gone clear through the woods, without once halting, had not a strong flank movement been made by the rebels. They came around on our left, and opened a galling fire on our left flank and rear, which we did not return for some time, mistaking them for our own. When we dis

covered it, however, we answered lively, but they were too strong for us, with their raking cross-fire, and a retreat by the right flank was ordered. This we did in good order, returning fire for fire, and we got out in the clearing again, where the "rebs" dared not follow us.

It is difficult to note all the incidents of personal bravery. Colonel Nagle was everywhere, cheering on the men, and barely escaped capture. He was ordered to halt by the rebels several times, pursued and fired at, but escaped. Lieutenant John D. Bertolette, his acting assistant Adjutant-General, our late Adjutant, was wounded in the thigh, while ably attending to his duties. His aids, Lieutenants Blake and Hinkle, were actively engaged throughout the entire fight. Upon entering the woods, Colonel Nagle and his staff left their horses at the fence, the woods being entirely too thick to ride through, and, in the flanking by the rebels, the horses were captured. The Brigade lost, in killed, wounded and missing, some 530 men. The Forty-eighth behaved exceedingly well, and did considerable damage to the Louisiana Tigers." Lieut.-Colonel Sigfried was in the thickest of the fray, encouraging the men by actions as well as words. He was ably seconded by Major Kaufman and Acting Adjutant Gowan. But I cannot particularize; all behaved well; no one shirked, neither officers or men.

Our loss is heavy, some 152 in killed, wounded and missing. The following list I have taken from Acting Brigadier-General Nagle's report of the killed, wounded and missing in the Forty-eighth Regiment, P. V.:

Nearly all the missing have been ascertained to be prisoners, and will be paroled and released shortly. Reno's Division--our Brigade included, of course was also in the action of Saturday, protecting batteries, &c. Towards evening we were ordered into the woods, where we went, but the darkness ended the fight before we exchanged shots with the enemy. Our Division was exposed to the shells and shots of the enemy nearly all day Saturday (none in the Forty-eighth hurt; two of Company H, taken prisoners) and was the last Division to leave the field. We retired from the ground at 9 o'clock, and by five next morning were in Centreville. On Sunday we were picketed about two miles out of Centreville, and we met the Ninety-sixth on our way out. Monday afternoon our Division started for Fairfax, and was the first Division engaged in the fight at Chantilly, where the gallant Kearney and Stevens fell. The Brigade lost a number killed and wounded again, but the Forty-eighth escaped with two men slightly wounded, merely grazed. We were posted in a wood on the right, to prevent any flank movement the enemy might make. We remained on this battle-field until 3 o'clock Tuesday morning, when we made for Fairfax, reaching it by sunrise. By 6 o'clock last night we reached our present quarters, almost fagged out with excessive marching and fatigue. The Fiftieth, Ninety-sixth, and One Hundred and Twenty-ninth, are all near at hand.

At the time of these battles the Forty-eighth was in the First Brigade, Second Division, Ninth Army Corps-the Brigade commanded by Colonel James Nagle. In his official report, Colonel Nagle placed the loss in the Brigade at 502 killed, wounded and missing, in actions of August 29th, 30th, and Sept. 1st. In the Forty-eighth Regiment the casualties, as officially stated, were as follows:

The Fiftieth Regiment, Colonel Christ, also fought bravely in

these battles, under the command of that officer. The casualties in Company C were as follows:

Thwarted in his attempt to destroy Pope's army and capture Washington, the enemy crossed the Potomac in force, at three different points, near Point of Rocks, and invaded Maryland, and threatened Pennsylvania.

During the week, ending September 20, several sanguinary battles were fought in Maryland, resulting in the driving of the enemy back into Virginia. On the 17th, the battle of Antietam was fought. In these engagements the Ninety-sixth, Forty-eighth, Fiftieth, and other regiments containing Schuylkill County men, participated.

The battle of Blue Ridge, or South Mountain, was fought on Sunday, September 14, in which the Ninety-sixth Regiment greatly distinguished itself.

Of the part the Regiment took in this and in the battle of the 17th, the official report of its Colonel, Henry L. Cake, spoke as follows:

HEADQUARTERS NINETY-SIXTH REGIMENT, P. V.,

Camp near Williamsport, Md., September 23, 1862.}

LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to submit the following report of the engagements of the 14th and 17th inst., so far as participated in by this Regiment.

After marching through Jefferson on Sunday morning, I was ordered out upon the road to Burkittsville, the Regiment having been indicated as the advanced guard. When within two miles of the latter village, the cavalry advance came in and reported a skirmish with a superior force of the enemy's cavalry. Companies A and F were deployed at once as skirmishers, and moved forward, the balance of the Regiment steadily moving on within easy supporting distance. The enemy retired to the South Mountain, through Burkittsville, our two companies of skirmishers penetrating to within a thousand yards of the base, the balance of the Regiment halting at the entrance of the village, at little after 1 o'clock, P. M. As the skirmishers entered the village, they drew the fire of the artillery posted on the heights, which was kept up during the day, the shots being divided between the skirmishers and the main body of the Ninety-sixth, drawn up in line on the Knoxville road, the enemy revealing the position of at least five of their pieces.

At about 4 o'clock I was ordered to draw in the skirmishers, and rejoin the Brigade with the Regiment. Having posted a picket down the Knoxville road, this required some time, and the Brigade had commenced to move, as had also the two other Brigades of the Division. Receiving an order from Major-General Slocum to move on in the rear of the New Jersey Brigade, I did so, forming where they formed, and moving on the field to their right. At about half-past five, the Ninety-sixth had marched to the line of skirmishers, and I was ordered by Colonel Bartlett, commanding the Brigade, to take my position on the extreme right. The base of the mountain was now about one thousand yards distant. At that point a road ran parallel to the mountain. On one or the other side of this road a substantial stone fence furnished good cover for the enemy's infantry, to say nothing of the wood on the side of the mountain. Brisk musketry firing was in progress on our left, but the good cover in possession of the enemy, and the distance at which we stood rendered it quite certain that we could gain nothing at a stand-off fight, while the artillery posted in the mountain was punishing us severely. It was evident that nothing but a rush forward would win. The order to " charge" came at last, and with a shout the entire line started. The field through which the Ninety-sixth charged presented many obstacles, and in order not to meet the enemy with broken lines, I twice halted momentarily with a stone fence for cover, for a great portion of my Regiment to form. The last of the series of fields through which we had to charge, was meadow and standing corn. As we emerged from the corn the enemy met us with a murderous fire. We were within twenty paces of the road at the base of the mountain, the stronghold of the enemy. It was here we met our great loss. Shocked, but not repulsed, the men bounded forward, determined to end it with the bayonet. The road was gained in a twinkling, the enemy leaving for the mountain. Those of the enemy who were not hurt, and who seemed too much surprised to get away, begged lustily for mercy.

I had seen Lieutenant John Dougherty, one of my best officers, fall, but without waiting to see who were down or who were up, I hastily formed my line, Major Maginnis, of the Eighteenth New York, promising to form on my left and follow, and dashed on up the hill. Keeping the