guns. Captain Pegram being in front, his battery was carried forward and placed in position in an old redoubt. Captain Braxton's battery was posted on the east side of the railroad, and the batteries of Captains McIntosh and Crenshaw occupied the intermediate ground. The enemy's battery was soon silenced, and a New Jersey brigade was, after some very pretty practice on the part of Captains Pegram, Crenshaw, McIntosh, and Braxton, broken and put to flight. We moved on with the intention of following them up, but the character of the country was such as to render successful pursuit impossible, and the idea was abandoned. There was no loss on our side; but it is believed that the loss of the enemy was considerable. Wednesday night, at twelve o'clock, we took up line of march for Centreville, and from thence we marched to the battle-field of Manassas, where we arrived Thursday evening, the twenty-eighth of August. The artillery took no part in the engagement of that afternoon. On Friday, the twenty-ninth August, the batteries were placed in position on the ridge in rear and to the left of General A. P. Hill's division. Captain Braxton's battery was engaged early in the forenoon on the extreme left, with the loss of some of his horses. Upon the cessation of the enemy's fire, ours ceased also. In the afternoon, a section of Captain Pegram's battery hotly engaged the enemy on the right. His position was in rear of General Fields's and Gregg's brigades. The loss of this section was very heavy, and, the fire continuing with unremitted severity, it was withdrawn. Captain Braxton was then ordered to the position, and, with five guns, held it, with loss, under a terrific fire, until night closed in upon the field. Captain Crenshaw's battery was also engaged during the day from a point in rear of General Pender's brigade. On Saturday, August thirtieth, the batteries of Captains Braxton, Pegram, Latham, Davidson, McIntosh, and Crenshaw were all engaged at intervals on the left and rear of the infantry. The enemy made several demonstrations with both infantry and artillery on the left, all of which were promptly repelled by those batteries.

Intosh's command went into battery on Bolivar
Heights at a point about eight hundred yards
distant from the enemy's earthworks, General
Hill's division being in advance of him.

Before dawn next morning, Monday, eighteenth, a section from the batteries of Captains Braxton, Pegram, and Davidson, and the full battery of Captain Crenshaw, were carried, though with much difficulty, to the point occupied by Captain McIntosh, (Captain Crenshaw's battery was held in reserve, there being no position for his guns.) At daylight, the batteries opened with rapid and effective fire upon the enemy's works, and were responded to by two batteries, firing quickly and without good direction.

By General Hill's order, our fire ceased as soon as that of the enemy was discontinued, which occurred in an hour. At the latter part of the engagement, Captain Crenshaw relieved Captain Braxton, whose ammunition was hausted.

ex

After a short interval, the enemy's guns again opened, but slowly and without effect. The guns of Captains Pegram and Crenshaw were advanced about four hundred yards nearer their earthworks, and opened furiously upon it. In five minutes a white flag floated upon the works, and the battle ceased. In this battle our casualties were slight, as heretofore reported.

I carried four of my batteries into the fight at Sharpsburg, viz., Braxton's, Pegram's, McIntosh's, and Crenshaw's; Captain Davidson's was left at Harper's Ferry with General Thomas's brigade. My command arrived upon the field at about three P. M., and went immediately into action. Captain McIntosh took position to the right and in rear of General Toombs's brigade-in rear of the position afterward taken by General Archer's brigade. Here he was hotly encountered by several batteries of the enemy, to whom he responded vigorously until his attention was attracted by the steady and formidable advance of the enemy's infantry upon his position. The infantry on the left not supporting him, the enemy continued to advance in defiance of his rapid and effective fire, until within sixty yards of his guns, when Captain McIntosh was forced to withdraw his men, horses, and limbers. By this time, General Archer's brigade had formed in line of battle to the rear of the battery, and, before the enemy reached the guns, charged and drove them back in great confusion. Captain Pegram's battery was posted on the right of Captain McIntosh's, and directed to fire chiefly upon the enemy's infantry. One gun of this battery (the ammunition of the balance having given out) together with Captain Braxton's rifle, which had been engaging the enemy from a point to the right and rear of Captain Pegram's, were, In the afternoon of Sunday, the fourteenth, at four and a half P. M., placed in battery on a my artillery, by order of Major-General Hill, height forming the extreme right of the light went into battery on a height some two miles division, and giving an enfilading fire. From south-west of Bolivar Heights, from which point this point, they were worked with beautiful prewe shelled the woods on Bolivar Heights, south cision and great effect upon the infantry of the of the enemy's earthworks. About sunset of the enemy till nightfall closed the engagement. Capsame evening, the rifle section of Captain Mc-tain Pegram's gun was withdrawn after a few

In the battle of Ox Hill, Monday, September first, my c command did not participate, though near the spot and under fire; two of the batteries, viz., Captain McIntosh's and Braxton's, being in position.

At Leesburg, the batteries of Captains Latham and Fleet, and a section of Captain Pegram's, were, by order, left in camp to recruit. Nothing worthy of mention in this report transpired in our march through Maryland, nor until our arrival at Harper's Ferry on the thirteenth of September.

