tion upon the battle-field. Officers and men were all imbued with the earnest feeling that you would lead them only to victory,and you did so at a moment when experienced and brave soldier admitted the critical character of our position. Allow me to thank you, general, in the name of my division, for your skillful leadership and the results achieved. As owing to the harmony alluded to the two divisions were consolidated for the engagement, and their respective commands exchanged between their commanders as the occasion demanded, it is impossible to give an exact report confined exclusively to either division. You alone can give the whole history. The commanders of divisions only can furnish you the materials, to be combined by yourself.

Thursday, March 6.-On the 5th of March, being encamped at McKisick's farm with my division, in close proximity to the First Division, 3 1/2 miles southwest of Bentonville, I received orders from you at 11 o'clock p.m. to march at 2 o'clock on the following morning, in conjunction with the First Division, to Bentonville, and there to await further orders. We started accordingly in the following order; 1, company of Fremont's Hussars; 2, Fifteenth Missouri Volunteers; 3, Second Ohio Battery; 4, the train, in the order of respective commands; 5, First Division; 6, First Flying Battery; 7, Benton Hussars, and reached Bentonville at about 4 o'clock in the morning. Overtaken by you, and as information arrived that the Second Missouri Regiment, of my division, expected from Smith's Mill, was already near the town, your ordered me to continue the march in the same order to our old camp at Sugar Creek, yourself awaiting the Second Missouri Regiment, which with the Benton Hussars and the flying battery, was to form the rear guard of the column.

I had arrived at your old headquarters on Sugar Creek, with all the troops of the First and Second Divisions except the rear guard mentioned, after 10 o'clock a.m., but while arranging the encampments the verbal intelligence came that you were attacked and surrounded by a vastly superior force of the enemy at Bentonville. General Osterhaus and myself hastened with all our troops to your relief, and found you still engaged 5 miles off on the Sugar Creek-Bentonville road with the rebel troops, who were speedily routed.

By your order our forces were drawn up on the Bentonville-Sugar Creek road with all precautions against a fresh attack, but nothing more was heard of the rebel forces, and you effected a junction with the main body on the Telegraph road at its crossing of Sugar Creek Valley. The Benton Hussars, the Flying Battery, the Twelfth Missouri,and Second Missouri Volunteers took a prominent part in fighting their way though the Sugar Creek Valley, the last-named regiment losing Captain Francis Kohr, of Company E, a most efficient officer, who was killed in the first attack, when deploying his company as skirmishers. Lieutenant-Colonel Laibold, commanding the Second Missouri Regiment, speaks in his official report* of the bravery of Frederick Jaensch, acting assistant adjutant-general of Colonel Schaefer's brigade, and also of Captain Walter Hoppe, of Company K, and also of Captain Christian Burkhardt, of Company B, who gave a noble example to the rest of the troops, and I cheerfully make mention of them here.

Friday, March 7.-Intelligence having been received that the enemy was advancing in force with the view of cutting off our communication with Missouri and by approaches in other directions to surround us, General Curtis, commanding, ordered a force, composed of parts of all the different divisions, under command of General Osterhaus, to attack him at Leesville, in concert with the Third Division, under command of

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*Not found.

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