Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-08-20
LATE NORTHERN NEWS:
Colonel Keycs' ealciaI Report.

COlODCl AcScs' ShiSAN
a~EApo'Rs FIRST BRIGADE. FIRST D,vIsIoS'
CAMP on MERIDIAN HILL,
WASHINGTON, July 25, 1867
CAPTAIN 4. BAIRD, Assistant Ao9utane oenc
raj, Headquarters First Brigade, First DIVE
sion:
S;r-In compliance with the orders OF bri-
padier General Tyler, I have the nohor 70 re,
nort Tho oncratioa OF the First brigade, FIRST
d;v;s;on IN. the action of the 2lst inst, at Bull
RIM and during the two succeeding days.
Tsav;np nv camp near Centrevi!le at two
o,cIocl a. NJ, l took ny place in the First
d;r;s;on as a reserve. At a quarter past nine
o'.locS A. NJ, at the distance Of half a mile
S,om Bull Run, l was ordered by Gen. Tyler
~ incline the head of my column to the right,
and direct it through an open field to q ford
about 800 yards above the Stone Bridge. Be-
fore the whole brigade had entered upon the
new direction, the enemy opened ire from a
battery across the Run, and threw upon the
First and Second regiments Connecticut VOL,
unteers. some twenty-five or thirty rounds OF
shot and shell, which caused o temporary con-
fusion and wounded several men. Order was
shortly restored, and the brigade closed up on
Sherman's column before passing the ford.
After crossing l marched at once to the hlgn
ground, and, by order Of Gen. Tyler, came In
to line on Sherman's left. The order to aa'
vance in line of battle was given at about ten
o'clock, A. NJ, and from that hour until lour
P. NJ, my brigade was in constant activity on
the field of battle. The First regiment Con.
Volunteers was met by a Eody OF
cavalry aud infantry, which it repelled, and at
several other encounters Of different parts OF
the line the enemy constantly retired before
us.
At about 9 o'clock, P. NJ, General Tyler or
dered me to take 3 battery on a height in front
The battery was strongly posted, end support
ed BY infantry and rlHemen, sheltered b5 q
building, a fence and a hedge. My order to
charge was obeyed with the utmost prompt
ness. Colonel Jameson, Of the Second Maine,
and Col. Chatfeld, Third Connecticut Volun.
teers, pressed forward their regiments up the
base slope about one hundred yards, when
ordered them to lie down at q point offering q
small protection aud load. then ordered
them to advance again, which they did In the
face of q movable battery OF eight pieces ana
q large body of infantry towards the topIoi Z
hill. As we moved forward We came under
the fire of other large bodies OF the enemy
posted behind breastworks, and on reaching
The summit Of the hill, the firing became so
hot that M exposure to it Of tive minutes
would have annihilated my whole line.
As the enemy had Withdrawn to o height
beyond, and to the support Of additional troops,
l ordered the Maine regiment to face BY the
left flank and move to 9 wooded slope, across
open field, to which point | followed them.
The balance of the brigade soon rcgained me,
and after q few moments rest | again put II IN
motion and moved forward to find another
opportunity to charge.
The enemy mad 3 light battery, which nc
maneuvred with extraordinary skill, and bis
shot fell often among and near US. advanced
generally Just under the brow Of the hill, by
a flank movement, until Dfound myself about
half a mile below the Stone Bridge. Our
advance caused the rebels to retire from the
abattis, aad enabled Capt. Alexander, Of the
Engineers, to clean it away. In a short time
the enemy moved The battery to a point which
him to enilade my whole line but
as he. pointed his guns too far to the right,
and only improved his aim gradually, had
time to withdraw my brigade, by a flank move
.ent, around the base Of hill in time to avoid
q raking fire. At this time u lull in the dis.
of our artillery, and an apparent change
Of position of the enemy's. left flank, made me
apprehensiye that I'll was not right. | con.
tinued my march, and sent my aid, Lieut..
Walker, to the rear to inquire Of Mcdowell
how the day was going. The discontinuance
of the firing in our lines becoming more and
more apparent, ! inclined to the right, and
.-L;.. .sr b,,oJ.nJ -, ooro, b,,7lro6
yards further, l was met by Lieut.. Uptown,
aid to Gen. Tyler, and ordered to file 10 the
right, as our troops were retreating. | moved
at an ordinary pace, and fell into the retiring
current about one hundred and fifty yards in
the rear Of General Mcdowell and staff. Be.
fore crossing Bull Run, and until my brigade
with the rctreating mass, it main.
tanned perfect freedom from panic, and at the
moment I received the order to retreat, and for
some time afterwards, it was in as good order as
in the morning on the road. Half an hour
I supposed the victory to be ours.
The gallantry with which the Second regi-
ment OF Maine Volunteers, and the Third regi-
ment Connecticut Volunteers, charged up the
hill upon the enemy's artillery and infantry
was never, in my opinion, surpassed. | was
with the advancing line, and CLOSELY observed
the conduct OF Colonies jameson and Chatield,
which merits, in this instance, and throughout
the day, the highest conmcndation.
I also observed throughout the day the gal,
lantry and excellent conduct OF Colonel Terry's
Second regiment Connecticut Volunteers. from
whom l received most jealous assistance. At
one time 4 portion Of his regiment did great
execution with their rifles from a point Of our
line which was thin, and where q few OF our
men were a little tardy in moving forward
Colonel Terry, in his report, calls attention to
the GOODNESS, activity and discretion Of Lieu
tenant Colonel Young and Major Colborn.-
The latter, with the Adjutant OF the regiment,
Lieutenant Charles l.. Russell, showed con-
spicuous gallantry in defending their regimental
colors during the retreat this side Of Bull
Run against a charge of cavalry. Col. Terry
also commends the devotion OF Doctors Doug
las and Bacon to the wounded while under the
hottest FIRE Of artillery. Private Arnold Leach
is also highly praised for having spiked three
abandoned guns with q ramrod, and then
bringing away two abandoned muskets. Col.
Jameson, Of the Second Maine regiment, gives
great credit in his report to Lieut.. Col. G. W.
Roberts, Major Gen. Yarney and Adjutant
Reynolds for their GOODNESS and courage on tho
field. Sergeant G. W. Brown, Of Company
F; A. J.. Knowles and Leonard Carver, Of
Company D; A. P. Jones end Henry Wheeler,
of Company A, and Peter Welch. OF Company
I, be mentions for their noble conduct in ac-
companying him to remove the dead aud
wounded from the field, under 2 very heavy
fire Of artillery and musketry. He mentions
also Capt, Foss, Sergeant Samuel Hinckly, o!
Company A, end Corporal Smart, of Company
H, for important extra services during the day.
He also speaks in high praise Of Sergeant W.
j. Dean, who was mortally wounded while in
the advance Of the line, bearing the beautiful
stand of ,colors which were presented the day
before on the part Of ladies from Maine, resi-
ding in California. Capt. e. W. Jones, of the
regiment, fell MORALLY wounded while
exhibiting great courage in rallying his men to
the charge. Lieut.. Col. Special, Of the First
regiment Connecticut Volunteers, was set upon
by three Of the enemy, who undertook to make
him q prisoner. T..c L:eutenan. Colonel killed
md 1royn nTtl,n nthor f,,-H n: biu oscui1antS