GENERAL R. E. LEE'S CONGRATULATORY LETTER TO GENERAL BRANCH.
June 3, 1862.
Brigadier-General L. O'B. Branch, Commanding, &c.:
General—The report of your recent engagement with the enemy at "Slash Church" has been forwarded by Major-General Hill. I take great pleasure in expressing my approval of the manner in which you have discharged the duties of the position in which you were placed, and of the gallant manner in which your troops opposed a very superior force of the enemy. I beg you will signify to the troops of your command, which were engaged on that occasion, my hearty approval of their conduct, and hope that on future occasions they will evince a like heroism and patriotic devotion.
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Through Major-General A. P. Hill.
AFTER THE ABOVE BATTLE
our brigade moved to the south bank of the Chickahominy near Richmond, where it was assigned to General A. P. Hill's division. Here it remained doing picket duty until the ever memorable fights around Richmond. How it behaved in that series of engagements, will best appear from the following official reports.
