captain A. M. Randol and Lieutenant Dennison commanding, from that date until the present.

Accompanying this report will be found a nominal list* of casualties and the reports of the brigade commanders.

D. MCM. GREGG,

Brigadier-General of Vols., Commanding Second Div.

Lieutenant Colonel C. KINGSBURY, Jr.,

Asst. Adjt. General, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac.

---------------

* Embodied in revised statement, pp. 129, 163, 177, 184, 185.

---------------