Numbers 140. Report of Lieutenant Colonel Robert C. Buchanan, Fourth U. S. Infantry, commanding First Brigade, of the battle of Gaines' Mill, engagement at Turkey Bridge, and battle of Malvern Hill.

HDQRS. FIRST BRIGADE, REGULAR INFANTRY, Camp near Harrison's Landing, Va., July 6, 1862. OFFICIAL RECORDS: Series 1, vol 11, Part 2 (Peninsular Campaign)

SIR: In obedience to instructions from division headquarters I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of my brigade since the 26th of June:

On the 26th, the brigade, consisting of the Third, Fourth, Twelfth, and Fourteenth Infantry, having just returned to camp near New Bridge from a reconnaissance to Totopotomoy Creek, was ordered out about 4 p.m. in the direction of Mechanicsville to support McCall's division, then known to be engaged with the enemy. We advanced about half a mile, and bivouacked for the night in order of battle. At daylight morning we moved back to camp, and after collecting the knapsacks of the men, sending off the sick to across the Chickahominy, and destroying the commissary and other stores, crossed the creek at Gaines' Mill to a position in front of McGehee's house, and covering the Cold Harbor Cross Roads, where it was disposed of in order to repel an attack of the enemy. I ordered the Fourth Infantry to support Weed's battery, posted on a knoll commanding the Cold Harbor road, whilst the Third was ordered to occupy a position along the head of the road and to the left of the battery, from which it could observe the road and a skirt of timber in front, through which the enemy might advance. The Twelfth and Fourteenth were drawn up in line in the corn field in front of McGehee's house. This disposition of my brigade was generally maintained throughout the battle, being only varied by the alternate successes of the opposing forces during the action, as the troops pressed back the enemy or were pressed back in turn. Our position was the extreme right of the line, and upon its being held very much depended.

About noon the enemy commenced by attacking our right flank with his artillery, to which Weed responded in a vigorous manner, soon silencing his battery and driving him from that part of the field. Tidball's battery was now advanced and took up a position on the right of Weed, and both retained their positions till the close of the battle. The action soon became lively on the right, and the Fourteenth Infantry was first thrown into the edge of the woods fronting the house, through which the enemy's skirmishers soon attempted to advance, but without success, as the Fourteenth routed and drove them off handsomely. Meantime they came up in force through the woods and field to the left, and immediately Major Clitz changed the front of his battalion (the Twelfth) and repulsed them handsomely. Again the enemy brought up his artillery and engaged Weed and Tidball, but was repulsed, with the loss of several caissons blown up.

About 3.30 p.m. the enemy renewed his efforts, and the action soon became general throughout the entire extent of the lines. At this time the brigade was disposed as follows: The Fourth, still on the extreme right, was supporting Weed and Tidball; the Third in its position observing the road; the Twelfth along the fence running to the edge of the woods fronting the house, and the Fourteenth in the corn field facing toward this woods.

Seeing a considerable force of the enemy coming up from the ravine to the left, and moving up through the field to the left of that occupied by the Twelfth and Fourteenth, I directed the Fourteenth to change front to the rear, with the view of flanking him, and then to charge as he fell back. This was done, and the two battalions crossed the intervening fence and advanced in as handsome a line of battle as I ever saw on drill, driving the enemy from this field and killing many of them. I then advanced the Third into the field on the right and threw it into the edge of the wood in front, in order to repel any effort to turn my right. Having done this, I observed a company of pickets coming up from the Cold Harbor road without an officer, and upon inquiring whose, it was found that it was Captain Lay's Twelfth Infantry, who, the sergeant stated, had been taken sick and was then with the Fourth Infantry. This officer has since been arrested under charges for gross dereliction of duty on a subsequent occasion.

The battle now raged with varying success until night-fall, when all the troops were withdrawn from the field and the most of them were thrown across the Chickahominy. The conflict in this part of the field throughout the entire day was characterized by the most indomitable energy, perseverance, and gallantry of our troops. Every time that a regiment of the enemy was repulsed a fresh body came to take its place, whilst we occupied our original ground with the same forces that first went into action. Here it was that we met with the most of our loss, and yet my brigade maintained its ground against greatly superior odds for nearly eight hours.

During the entire action the Fourth Infantry, under command of Captain J. B. Collins, covered the two batteries, and at its close formed in rear of them and marched there, when they were withdrawn, about 8 p.m. On the march to the rear, which was not commenced until the batteries were nearly out of ammunition, the Fourth on three several occasions formed, fronting the enemy and checking his advance, whilst the batteries were enabled to pass successfully obstacles that seriously impended their progress and threatened their capture. This regiment did not cross the Chickahominy, but took up a position covering the Grapevine Bridge on the north side, which it maintained that night. The next morning, after partially destroying that bridge, it crossed by the Woodbury Bridge to Camp Lincoln. Major Delozier Davidson commanded the regiment until after it was posted as the support to the batteries, when without giving notice of this intention to any one, he absented himself, leaving his horse with his orderly, and has not been seen or heard of since.

