of the Sixty-first New York. About the middle of the afternoon we were marched to the front and engaged the enemy. The men behaved with remarkable coolness, loading and firing as if on drill. Lieutenant-Colonel Conner was killed by the last volley fired by the enemy.

Officers killed, Lieutenant-Colonel Conner and Lieutenant Abbott; wounded, Colonel Johnson, Captains Schuyler, Wilson, Harkness, and Conner; Lieutenants Pryor, McKernan, and Belford. Enlisted men, 26 killed, 120 wounded, 104 missing. Total, 28 killed, 128 wounded, 104 missing.*

H. BOYD McKEEN,

Major, Commanding Eighty-first Pennsylvania Volunteers.

Captain N. A. MILES,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Caldwell's Brigade.

No. 20. Reports of Brigadier General Thomas Francis Meagher,

U. S. Army, commanding Second Brigade, of the battles of Gaines' Mill, Savage Station, Glendale, or Nelson's Farm (Frazier's Farm), and Malvern Hill.

HDQRS. MEAGHER'S Brigadier, RICHARDSON'S DIV., SUMNER'S CORPS, ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, July 6, 1862.

LIEUTENANT:In compliance with the order received by me yesterday from the general commanding the division I have the honor to report to him through you the action of the brigade which I command in the following engagements:Allen's Farm [Gaine's Mill], Savage Station, Nelson's Farm, Malverton.

On Friday, the 27th of June, at 5 o'clock p.m. being encamped at Fair Oaks Station, I received orders to move my brigade immediately to the support of General Fitz John Porter, who had been engaged with the enemy for several hours, and who was at the time mentioned forced back by overpowering numbers. On receiving the orders to move forward my brigade I was directed by the general of the division to report to Brigadier-General French, whose brigade was also ordered to the support of the forces engaged with the enemy at Allen's Farm. Marching rapidly to the Chickahominy, the two brigades crossed Woodbury's (of Alexander's) Bridge. The head of the column had just appeared on the opposite side when an immense cloud of dust, through which teams and horseman hastily broke, indicated something more than a repulse to our arms. These teams and horseman were followed by crowds of fugitive stragglers on foot, whose cry was that "they had been cut to pieces."

At this critical moment Brigadier-General French ordered me to thrown forward and deploy one company of the Sixty-ninth, Colonel Robert Nugent commanding, and with fixed bayonets to drive back the runaways. Captain Felix Duffy's company was accordingly thrown forward and deployed (and the resolute and impetuous spirit with which they discharged their duty the command of their experienced and gallant captain had the effect of almost instantly checking a rout which if not arrested at that movement would have attended with the most fearful consequence),thus driving back the fugitives and steadying the

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*But see revised statement,p.24.

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