le from the
rebel works. Their skirmishers kept up a lively fire all
through the forenoon, and as a consequence we lost some
thirty odd men, killed and wounded, from their fire. About 3
P. M. orders were given to fall back, but through some
misunderstanding, the two companies holding the extreme left
of the line failed to receive the order, and held their
ground until their retreat was nearly cut off by the rebel
advance, when they fell back without orders, meeting on
their way the remainder of the brigade coming to their
rescue. The same evening the troops returned to their camps.

"Here ended our fighting for the fall. * * *

"On the 28th, Gen. Birney returned and relieved Gen. Hawley
in command of the division, which he had held during the
absence of the former in Philadelphia, where he had gone
about the 21st to attend the funeral of his brother,
Maj.-Gen. D. B. Birney. Col. Shaw was placed permanently in
command of the First Brigade, and Col. Wright, Tenth U. S.
C. T., of the Second.

"About the 30th, a general order was received from Gen.
Butler thanking Capt. Weiss and the officers under him for
their gallant conduct on the 29th, and saying that their
absence in prison alone prevented their promotion.

"On the 1st of November, the division was reviewed by Gen.
Birney, and the proclamation of the Governor of Maryland,
announcing the adoption of the constitutional amendment
abolishing slavery in that State, was read to the command.
This paper, which conveyed to the men the knowledge that
their wives and children were no longer slaves, produced an
effect more easily imagined than described.

* * * *

"On the 5th, Capt. Cheney and Lieut. Teeple, with companies
H and I, were detached from the regiment to garrison Fort
'No. 3,' at Spring Hill--a work on the right flank of the
Army of the James--where they remained until the 6th of
December.

"On the 1st of December, the reorganization of the Tenth and
Eighteenth Corps was determined upon. The white troops of
the two corps were consolidated and formed the
Twenty-fourth Corps, under Gen. Foster; and the colored
troops of the Ninth, Tenth and Eighteenth Corps, with other
colored troops not assigned, formed the Twenty-fifth Corps,