by hearing their words of command and their cheers. I should have said that in my advance I had passed the enemy's artillery in two posi tions-in their second camp two pieces and in the Williamsburg road one piece and two caissons-but so closely were we on the heels of their troops that they could not use them upon us.

In taking up my last line I had detailed a party under my acting major (Capt. J. W. Goss) to withdraw the latter piece of artillery, and at this moment he came up and reported the enemy in line of battle, advancing at the double-quick. Strengthened by the nearness of support I advanced my line toward them also at the double-quick, and assumed a position perpendicular to the Williamsburg road in the open field along the crest of a hill, the woods immediately in front, and the enemy in line about 100 yards distant. The Twenty-eighth Georgia was placed on the right, touching to the road, my regiment, formerly on right, now in center, and the Sixth Regiment on left. The enemy poured in a heavy fire on my right eight companies, and the Twentyeighth Georgia, their right opposite my left, and the Sixth South Carolina Volunteers, being separated by a dense swamp, not firing, the supporting regiment, under a terrible fire, gave back, notwithstanding the gallant efforts of its adjutant and color-bearer, who halted and refused to move. The enemy, encouraged, redoubled his fire on my right, cheered and advanced, and I determined to meet him. In prompt obedience the two regiments rose from their knees, from whence they had been firing upon the enemy with decided effect, and resumed their old, steady advance, firing full in the face of the foe. The two lines neared each other to 30 or 40 yards, and now the left of my regiment and the Sixth South Carolina Volunteers, passing the swamp, came full upon the enemy's right. Losing heavily, I pressed on, and the enemy sullenly and slowly gave way, leaving the ground carpeted with dead and dying. Driving them in this way, we had advanced some 200 or 300 yards, the enemy getting more and more disordered and beginning to break badly. By this time Lieut. Col. A. Jackson, in command of the Fifth South Carolina Volunteers (Colonel Giles having been killed), received my message, and in prompt response came up at the doublequick. The Twenty-eighth Georgia, seeing re-enforcements, rallied and came forward, forming on my right. Jackson, giving to the right, came up on their right, sweeping before him the rallied fragments who had collected and resumed fire from the woods to the right, and thus at 7.40 p. m. we closed our busy day, the last seen of the enemy being his broken and disordered squads of from 5 to 20, visible for one-half mile over an extensive wheat field.

Hearing on the railroad to my left the noise of troops I sent the Fifth South Carolina Volunteers to my left, but we were not disturbed, and night having settled upon the field, I posted in this extreme position, with instructions to throw out pickets, the Nineteenth Mississippi Regiment, which (guided by my commissary, Captain Dick, acting as my aide) had been sent me by General R. H. Anderson and had now arrived. I retired the other regiments to the enemy's camp in rear, where we reposed for the night, my regiment sleeping in the camp o' the Tenth Massachusetts Volunteers; and having reported to General R. H. Anderson, under his instructions made arrangements for the night, and sent out details to bring in the wounded and arms, &c.

In this fight I cannot [but] allow myself to speak of the gallantry and good conduct of my men, as well as those of the other regiments of our brigade who fought with us. I was nobly seccnded by my major, William Anderson, and received great assistance from my adjutant,

Captain Seabrook, and commissary, Captain Dick; as also Captain Love, commissary of the Sixth Regiment, who acted as my aide when placed in charge of the brigade and continued with me during the battle. Captain Love was wounded and the other aides had their horses shot.

My officers did their duty promptly and very efficiently, encouraging and leading their men and carrying out my orders with intelligence and spirit. To them I attribute the prompt obedience which rendered success certain.

I must also say that I received most intelligent and ready assistance at all times from the officers commanding regiments fighting with us. We passed in our march through two abatis of fallen timber, over four camps, and artillery twice, driving the enemy from three pieces. We never fought twice in the same place nor five minutes in one place, and, steadily on the advance, were under fire from 3 p. m. to 7.40 p. m. The service we did will be evidenced by our list of killed and wounded; and I would remark that, although fighting within 100 yards nearly the whole time, there was a remarkable disproportion of killed to wounded, the enemy's aim being disconcerted by our steady advance.

In my two color companies, out of 80 men who entered 40 were killed and wounded, and out of 11 in the color guard 10 were shot down, and my colors, pierced by nine balls, passed through four hands without touching the ground.

