Unknown to Captain, June 27, 1862

CapTAIn: I have the honor to report that, in obedience to orders, I marched my brigade on the morning of the 25th instant to the line of fortifications in front of the division, arriving there by 8 o’clock a. m. Formed in close column by division, I held iny brigade in readiness. During the morning, under orders from General Heintzelman, I moved up the Williamsburg road, and reported in edge of woods to General Hooker. Under his orders I returned to my former position.

About — o’clock p.m. I received orders from General Kearny to move forward and relieve General Grover. I marched with the Fortieth New York, Fourth Maine, and seven companies of the One hundred and first New York, leaving orders for the Third Maine (to relieve which from picket General Kearny had sent the Thirty-cighth New York) to follow me. I left a staff officer to conduct them.

Reaching Hooker’s redoubt, in front of Twin Houses, I was ordered to proceed to the woods to the left and drive the enemy back. I deployed the Fortieth New York and Fourth Maine in the woods, and moved across the woods toward the field to left of the open space, through which we passed. Finding that the enemy were not in the woods between the fields, I changed front and ordered an advance toward the enemy’s fortifications, and sent to hurry forward the One hundred and first New York and Third Maine, We receiyed several

ae severe volleys from the enemy, but the only casualties were in the One hundred and first New York, a list of which I annex.*

At this time General Kearny changed the front of my command, posting the Fortieth New York and Fourth Maine in line in the woods behind the fence of the open field, placing the One hundred and first New York at right angles through the woods on the right. I had found Colonel Wyman, of the Sixteenth Massachusetts, with a few men of his regiment, in the woods, and placed him as my right. My left connected with the First New York. General Kearny himself took command of the troops. About 6.30 o’clock I asked General Kearny whether I was to relieve General Grover. He replied not until I received orders from him. Under his orders the Fortieth New York was detached from my command. About dusk Lieutenant Linnard, who had met General Heintzelman, brought me an order to relieve General Grover at once. I ordered the Fourth Maine and seven companies of the One hundred and first New York to move out of the woods by the road and report to me at the “lookout tree,” where General Grover was stationed, and left a staff officer to conduct them. I rode to the Third Maine, which had been ordered by General Kearny to remain in the field, and conducted them. General Grover kindly left officers to show my regiments their position, and with much trouble, the night being very dark and foggy and part of line through thick abatis and the enemy at short distance throwing in volleys of musketry, his regiments were relieved, and I held the same position that he had held.

About 2 o’clock a.m. I commenced to cut out the road through the abatis so that artillery could be run to the front. After accomplishing a third of it I was ordered by Lieutenant Moore to desist, as the general expected shortly to order the withdrawal of my regiments. Just before dawn I received orders through Lieutenant Moore to withdraw my regiments as rapidly and quietly as possible, protecting their rear with a guard. I sent orders to each regiment to withdraw, and to report to me inthe field near the lookout tree.

General Kearny then ordered me to send each regiment as it came out to the line of fortifications in front of Berry’s camp, with orders to man them, retaining the Fortieth New York as a guard until all had retired. General Kearny then ordered Colonel Egan, with eight companies, to move toward Hooker’s redoubt, so as to unmask the First New York Regiment, which he had placed on the rear line of the field at the edge of the coppice, and to leave two companies asa guard until all the stragglers and pickets came out of the field.

General Kearny then detached the Fourth Maine from my command, sending them to the left. The One hundred and first New York and Third Maine retired to the fortifications. When the stragglers were out of the abatis I moved the two companies of the Fortieth Regiment to the balance of the regiments, which had been halted by General Kearny to the left of Hooker’s redoubt, in front of Twin Houses. As this was the only regiment left under my command, and General Kearny had personally placed other regiments and took immediate onus of the front, I remained with the regiment, awaiting further orders.

During the morning an order was sent to Coionel Egan to send four of his companies to the left of the First New York in the woods, placIng SIX companies as a support. As the ranking officer present I attended to the execution of orders, and afterward, under General * Embodied in revised statement, p. 38, Guar, XXTItj SEVEN-DAYS’ BATTLES.

Kearny’s personal instructions, connected with the line of pickets, with the Fifty-seventh Pennsylvania on the left and the First New York on the right, extending them in front to the position held the evening before, the pickets and scouts of the enemy retiring before us, their firing being constant but harmless. The skirmishing company of the Fortieth New York did good execution with the Enfield rifle, as the bodies found testified. At 3 o’clock p. m. I was,

by order of General