[528]
Report of General W. H. Stevens.
sir,—I have the honor to make the following report of the operations of this command during the recent raid of the enemy against this city:
On Monday night, Feburary 29th, 1864, in obedience to instructions from your office, I ordered Lieutenant-Colonel C. E. Lightfoot, commanding the light artillery, to repair to Camp Lee by daylight, with Captain Hankins's and Captain Rives's batteries, and to send one section of Thornton's battery to the vicinity of the New Bridge, on the Nine-Mile road, and at the same time ordered the forces of Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Howard, commanding Second Division, Inner Line, and of Lieutenant-Colonel J. W. Atkinson, commanding First Division, Inner Line, to be at the intersection of the Brooke turnpike, and Intermediate Line by daylight Tuesday morning. Lieutenant-Colonel Howard being ordered at the same time to double his guards, posted at the intersection of the Mechanicsville, the Meadow Bridge, the Brooke and Deep-Run roads and the Intermediate Line.
On Tuesday morning I proceeded to the intersection of the Brooke turnpike and Intermediate Line, and at half-past 10 (10 1/2) o'clock A. M., ordered Captain Rives to proceed to the same place—there being no light artillery at that point—and in obedience to verbal instructions from the Major-General commanding, returned to your headquarters.
While there, I received a dispatch from Lieutenant-Colonel Howard, stating that the enemy had appeared in his front and driven in his pickets.
I immediately returned to the intersection of the Brooke turnpike and Intermediate Line, and upon my arrival there, found out that upon the appearance of the enemy, Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Howard had ordered Captain Rives to push forward one section of his artillery and engage them.
This command Captain Rives executed, being supported by Company D, Tenth Virginia battalion, heavy artillery, commanded by Captain C. S. Harrison.
After advancing some two hundred yards, the enemy's skirmishers, closing