Captain Colclough's company, which had been deployed early in the fight to feel the enemy to our left and front, after remaining on the railroad met and took prisoners two companies of the enemy who had been on picket, and with his company-aggregate, 47-took 1 captain, 5 lieutenants, and 133 privates with Enfield rifles in their hands.

Although I may not notice particular instances of gallantry where all did their duty, yet to my gallant wounded and lamented dead I must add a tribute. The wounded gave no groans of anguish as the fatal blow was received, and instead of asking to be carried from the field encouraged their comrades to press on. The dying fell with their faces to the foe, all seeming actuated by a spirit like that of the noble Captain Carpenter, who advanced by my colors until his gallant little band of 28 dwindled to 12 and ever in their front, when the fatal ball pierced his heart turned to his company and, in words fit to be the last of a dying hero and patriot, said, "Boys, I am killed, but you press on!" then yielded up his spirit to the cause.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

Capt. R. P. CRITTENDEN,

M. JENKINS, Colonel Palmetto Sharpshooters.

Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen., Second Brigade, Second Division.

No. 105.

Report of Col. George B. Anderson, Fourth North Carolina Infantry, commanding Special Brigade.

HEADQUARTERS SPECIAL BRIGADE,

June 5, 1862.

MAJOR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken in the action of May 31 by the brigade which from the

illness and consequent absence of General Featherston was commanded by 'me:

The brigade was put in motion, as ordered, by the left flank of regiments between 1 and 1.30 p. m., so as to be about one-quarter of a mile in rear of Garland's brigade. After moving a short distance, not more than half a mile, word was sent me from General Garland that he was in great need of re-enforcements. The step of the troops was quickened and they moved on rapidly, the whole advance being over ground exceedingly boggy and much of it covered with a very thick growth of trees. The Fourth North Carolina, being on the right and somewhat in advance, came first into action, emerging from the woods half a mile or more in front of the enemy's redoubt and breastworks, upon ground which, up to within 200 or 300 yards of the redoubt, was obstructed by the felling of trees. The other regiments, in the order of their positions in line-Forty-ninth Virginia, Twenty-eighth Georgia, and Twenty-seventh Georgia-came up successively into action, but the Twenty-eighth Georgia by mistake, resulting probably from the density of the woods through which it had marched, came up on the right of the Forty-ninth Virginia and remained thus during the action. Having started the three regiments on the right fairly into action, I found myself in the woods on the left of the clearing with the Twentyseventh Georgia, and, from the force of circumstances as the day advanced, remained on this flank during most of the action. This regiment, having formed line in the woods, engaged the enemy there and charged him over a very difficult piece of obstructed ground; but finding itself in the face of a very greatly superior force and in too advanced a position, one, in fact, which endangered its being completely flanked, it was withdrawn a short distance, its left flank thrown back, and Í went into the clearing to endeavor to procure re-enforcements before again advancing. Colonel Jenkins' regiment of South Carolina Sharpshooters and the Sixth South Carolina Volunteers were sent with me, and as soon as they could be formed in line and the firing stopped suf ficiently to make the signal agreed upon (a shout from the Twentyseventh Georgia) heard the three regiments again charged in the best style over the same piece of obstructed ground above alluded to, through the woods beyond, and completely over a large camp of the enemy, taking a considerable number of prisoners and routing him completely.

The Georgia regiment, having been in action much longer than the South Carolina, and being somewhat scattered and very much fatigued, was now halted and reformed in line. The South Carolina regiments advanced some distance farther, and after a short time became again engaged with the enemy. I sent to General R. H. Anderson, who I learned was then in advance, and informed him of the position of the regiment. He came himself and conducted it with me to a position where it was placed in line of battle. I then left it and went to look after the rest of the brigade. I learn from the report of the regimental commander that it became again engaged with the enemy, suffered heavily, fought bravely, and remained on a part of the field, greatly in advance of the position occupied by our troops to the right, until it was recalled some time after night-fall.

In passing to the right I found the Fourth North Carolina under fire, but completely exhausted and very badly cut to pieces. The Fortyninth Virginia and Twenty-eighth Georgia had retired. The circumstances under which they did so are related in the reports of their regi mental commanders. I cannot give in detail the performances of the

three last-mentioned regiments, having been necessarily separated from them soon after they went into action. I know that they went in gallantly, and I know, too, from evidence more powerful than any other— the statement of their losses-that they fought hard and long. For their detailed movements I respectfully refer you to the reports of their commanders.

