[CHAP. XVII.

a heavy fire of musketry from the enemy posted in the line of earthworks. They advanced up the hill, delivering their fire with coolness and precision. The line not being ling enough to envelop the works, by order of General McClernand I detached the Forty-fifth Illinois (Colonel Smith) to their support on the right. This regiment advanced in beautiful order down the slope, across the valley, and up the opposite steep, with skirmishers deployed in front, and were soon warmly engaged.

These operations had given the enemy time to re-enforce this position with strong bodies of infantry from his reserves in rear and field artillery, which opened a destructive fire on the advancing line. The roll of musketry showed the enemy in powerful force behind his earthworks. Notwithstanding, our forces charged gallantly up the heights to the very foot of the works, which it was built. All the regiments engaged in this daring attempt suffered more or less from the enemy's fire. In the mean time the enemy began to show himself in strength in his intrenchmets in front of Colonel Oglesby's brigade. Schwartz's battery was advanced along the road to within 300 yards of the works, but being without canister, they were withdrawn, and by General McClernand's order I directed Captain Taylor to throw forward two sections of his battery to that position. The position being beyond the right of my line, the infantry support was to be furnished from Colonel Oglesby's brigade, which was immediately in the rear. These sections took their positions under a most galling fire of rifles and musketry from the enemy's lines. The ground was covered with brush, and some time was require to put the guns in position, and during this time the enemy's fire was very galling, and Taylor's men suffered somewhat from its effects. As soon as his position was gained, however, the repaid and well-directed fire of the sections soon silence the enemy. The coolness and daring of the officers and men of these sections, directed by Captain Taylor in person, are worthy of high praise. The Forty-eighth, Forty-fifth, Forty-ninth, and Seventeenth Regiments having been ordered to return from the hill where they had so gallantly assaulted the enemy's works, the Forty-fifth and Forty-eighth resumed their position in my works, the Forty-fifth and Forty-eighth resumed their position in my line, and Colonel Morrison, commanding the Seventeenth and Forty-ninth, having been wounded in this assault, those regiments were temporarily attached to my brigade, and acted under my orders during the subsequent operations until noon of the 15th.

The night of the 13th was one of great suffering and hardship tot he whole command. We lay within point-blank musket and rifle range of the enemy's breastworks, and at dark a storm of rain, soon turning to snow and accompanied by severe blasts, beat upon our unprotected ranks. The pickets of the enemy were out in strong force, and a constant firing between their pickets and our own was kept up during the night. The spirits of the men, animated and encourage by the conduct of the officers, never flagged, notwithstanding they were without tents or fires and exposed to the fierce storm and assaulted by the enemy's shot. During the night it was evident the enemy was receiving large re-enforcements, and when morning broke on the 14th it showed that they had been busy during the night in erecting new works battery was ordered from the other side of the valley and put into position on the road. During this day my brigade occupied a position a little in the rear of the road and under cover of the brow of the hill