ing their position may be attributed to their good conduct, as well as the fact that stragglers were picked up and placed in the rifle-pits, and the enemy finding that there was strong picket force were led to believe a large command was in the rifle-pits. This skirmish line, while your division was engaged, took from the enemy 40 prisoners.

The following were the casualties: Officers wounded, 11; enlisted men killed, 12; wounded 64; missing, 14.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. G. MARSHALL,

Colonel Fourteen New York Artillery,

Commanding Prov. Brigade, First Div., Ninth Army Corps.

Major-General CRITTENDEN.

HDQRS. THIRD Brigadier, FIRST DIV., NINTH ARMY CORPS,
Near Cold Harbor, Va., June ---, 1864.

SIR: On the evening of the 31st May the Ninth Army Corps moved to the right of the army, your division relieving a division of the Fifth Army Corps, and holding the Shady Grove road, my brigade being on the left of the division.

On the 2nd of June the Ninth Army Corps received directions to swing back into the Mechanicsville road. The movement commenced about 1 p. m. My brigade was detached and placed, by direction of the commander of the corps, into position between the two roads, to cover the trains. After arriving at my position, and the different movements were well under way, I threw out pickets on my flank to observe the enemy. In order to cover the movements there was left on our old lines our pickets, of which there was a detail of 600 from my brigade. Before our troops could be put into position, the enemy advanced rapidly upon our old pickets, taking many prisoners, and they as quickly followed up our march. Our new picket-line was engaged when I received directions from the commander of the corps to put my brigade into position. Along the new front which we were to occupy were rifle-pits, formerly used by the Fifth Army Corps, and to which the enemy were now rapidly advancing. Observing this and the advantage they would derive, I pushed the Twenty-fourth New York Cavalry, Fourteenth New York Artillery, and Second New York Rifles at a double-quick toward them, and thus secured them. The Second Pennsylvania Artillery I placed in position on the right, and somewhat retired, to guard against a flank movements of the enemy. On my left you had placed the Second Brigade, of the First Division. The enemy rapidly drove in our pickets, and owing to the fact that there was a gap between the Ninth and Fifth Army Corps on the left of the Second Brigade, the enemy flanked our lines, and consequently caused the retirement of the Second Brigade, as also two regiments of my command to swing around by the left. I am informed a similar movement was made by the brigade on the right of the Ninth Army Corps, to swing back its right. By night-fall the movement of the enemy was checked, a new line was formed by my brigade and the second, which you afterward sent me, thus connecting Potter's division, who was on my right, with the Fifth Army Corps. On