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Early next morning General Branch sent the Twenty-eighth regiment under me to Taliaferro's mill to cut off a body of marauders, but it was itself cut off from the remainder of the brigade by an overwhelming force of the enemy—the whole of Porter's division and a part of Sedgwick's—and at Dr. Kinney's farm it fought most heroically. Lieutenant Pollock, of Fauquier county, Virginia, at one time on duty at General R. E. Lee's headquarters, informed me that he heard General Lee, on several occasions, speak in very complimentary terms of the retreat and escape of this regiment under such trying circumstances, as well as of its gallantry in the fight of that day. General Branch, with the other four regiments of his command, engaged the enemy at Slash church, but was overpowered and forced to fall back after a most gallant and stubborn resistance.

Captain, Assistant Adjutant-General:

I have the honor to report, for the information of the General commanding the division, that in order to cover the railroad against small parties of the enemy, and at the same time carry out other views and wishes of General Johnston, which he had communicated to me, I moved my command on Monday from Hanover Courthouse to Slash church. The position was selected because, whilst fulfilling other requirements, it was at the mouth of a road leading to Ashland, which assured me of a means of retreat if assailed by the large forces of the enemy in close proximity to my front.

I took up the position with a knowledge of its danger, and all of my arrangements were made accordingly. No baggage train encumbered me, and my command bivouacked Monday night, infantry supports being thrown out for cavalry pickets. Tuesday morning the enemy were reported to be advancing on the road by Taliaferro's mills, and I sent Colonel Lane with his own (Twenty-eighth North Carolina) regiment and a section of Latham's battery to support the pickets and repel any small parties. At the same time Colonel Hardeman's Forty-fifth Georgia regiment was sent to repair the railroad at Ashcake, where it had been obstructed by the enemy the day before, and watch any approach of the enemy on that road. About the middle of the day the enemy opened fire