Report of Brig. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock, U.S. Army, commanding First Brigade.
Shortly after the action was decided General Smith came on the field, and announced that he was bringing up strong re-enforcements. The Third Regiment Vermont Volunteers, of General Brooks' brigade, soon after arrived. I posted them on the right and rear. General Naglee's brigade followed, and afterward the Forty-ninth and Seventy-seventh New York Regiments, of General Davidson's brigade, all of which I posted, by order of General Smith, to meet any contingencies. Captain Ayres, with his and Mott's artillery, arrived later.
The troops under my command behaved with a spirit and steadiness unsurpassed by veterans, so much so, that they murmured when ordered to fall back from the first position. Having had to detach so many at various points as I advanced, and also to protect my flanks, my battalions numbered but about 1.600 men when I engaged the enemy. By the evidence of an officer who noted the time the action continued twenty-three minutes from the time of the enemy's appearance until his repulse. When it commenced, the contest in front of Fort Magruder appeared to have ended. I learned from the prisoners captured that we had been attacked by two brigades of infantry, of six regiments, numbering about 5,000 men, and some cavalry. The enemy's advance was commanded by Brigadier-General Early, who was wounded during the action.
Our troops at night bivouacked in the rain on the ground they had so handsomely won, lying down on the battle-field, which was saturated by long-continued rains. It is also but just to mention that since daylight the morning of the 4th instant the troops had had no regular rations, owing to our sudden and prompt movement, and that they did not have any until late in the day of the 6th instant, the baggage wagons and supply trains having been forced off the road to allow the passage of the troops and artillery to the front.
The wounded of the enemy received the greatest care and attention from our men wherever they were found. On the night of the action they were placed in the redoubt, and my only regret is that, owing to circumstances, they were obliged to bivouac with us.
I feel free to mention as especially deserving the highest commendations the following-named officers: Col. R. F. Taylor, Thirty-third New York Volunteers; Col. Amasa Cobb, Fifth Wisconsin Volunteers, who commanded the regiment which suffered so severely; Col. E. C. Mason, Seventh Maine Volunteers; Col. William H. Irwin, Forty-ninth Pennsylvania Volunteers; Col. Hiram Burnham, Sixth Maine Volunteers; Lieut. Col. C. H. Chandler, Sixth Maine Volunteers, who commanded in the redoubt during the action; Capt. Charles C. Wheeler, Battery E, First New York Artillery; First Lieut. Andrew Cowan, commanding First New York Battery.
Our loss in killed, wounded, and missing was as follows: Commissioned officers, 5 wounded, 1 missing; non-commissioned officers, 4 killed, 13 wounded, 5 missing; privates, 6 killed, 70 wounded, 25 missing. Aggregate, 10 killed, 88 wounded, 31 missing.
The number of killed reported was small, from the fact that the report was made at the moment the contest was ended. A number of our wounded died that night and the next morning.
The enemy's loss, so far as we could determine the facts with any certainty, was 120 killed on the field, 250 wounded, and 160 prisoners; aggregate, 530.
I transmit herewith the reports of all the commanding officers engaged, together with the statement of every staff officer by whom I sent messages to commanders or by whom I received orders. I merely transmit these last in order that justice may be done to every one and to get at this early day a record of all the facts, and thus to prevent misapprehensions hereafter caused by infirmity of memory or other circumstances.
The following persons have been especially named by their commanders for good conduct during the action:
Capt. William A. Bugh, Fifth Wisconsin Volunteers, who commanded a company of skirmishers at the point where the enemy debouched, and opposed them with the greatest obstinacy and fell on the field, severely wounded, when he was captured by the enemy as they hurried on to assault our line, but was recovered by us after the action. Adjt. T. S. West and Lieuts. Enoch Totten and J. B. Oliver are named by the commander of the Fifth Wisconsin Volunteers as having displayed great coolness and gallantry during the engagement. Color-Sergt. George B. Madison, Company B, Fifth Wisconsin Volunteers, is also especially mentioned by his colonel for gallant conduct. Although severely wounded early in the action, he clung to his colors and carried them in safety to the crest. Private W. A. Sears, First New York Battery, is also especially commended by his commanding officer for his gallant conduct during the fight.
Col. R. F. Taylor, of the Thirty-third New York Volunteers, also highly commends the conduct of First Sergt. Sylvester Porter, Company H, of that regiment. Although cut off from the line of skirmishers by the enemy, he succeeded in bringing in his squad of 8 men, capturing four times their number of prisoners, one of whom was a captain of the Fifth North Carolina Regiment.
For the names of other officers particularly mentioned by their colonels for good conduct I would respectfully refer you to the reports of their regimental commanders, herewith transmitted. I also desire to mention Private John Malone, Company B, Sixth Maine Volunteers, my orderly bugler, for his gallantry on this occasion.
My thanks are due to Surg. T. Rush Spencer, medical director of Smith's division, for his attention to the wounded after the fight, and also to those of his assistants who were present during the contest, namely, Surgs. S.S. Mulford, Thirty-third New York; F. S. Holmes, Sixth Maine, and S. B. Hunter, Seventh Maine Volunteers, and Assistant Surgs. G. W. Martin, Sixth Maine; George D. Wilber and C. E. Crane, Fifth Wisconsin; D. E. Dickenson, Thirty-third New York Volunteers; John F. Huber, Forty-ninth Pennsylvania, and J. Theo. Riley, U.S. Army.
For the success of the day I am much indebted to the valuable staff officers of my own and other commands whom circumstances placed with me on this occasion. Their intelligence and promptness in carrying orders prevented any errors. Their names are as follows:
Capt. L. D. H. Cuttle, assistant adjutant-general to General Smith; Lieut. C. R. Crane, ordnance officer, General Smith's staff; Capt F.A. Aiken, volunteer aide to General Smith; Capt. Edward Martindale, acting commissary subsistence, General Davidson's brigade; First Lieut. Charles Kusserow, adjutant to Captain Ayres, commander o artillery; Second Lieut. F. U. Farquhar, of the Engineers; Second Lieut. G. A. Custer, Fifth Regular Cavalry, acting topographical engineer; Lieut. W. H. Long, aide to General Davidson, and to Capt. John Hancock, assistant adjutant-general; First Lieut. William G. Mitchell, aide-de-camp; First Lieut. I. B. Parker, aide-de-camp; Second Lieut. C. S. McEntee, acting brigade quartermaster, members of my own staff.
After the artillery was withdrawn Capt. Charles C. Wheeler, commanding Battery E, First New York Artillery, acted as an aide to me, and, with Lieut. G. A. Custer, Lieut. W. G. Mitchell, and Lieut. I. B. Parker, was of the greatest, value in the crisis of the fight in carrying my orders for the advance.
The whole strength of my command did not at any time exceed 2,547 men.
I have hitherto transmitted detailed lists of all the killed, wounded, and missing of the command.
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
WINF'D S. HANCOCK,
Brigadier-General, Commanding.
Capt. L. D. H. CURRIE,
Assistant Adjutant-General, Hdqrs. Smith's Division.
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