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

[414] with my infantry, to mount the fence and pass the field in double-quick. When I came to the field I was again halted, and my men fell back into the edge of the woods to avoid the shells of the gunboats. In a short time I was ordered to move, and passed the field, until I came up to the fence dividing it from the Quaker road. This brought my forces to within about four hundred and fifty or five hundred yards of the enemy's batteries, the woods, swamp and creek intervening, and it being quite dark.

Before this advance across the field, the heavy volleys of musketry opened on the left at about six P. M., and continued until about nine P. M. Whilst halted at the Quaker road, the cheers of the combatants were distinctly heard.

At about nine, or half past 9, P. M., I was ordered to fall back to the other side of the open field. I was commanded by Major-General Holmes in person, and bivouacked with him in that field on the night of the first of July. During the night, the movements of the enemy retreating were distinctly audible.

A drenching rain came on next morning, and flooded the woods where our men slept, and we were early ordered back to where the River road joins the Long Bridge road. Late in the evening of the second, I received orders from General Lee to return to this post, where I have since remained. The accompanying map will show or illustrate my report.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

General: I have the honor to report the force you left here with, on the morning of the thirtieth June, as follows:

Twenty-sixth Virginia Regiment, Colonel P. R. Page--31 officers, 70 non-commissioned officers, 354 privates.

Forty-sixth Virginia Regiment, Colonel R. T. W. Duke--31 officers, 64 non-commissioned officers, 306 privates.

Artillery Corps, two Companies, (Major Stark.)--Company A, Captain Andrews--4 pieces, 4 officers, 9 non-commissioned officers, 63 privates. Company C, Captain Rives--4 pieces, 2 officers, 7 non-commissioned officers, 62 privates.

Total--68 commissioned officers, 935 enlisted men.

I am, General, very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

Major: In obedience to instructions just received, dated July sixteenth, 1862, I have the honor to make the following report of the operations of my command, on the north side of the James River:

Agreeable to orders from Major-General Holmes, I left Drewry's Bluff on the twenty-ninth, with my command, consisting of my own regiment, the Forty-fifth North Carolina troops, Colonel Keenan's, the Forty-third North Carolina troops, and Colonel Craton's, the Fiftieth North Carolina troops, Brem's and Graham's field batteries, the former of six and the latter of four pieces, and Burroughs's battalion of cavalry, in all about seventeen hundred effective men, and crossed the James River at the pontoon bridges, about twelve o'clock M. of that day, and encamped with Walker's brigade, by order of the Major-General commanding, on the Mill road, near the New Market road.

The next day we continued the march, at an early hour, following the New Market road, leading toward the enemy's left, and arrived upon the field of action at about three o'clock P. M. Upon getting near the field, I received orders from General Holmes to order the artillery forward to the fork of the road in front of us, and there to report to Colonel Deshler, chief of ordnance, and to order Major Burroughs, with his cavalry, to report to Colonel Rosser, and to halt my infantry a little in the rear of the forks of the road, and there to await further orders. As I was marching, by order of the General, with my artillery in front, and cavalry in rear, I directed Captains Graham and Brem to move forward and report to Colonel Deshler, and did not see these batteries any more until I saw them leaving the field, when Captain Graham's battery was almost completely disorganized, and with two pieces and two caissons less than when it left me. This battery, as I afterward learned, left the field without proper orders, and in great disorder, as will be seen in my special report, handed in some time since.

For the operations of Captain Brem's battery, I respectfully refer you to his report.

At the time that I ordered these batteries to report to Colonel Deshler, I ordered Major Burroughs, through a staff officer, to report to Colonel Rosser in a field upon the right of the road, and in rear of our position. Seeing Colonel Rosser a short time after this, and learning that he would move his cavalry from a field on the right of the road to the left, and in front of us, I sent an officer to direct Major Burroughs to turn into the field on the left, instead of the right. About this time, the gunboats opened a very heavy fire upon my line, and after the first few discharges the cavalry became confused and partially disorganized, and commenced leaving the field in great disorder, so much so as to seriously injure some of the infantry, by running through their ranks. After this. I did not see them again, as they were placed under the orders of Colonel Rosser.

The position occupied by my command was in the road, with a cultivated field intervening between it and the river, distant from nine hundred to a thousand yards, with an open field in front of the centre, and some woods opposite the extreme right and left. This position was reached by three distinct fires from the gunboats in the river, from a battery in front, which Colonel Deshler,