Our loss was very severe, and among others was that of the brave and lamented Major Rossell, commanding the Third Infantry, and the gallant and dashing Clitz, commanding the Twelfth, who was twice severely wounded, and is now supposed to be a prisoner in Richmond. My command behaved admirably, and fully maintained the reputation of the regulars. The two old regiments (the Third and Fourth) maintained their previous reputation, and the new battalions (the Twelfth and Fourteenth) earned one for themselves. In the latter part of the evening acting assistant adjutant-general, Captain R. N. Scott, Fourth Infantry, was disabled by a severe wound in the arm whilst in the act of carrying an order to the batteries and the Fourth to withdraw, and was soon compelled to leave the field. His cool and gallant conduct throughout the day deserves especial notice.

On the 28th the Fourth Infantry was thrown out on picket in front of Grapevine Bridge, with orders to destroy it, which was successfully done, and about noon the regiment was relieved by mounted pickets and returned to Camp Lincoln. About 3 p.m. the brigade left camp and moved past Savage Station in the direction of White Oak Swamp, through which it passed that night and the next morning, when it was halted near the head of the Quarker road and placed in position for battle. This position was occupied until the morning of the 30th, when the brigade moved to Malvern Hills, near the James River. Here the brigade was divided, the Twelfth and Fourteenth occupying a position on the plain near the house, whilst the Third and Fourth were posted in a wood on the side of a hill to the right of the line and somewhat in advance, which it was considered it was most important to hold. That evening the enemy opened fire from a battery on the opposite side of the plain at the foot of the hill, and after a sharp artillery fight was obliged to retire, leaving his pieces behind him. During the fight a New York battery (said to be Captain Smith's), firing through the woods in which the Third was posted, killed, by cutting away the branches of the trees, which fell upon them, 1 officer, Lieutenant McGuire, 1 sergeant, and 1 private of that regiment.

On the 1st of July the enemy attacked the position occupied by the army in force, and about 3.30 p.m. the First Brigade was brought into action, the disposition of the regiments being regulated by the division commander. The Third and Fourth were pushed across a ravine through the woods to our right, whilst the Twelfth and Fourteenth were deployed on the plain at the foot of the hills on a line about perpendicular to the direction of their base. By this latter movement the enemy was defeated in an effort to turn our flank, and the brigade was reunited and placed in position in the extreme front by the brigadier-general commanding, which position it held until about 2 a.m., when I withdraw it a few yards to another` on the road to the house where the left lay. About that hour I received an order from the commander of the Fifth Provisional Army Corps to the effect that my brigade, with a battery of artillery and Averell's cavalry, would constitute the rear guard of the army, which was then falling back across Turkey Creek Bridge.

The brigade remained in its position until about 5 a.m., when Colonel Averell arrived on the ground and directed its further disposition. Having about 7 a.m. received the order to retire, the brigade moved off, left in front, and having crossed the bridge, was formed in a large plain-the Third, Fourth, and Twelfth in line of battle, and the Fourteenth to the left and front on the main road, covering some roads leading into White Oak Swamp, which position it maintained for some time; but no enemy appearing to oppose us, the march was resumed and continued to the camp near Harrison's Landing, about half a mile from this point. On the 3rd we changed our camp to our present position.

In summing up our operations I cannot but ask for my brigade the favorable notice of the commanding general for its patient endurance of hardship and great exposure, its energetic and prompt action on all occasions, and its marked coolness and gallantry in action. Bivouacking for eleven nights with small supply of rations, which it had seldom time to cook; enduring everything, not only without complaint, but with absolute cheerfulness; conscious of the justice of the cause in which we are enlisted, it has earned for itself an honorable name.

Major Delozier Davidson, Fourth Infantry, absented himself from his regiment at the commencement of the action of the 27th and has not been heard of since: First Lieutenant J. B. Williams, Third Infantry, absented himself also on that occasion and has not since joined; Captain J. Carbery Lay, Twelfth Infantry, is reported as having been drunk during the evening of the 1st of July and unfit for duty, and Second Lieutenant Thomas S. Wright, Fourteenth Infantry, absented himself without leave during that evening and has not since joined.

It now becomes my agreeable duty to bring to the especial notice of the commanding general the names of the following officers, whose gallant conduct entitles them to that distinction: Captain R. N. Scott, Fourth Infantry, acting assistant adjutant-general of the First Brigade on the 27th June (severely wounded); Second Lieutenant William H. Powell, adjutant Fourth Infantry, acting assistant adjutant-general since that date; Captain J. B. Collins, commanding Fourth Infantry; Captain Hiram Dryer, acting field officer Fourth Infantry; Captain J. D. O'Connell, commanding Fourteenth Infantry; Bvt. Major M. M. Blunt, commanding Twelfth Infantry; Captain D. B. McKibbin, acting field officer Fourteenth Infantry; Captain Thomas W. Walker, acting field officer Third Infantry; Captain John G. Read, acting field officer Twelfth Infantry; Captain Frederick Winthrop, Twelfth Infantry; First Lieuts. C. R. Coster, H. E. Smith, J. G. Heckscher, and Robert L. Burnett, Twelfth Infantry.

Inclosed are the reports of the regimental commanders.

Believing that my report covers all the principal operations of my brigade, I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

ROBT. C. BUCHANAN, Lieutenant-Colonel, Fourth Infantry, Commanding Brigade.

Captain FRED T. LOCKE, Asst. Adjt. General, Fifth Provisional Army Corps.