REPORT OF COLONEL A. W. HARMAN. HEADQUARTERS TWELFTH VIRGINIA CAVALRY, October 6, 1862.

To Colonel T. T. Munford, commanding Robertson's Brigade:

COLONEL: At Manassas, on the thirtieth of August, about four o'clock P. M., I was ordered, with six companies of my regiment, (A, B, C, D, E, F, and H,) to support the Second Virginia cavalry. I found the enemy occupying the hill to the right of the Lewis house with the First Virginia cavalry, supported by a New York and the First Michigan cavalry, drawn up about two hundred yards in their rear. I charged the regiment on the hill, and drove them back on their supports, which were, in quick succession, broken and driven back in complete disorder. I pursued them over the run, and as far as the pike, near the stone bridge, capturing many prisoners, among them Colonel Broadhead and Major Atwood, of the First Michigan cavalry, the former severely wounded. My loss was six men wounded. Very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

A. W. HARMAN,
Colonel Twelfth Virginia Cavalry.

REPORT OF MAJOR PELHAM OF ACTION AT

GROVETON HEIGHTS.

NEAR FREDERICKSBURG,
January 10, 1863.

General J. E. B. Stuart:

GENERAL: In compliance with your wishes, I submit the following memoranda of the part taken by my battery in the battle of Groveton Heights:

By your orders, I left Centreville on Thursday, the twenty-eighth of August, 1862, in rear of General Jackson's corps. I marched without interruption till I had crossed Bull Run, at Lewis's Ford, when a small party of the enemy's cavalry appeared in my rear. I detached Lieutenant Breathed with one piece as a rear-guard, and moved on with the rest of my battery. A few well-directed shots from Breathed's gun drove the enemy off. I moved up the Warrenton pike, and, when near the "Jim Robinson house," I overtook the rear of General A. P. Hill's division, which had just left the turnpike, and was moving along a by-road to the right. I moved to the right of this division, and passed it. I moved on, and parked my battery in a field, where General Jackson had ordered all his artillery to

await orders.

Just before night, orders came for twenty pieces to move rapidly to the front. I took three pieces, at a gallop, through a thick wood in front of this general park, bearing to the right of the troops in position, (Ewell's division,) crossed the old railroad about one mile from Groveton, and took position between it and the turnpike. I neglected to state that one of my guns was unable to keep up, and was lost from the battery, it being dark, and the road narrow and winding. I reported to General Jackson, and he told me that his chief of artillery, Major Shumaker, would show me a position. He conducted me across the railroad, as above stated. I moved on at a gallop until a heavy volley of musketry apprised me of the enemy's presence. I immediately put my guns in position, and engaged them at about fifty or sixty yards. We continued the fight for an hour or more, when, our reenforcements coming up, we drove the enemy back.

During the latter part of this fight I had but one gun, the other having been taken off by the order of some mounted officer. It was dark, and no one could tell who he was, while my attention was wholly directed to the right piece.

After the fight was over, I collected the other pieces of my battery, and reported to General Stuart the next morning. [See his memoranda up to this time.] I was, by him, ordered to report to General Jackson, which I did; and he ordered me to ride over the field with him, and, after pointing out the different roads, he gave me discretionary orders to engage my battery wher ever a fitting opportunity should occur. General A. P. Hill sent for some artillery to be thrown rapidly forward, as the enemy were giving way. I placed my battery in position near the railroad, and opened on some batteries and a column of infantry posted on the hills around Groveton.

JOHN PELHAM, Major Horse Artillery.

REPORT OF MAJOR HAIRSTON. GAINESVILLE, August 29, 1862–8 P. M. To Colonel Chilton, Assistant Adjutant-General:

In obedience to General Lee's order, I started this morning at eight o'clock, with one hundred and fifty cavalry, to go to Warrenton, "to find out if any of the enemy's forces were still in the vicinity of that place." I went from Thoroughfare to the right on a by-road, which took me into the Winchester road two miles below Warrenton, and came up to the rear of the town. I inquired of the citizens and persons I met on the way, but could not hear that any of their forces were in the vicinity of that place. They informed me that the last left yesterday morning in the direction of Gainesville and Warrenton Junction. We picked up on the way forty-six prisoners, thirty muskets and rifles, one deserter from the Stuart horse artillery, and one sutler, with his wagon and driver. I also paroled two Lieuten

REPORT OF CAPTAIN MYERS, OF SEVENTH pounds hard bread, two thousand four hundred

on after the fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson, and the occupation of the Red River country as a protection for Louisiana and Arkansas, and a basis of future operations against Texas.