Being completely exhausted myself and the regiments of the brigade being exhausted and cut up and to some extent scattered, and the ground being held by fresher troops, I proceeded as the evening closed in to collect them together at a point in the rear portion of the clearing to the left of the road. After night we were ordered by the majorgeneral commanding the division to take position in the woods in rear of the clearing, where we spent the night.

During a considerable portion of the forenoon of Sunday, June 1, the brigade was under arms and in momentary expectation of being engaged in the action which was going on, but it was not brought under fire.

The officers of General Featherston's staff accompanied me on the field and rendered me most important services.

I cannot forbear expressing my especial sense of the coolness and good conduct of Capt. G. P. Foote, assistant adjutant-general, who was by my side the whole day and at a late hour had his horse killed under him.

Lieutenant Haley, aide-de-camp, had his horse killed under him early in the action, and a few minutes after, while in the act of taking the gun and accouterments of a dead soldier to go into the fight on foot, received himself a severe wound in the face.

Maj. I. M. Partridge, acting commissary of subsistence, and Mr. A. M. Parker, volunteer aide, also rendered me great assistance and were frequently under heavy fire.

The courier party was also much exposed and acted well. Sergt. R. A. Best, of Company D, Fourth North Carolina State Troops, their leader, had two horses shot under him.

I must ask the attention of the general to the remarkably good conduct of the regimental commanders of the brigade in this affair.

Col. Levi B. Smith, Twenty-seventh Georgia, approved himself a soldier and leader of the noblest qualities, He received about the middle of the afternoon a painful wound in the thigh, but remained with his regiment for at least an hour and a half afterward, when he was compelled from weakness to leave the field. While in the act of leaving his horse was shot under him.

Both before and after his retirement Lieut. Col. Charles T. Zachry acted in the coolest and best manner.

Col. William Smith, Forty-ninth Virginia, was conspicuous, as I can testify from my own observation, for coolness and courage. His exposure of his person was perhaps almost a fault.

Maj. Bryan Grimes, commanding Fourth North Carolina State Troops, led his regiment in the thickest of the fight. His horse was shot under him not more than 100 yards directly in front of the enemy's redoubt. After three color-bearers of his regiment had been killed he bore in his own hands and brought out of action its tattered but honored flag.

Capt. John N. Wilcox, Twenty-eighth Georgia, left in command of his regiment in consequence of Lieut. Col. James G. Cain having been thrown from his horse and taken sick soon after the commencement of the engagement, and led it with coolness and gallantry until its withdrawal.

I close my necessarily imperfect report with a statement, whose dry figures may be truly said to speak with touching eloquence, of what was done and what was suffered by the brave men of this brigade on Saturday, May 31:

I remain, major, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

G. B. ANDERSON,

Colonel Fourth N. C. State Troops, Comdg. Special Brigade. Maj. J. W. RATCHFORD, Asst. Adjt. Gen., Third Division.

No. 106.

Report of Lieut. Col. Charles T. Zachry, Twenty-seventh Georgia Infantry.

HDQRS. TWENTY-SEVENTH GEORGIA REGIMENT,

Bivouac below Richmond, Va., June 5, 1862. CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the Twenty-seventh Georgia Regiment on Saturday, May 31, and Sunday, June 1:

About 2 p. m. we emerged from the woods through which we had advanced rapidly and with great fatigue to the men, in the open field just in rear of the Fourth North Carolina State Troops and the Forty-ninth Virginia Regiment, who were both engaging the enemy. We were ordered to the left into the woods, and our line reached along an abatis of the enemy 75 or 100 yards in width. One captain (O. A. Lee, Company I) and several men had been killed before we arrived at this posi tion. The enemy had concealed himself on the other edge of the abatis, and when we had arrived within this easy range opened a tremendous fire of musketry, with some grape and shell. We replied with greater effect upon the enemy, as shown by their dead and wounded, for a brief period, then charged over the abatis, the enemy's sense of danger on seeing our bayonets intrepidly advancing allowing him to take but little advantage of the exposure of our men in crossing such a place. Advancing beyond where the enemy had been and discovering he had flanked us, we fell back across the abatis.

Scarcely was our line well in its position before the enemy, with three fiendish yells, opened from the same place on us a terrific fire, which we returned till re-enforced by Colonel Jenkins' South Carolina regiment; then charged the abatis again. The enemy fled so rapidly we saw him no more until we had passed three of his camps.

In the first charge, or while falling back after it, the gallant Captain