Numbers 260. Report of Colonel Aaron F. Stevens, Thirteenth New Hampshire Infantry, of operations June 1-10.

HDQRS. THIRTEENTH Regiment NEW HAMPSHIRE VOLS.,
Near Gaines' Hill, Va., June 10, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor, in compliance with circular of this date, to present the following report of the operations of my regiment since the 1st instant:

On that day we reached what seems to be known as Gaines' farm, and, having formed in line of battle on the right of Colonel Foster's brigade, and holding the advance, we moved forward in search of the enemy. My regimental front was covered by Company I (Captain Goss), deployed as skirmishers. Our line was formed in the edge of the woods nearly opposite the burned church. We advanced in line through the woods, and about sunset took a position in the edge of the woods in the rear of an open space commanded by the enemy's artillery and musketry. Here we were ordered to advance upon the enemy's battery, and moved across the field under a heavy fire from the enemy. As we advanced, I found on my left flank a line of fire from the edge of the woods, directly across my advance, and in fact firing directly upon my ranks. Subsequently I found that it was the One hundred and eighty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers, formed in line of battle in the edge of the woods nearly perpendicular to our line of advance, and sweeping the field with their fire. Up to this time my command, had suffered severely in the advance across the field. I halted it in view of closing its ranks, and again advancing after the firing of the regiment on our left had been stopped. About this time Colonel Henry, commanding Third Brigade, came up and inquired if there was no way in which the enemy's battery could be taken. I spoke to him about the firing on our left by the One hundred and eighty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers, and told him that I could not think of advancing until that firing was stopped. He rode into where the regiment was, and succeeded in stopping it. On his return I called his attention to the size of my command, and told him I had great doubts of being able to accomplish the object with that force. Colonel Henry replied that he had himself made the attempt that afternoon and failed, and that he considered it impracticable, and that if I would take charge of the troops there he would report the same to General Brooks. On his return he informed me that General Brooks' instructions were to hold our position. In the mean time all the troops had moved to the left far enough to be screened from the enemy's observation and fire by the corner of the woods. My regiment remained in this position until dark, when, under your direction, we took position still farther to the left, and in support of the One hundred and eighteenth New York Volunteers, where it remained during the night.

On the morning of the 2nd we retired to a position at the edge of the woods immediately in rear of the field over which we had advanced on the preceding day. Here we intrenched and remained until the morning of the 3rd, when we moved with the brigade to the left and front, and took position in column by division, with a view to charge the enemy's batteries in front. We remained in this po-