No. 254. Report of Major Peter McLennan, Twenty-second New York Cavalry, of operations May 7-8.

HDQRS. TWENTY-SECOND NEW YORK CAVALRY,
Fredericksburg, Va., May 9, 1864.

SIR: In obedience to your of the 7th instant, I immediately took command of this regiment, and now have the honor to report the situation of the regiment at that time and its servises since.

A little before I took command the regiment had been lying on the west side and near the plank road, 3 miles south of Germanna Ford, in line, with squadrons inverted. I was personally present with the vedettes, and was retiring before the enemy's fire of musketry, toward the main body, when I found the main body, had fallen back 200 yards across the plank road, except the first squadron, which I ordered to remain; but being informed that the order was to fall back, I permitted the squadron to wheel about by platoons and fall back to the line of the main body, when it again wheeled about to face the enemy, and I was in the act of dressing it on the line of the regiment as the orderly handed me your order, as senior officer, to take command of the regiment and to report to the lieutenant-colonel of the Fifth New York Cavalry for orders. I immediately reported to Lieutenant-Colonel Hammond, of the Fifth New York Cavalry, and received the order to fall back on the command of Major-General Sedgwick. At the moment that I received that order the enemy opened fire upon my right (then left) and center with three pieces of artillery, throwing shell with great rapidity at short range. Soon after the enemy opened with artillery a portion of the regiment retreated southward toward the headquarters of Major-General Sedgwick with some precipitation and confusion. I ordered the remainder to fall back toward the command of General Sedgwick, which was done in good order. After this portion of my command had retired beyond the range of artillery, I rode forward to rally the rest of my command. While engaged in so doing one of your aides-de-camp met that portion of the regiment that last retired and ordered it to resume a position facing the enemy. I rallied the portion that had first retired and formed it, by order of Major-General Sedgwick, near his headquarters. I then returned to look after the other portion of the regiment and found it engaged with the enemy, skirmishing near the place from which it had retired unsupported, the Second Ohio Cavalry that had been there having left. With this portion of my command I remained until midnight, occupying nearly the same ground on which the skirmishing took place.

Early on the morning of the 8th instant, by order of Major-General Hancock, through Captain Briscoe, I took position as rear guard of the Second Army Corps on its march toward the south on the Rockville road. In moving forward,and when about 3 miles south of the Fredericksburg and Orange road, my command was fired upon by a concealed enemy from behind trees, stumps, and logs in the woods on the west side of the intrenchments. I returned the fire, but the horses not having been trained to military noises, caused some confusion, and I thought best to move forward and form with the infantry. Accordingly I moved forward about one-fourth mile, formed into line, and by advice of the colonel in command of the