May 4, at 2 a. m., I received orders to take the advance of the Ninth Army Corps and cross the Rappahannock River on pontoon bridge at or near Ingalls' Station. I arrived at this point at 5 a. m., and then received orders to take charge of a large drove of cattle and drive them to the Rapidan, where we arrived at 9 a. m. May 5, and immediately crossed at Germanna Ford.

May 6, at about 1 a. m., I was ordered to take up position on right of line, with a chain of pickets extending from right of Third Division, Ninth Army Corps, to Rapidan River and parallel with the plank road.

May 7, I retained this position till Saturday, when I was ordered by Major-General Meade to report to Lieutenant-Colonel Hammond, Fifth New York Cavalry. I was by him withdrawn and ordered to take position near the Sixth Army Corps hospital on the plank road near Wilderness Tavern, with orders to report to Major-General Sedgwick any movement of the enemy on the right of his line. At 3 p. m. the enemy opened a battery on the Twenty-second New York Cavalry, which was on our right, causing them to stampede, and by their breaking through one battalion of my regiment caused a momentary confusion therein. We were then ordered to the rear of the Sixth Corps. That afternoon we received orders to report to Major-General Burnside, which we effected by 12 midnight May 8, and were then assigned to the rear of the Ninth Army Corps in its flank movement on Spotsylvania Court-House. At daylight we discovered the enemy advancing a line of skirmishers to feel our position. I immediately dismounted the First and Second Battalions, with orders to hold the line of rifle-pits recently vacated by the Ninth Corps. These we held until 6 a. m., when I deemed it advisable to fall back, which we did in good order, closely followed by the enemy. Loss this day, 1 lieutenant wounded; 1 man killed.

May 9, made a reconnaissance to the Rapidan in direction of United States Ford. Same night stood picket on plank road, 2 miles west of Chancellorsville.

May 10, sent one battalion, under command of Major Seward, to Belle Plain, as escort to Lieutenant-Colonel Goodrich, bearer of dispatches from General Grant to War Department.

May 11, reported to Brigadier-General Ferrero by order of Major-General Meade. By him ordered to report to Lieutenant-Colonel Hammond, Fifth New York Cavalry, and went into camp on old Fredericksburg pike road, 2 miles east of Chancellorsville. Here we drew 5 pounds of forage and removed our saddles for the first time in six days, during which period we had marched from the Rappahannock to Chancellorsville, doing duty both by day and night, and had been under the command of nine different officers, viz, Colonel Crooks, Twenty-second New York Cavalry, Colonel Thomas, Colonel Davis, General Ferrero, General Wilcox, Lieutenant-Colonel Hammond, Colonel Morrison, and Major-Generals Burnside and Sedgwick.

May 11 to 15, on picket at Piney Branch Church. About noon May 15 a rebel cavalry brigade, under command of Colonel Rosser, suddenly attacked us in two columns, driving in the pickets and causing us to fall back on the ford, which we held for some time, and until it was plain they outnumbered us 3 to 1, and were moving columns to our right and left with the intention of flanking our position. Major Nettleton, being in command of the regiment during my absence in Fredericksburg, then fell back slowly, fighting