t along the old turnpike and
the plank road. The whole corps lies on a ridge along which runs the
turnpike, and which is the watershed of the small tributaries of the
Rappahannock and Mattapony Rivers. This ridge is terminated on the right
by some high and easily-defended ground near Talley's.

Gen. Devens, with the first division, holds the extreme right. He has
less than four thousand men under his command. Von Gilsa's brigade has,
until this morning, been half a mile farther out the pike, and across
the road; but on receipt of Hooker's 9.30 order has been withdrawn, and
now lies with two regiments astride and north of the pike, some distance
beyond Talley's, the rest skirting the south of it. His right regiment
leans upon that portion of the Brock road which is the prolongation of
the eastern branch, and which, after crossing the plank road and pike,
bears north-westerly, and loses itself in the woods where formerly was
an old mill. McLean's brigade prolongs von Gilsa's line towards Schurz.
Dieckman's battery has two pieces trained westerly down the pike, and
four on Devens's left, covering, near Talley's Hill, the approaches
from the plank road. Devens has the Twenty-fifth and Seventy-fifth Ohio
Volunteers as a reserve, near the pike.

Schurz's (third) division continues this line on the edge of the woods
to Dowdall's. His front hugs the eastern side of the clearing between
the pike and the plank road, thence along the latter to the fork.
Schimmelpfennig's brigade is on the right, adjoining Devens;
Krzyzanowski's on the left. Three regiments of the former are on the
line, and two in reserve: the latter has two regiments on the line, and
two in reserve. On Schurz's right wing, the troops are shut in between
thick woods and their rifle-pits, with no room whatever to manoeuvre
or deploy. This condition likewise applies to many of the regiments in
Devens's line. The pike is the means of inter-communication, running
back of the woods in their rear. Dilger's battery is placed near
Dowdall's, at the intersection of the roads.

Steinwehr considers himself the reserve division. He is more or less
massed near Dowdall's. Buschbeck's brigade is in the clearing south
of the road, but has made a line of rifle-pits across the road, facing
west, at the edge of the open ground. Two regiments are deployed, and
two are in reserve. His other brigade, Barlow's, has been sent out
nearly two miles, to protect Birney's right, leaving no