Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 9.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[392] Captain Fletcher, Fifth regiment Virginia volunteers, and the next, causing a second move, killed one man and wounded three of the same regiment.

Between six and seven o'clock P. M., I was ordered to the front with my command. On reporting to General Jackson, I was ordered to file to the right through the woods, and report to Major-General D. H. Hill. I obeyed the first part of the order. I had not gone far when I found the brigade under the fire of a battery. It was moved steadily on under a heavy fire. I despatched a staff officer to a house near by to see if I could hear of General Hill's locality. I could learn nothing, and hearing a heavy fire to my left, I moved directly for it. To gain that point the command was exposed to a terrific fire, and in consequence of the darkness of the hour and much wood and swamp, the brigade became greatly separated. Finding myself with a portion of the Thirty-third regiment, Colonel Neff, and a portion of the Fourth regiment, I moved to the assistance of our troops through the swamp, sending Captain O'Brien to find the other regiments and bring them up. On emerging from the swamp, I found a handful of gallant men of the First and Third North Carolina regiments receiving a most terrific fire. I immediately placed the Thirty-third and Fourth regiments in position, and with about one hundred men held this hill against the enemy, who gave us the most terrific fire I have ever seen. There was a continuous stream of shot, shell, and balls for some two hours, when the enemy's fire slackened, and ceased about ten o'clock P. M. During this time the officers and men behaved with true courage. Our loss was heavy. Colonel Neff and Major Holliday, Thirty-third regiment, and Lieutenants Howard and Garnett, of my staff, particularly attracted my admiration by their coolness and untiring efforts to keep the men in their position. Their escape from injury is truly providential. About nine P. M., whilst trying to find remnants of my brigade,--for some few men had found out my position and joined,--I met a portion of the Thirteenth Georgia regiment, and ordered it to this position. In a short time parts of my regiments came up, all having been subjected to a heavy fire whilst moving up; but in consequence of the thick woods and darkness, could not find their proper positions. For details of their operations I refer to their several reports. Here the fearless and gallant Colonel A. J. Grigsby, Twenty-seventh regiment Virginia volunteers, was wounded, slightly I am glad to say, but obliged to leave the field. Captain O'Brien, of my staff, was injured by a fall from his horse, and was not with me after reaching the field. Hearing of troops near by not engaged, I immediately pent for them, and was reinforced by a portion of General Lawton's brigade, General J. R. Jones's brigade, under Lieutenant-Colonel Cunningham, and a part of the Louisiana brigade, and that gallant band of Marylanders, under the brave Colonel B. T. Johnson. Colonel Johnson, hearing I needed assistance, came forward to tender his regiment, which I gladly accepted, and gave him the advance, directing him to extend our line some half a mile to the right, placing my picket on and near the flank of the enemy. This duty he executed rapidly and with good judgment, holding his position until after the enemy had retired the following day. Lieutenant-Colonel Cunningham's brigade I placed on Jackson's left, and the balance of Lawton's brigade between Cunningham's and my original position, securing my entire front and flank, sleeping on the field so hotly contested against heavy odds. After these dispositions, General Lawton arrived, and I rode in to report to Generals Hill and Jackson my position. This effected, I returned to the field before dawn, and made the requisite dispositions to repulse any attack; but at daylight we found the enemy had evacuated his position during the night, taking off his guns, but leaving his dead, small arms, and other indications of a defeat and hasty retreat, which was an agreeable surprise, for I had learned, through prisoners captured about daylight, his force the previous day had been vastly superior to ours. Shortly after six A. M., on the second instant, I was ordered to bivouac some two miles from the front. The casualties are as follows:

On the twenty-seventh of June--
Killed,	5	commissioned officers.
Killed,	10	rank and file.
Wounded,	12	commissioned officers.
Wounded,	52	rank and file.
Total killed and wounded,	79
On the first of July--
Killed,	1	commissioned officer.
Killed,	16	rank and file.
Wounded,	3	commissioned officers.
Wounded,	104	rank and file.
Total,	124

Total killed and wounded in both battles, 203.

I am, sir, very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

Captain: In accordance with instructions from the Major-General commanding, I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by this brigade in the battle of the twenty-seventh of June, 1862, near the Chickahominy River, and a few miles from Richmond. In the order of march toward the battle-field on that day, my brigade brought up the rear of General Jackson's army, and was, therefore, the last to engage the enemy. I had remained at a halt for several hours, more than two miles from the point where the brigade afterward entered the field, and was