ons, nine sets lead harness, two sets wheel Mississippi, an expedition to Jackson and Mariharness, eighty-seven pair traces, thirteen pair artillery traces, forty-seven halter chains, ten tar buckets, sixty-one collars, twelve saddles, twentyone bridles, twenty-seven artillery saddles, six artillery valises, two leg guards, nineteen pair ar- I assumed command of the department Detillery harness, five breast straps, five breeching, cember sixteenth, 1862. The eighteenth of Desixteen feed pockets, twenty-five wagon bolts, three cember, Brigadier-General Cuvier Grover, with hundred and fifty wagon hammers, eight wheelbar- ten thousand (10,000) men, was ordered to take rows, thirteen axes, one hundred and twenty- possession of Baton Rouge, then held by the seven helves, two hundred and seventy-seven enemy. This was the first step toward the repicks, two hundred and twelve shovels, eighty-duction of Port Hudson.

two spades, fifty mess pans, seventy-one camp The Island of Galveston, Texas, had been capkettles, one skillet lid, three hundred and five tured in October, and was then occupied or held pairs shoes, two pairs ladies' shoes, two pairs by the navy. Information had been received. premisses' shoes, three pairs children's shoes, thirty vious to my arrival at New Orleans, of a conoil-cloth blankets, fourteen blankets, two hats, templated attack for the recovery of that position two and three quarters dozen neck ties, seven by the enemy. Upon consultation with Rear pairs suspenders, six handkerchiefs, twenty-eight Admiral D. G. Farragut and Major-General Butpicked pins, one pulley block, one jack screw, ler, both of whom recommended the measure, the one hundred and ninety insulators, one hundred Forty-second Massachusetts volunteers, Colonel and thirty-four tents, one hundred and forty-four Burrill commanding, were sent to occupy the is buckles, five hundred and forty-five yards cotton land in support of the navy. Brigadier-General cloth, three thousand eight hundred and sixteen A. J. Hamilton, who had been commissioned as horse shoes, fourteen thousand and sixty-one military governor of Texas, and who accompanied pounds do., eight hundred and forty pounds my expedition to New Orleans with a large staff, horse shoe nails, fifty pounds nails, twenty also pressed my occupation of Texas with the pounds spikes, three hundred and three pounds greatest earnestness; and it was in deference, in a rope, two hundred feet picked rope, two hundred great degree, to his most strongly expressed and seventy-five pounds iron, four kegs grease, one barrel tar, five thousand three hundred pounds leather, one case of oil, twenty-nine bundles telegraph wire, three platform scales, one keg white lead.

In addition to the above, which is a list of the captured property that came into my possession, a considerable amount came into the hands of the various quartermasters of the command, which it is supposed they have reported to Richmond. A large amount of the property captured, however, was not turned into the quartermaster's department at all- the order to turn over such property not having been fully carried out, especially by the cavalry.

A very large amount of medical and ordnance stores were captured and sent off by me, for the character and amounts of which I refer you to the heads of those departments. Throughout the corps, many worn-out wagons were exchanged for good Yankee ones- the useless ones being left behind.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JOHN A. HARMAN,
Major and Chief Quartermaster, Second Corps.

Doc. 17.

MAJOR-GENERAL BANKS'S OFFICIAL
REPORTS.

PORT HUDSON CAMPAIGN.

To the Secretary of War:

SIR: The military objects contemplated by the orders which I received upon assuming command of the Department of the Gulf, dated Noember eighth, 1862, were, the freedom of the

LJ

wishes, that the expedition was undertaken,
though it was fully justified by the information
which had been received of a proposed attack by
the enemy, as well as by the advice of the naval
and military authorities of the department.
Three companies of this regiment, under com-
mand of Colonel Burrill, arrived at Galveston
Island on the twenty-seventh of December, 1862,
and by the advice of the naval officers, landed on
the twenty-eighth. On the morning of the first
of January, 1863, they were attacked by about
five thousand (5,000) of the enemy, who gained
possession of the island by a bridge from the
main land, which had been left unimpaired during
the entire occupation of the island by our forces.
The naval forces were attacked at the same.
time by the cotton-clad gunboats of the enemy,
which resulted in the capture of our land force,
numbering two hundred and sixty men, including
their officers, the steamer "Harriet Lane," two
coal transports, and a schooner; and the steamer
"Westfield 99
was blown up by its commanding
officer. The losses in killed and wounded were
but slight. The balance of the regiment did not
arrive at Galveston Island until the second of
January, the day after the attack. Upon the discov
ery of the condition of affairs by the capture of one
of the rebel pilots, they returned to New Orleans.

This attack upon our forces had been in contemplation for a long time. It succeeded solely because the bridge connecting the island with the main land had been left in possession of the enemy. Had the troops sent for its occupation arrived a day or two earlier, or in sufficient time to have destroyed the bridge, the attack would have been defeated.

The possession of this island, and its military

occupation, would have been of great importance men had seen service, and few had even handled to the government in all operations in that part a musket. of the country. It would have held a large force of rebel troops in the vicinity of Houston, enabled us to penetrate the territory of Texas at any time, or to concentrate our forces on the Mississippi, and rendered unnecessary the expedition of 1864 for the reestablishment of the flag in Texas.