made next day. At length, checking the enemy in front, I pressed the advantage, driving him back some distance; but, re-enforced by fresh troops his warning line was strengthened, and again he commenced turning my right and left, forcing me back about 200 yards to the fourth position, in an open wood, skirting a large field. Here, joined by the Forty-third Illinois, by a portion of Timony's battery, by a portion of Taylor's battalion, and by a portion of General Sherman's division, the contest was again renewed with increased fury on both sides. Accompanied by Major Brayman, acting assistant adjutant-general, and by Captain Stewart and Lieutenant Freeman, acting aides-de-camp, I rode along my line and gave the order, "Forward;"responsively to which it rapidly advanced, driving the enemy a first and second time for half a mile with great slaughter over the ground occupied by my artillery and a portion of my infantry camps. Within a radius of 200 yards of my headquarters the ground was almost literally covered with dead bodies, chiefly of the enemy. Here the Eleventh and the Twentieth Illinois, Lieutenant-Colonel Ransom and Lieutenant-Colonel Richards, and the Elevent Iowa, Lieutenant-Colonel Hall, charged a hostile battery and took it, killing most all the artillery horses. Under the fire of the same regiments Albert Sidney Johnston, commanding general of the rebel forces, fell within 30 yards of my headquarters. Here colonel Hare, commanding the First Brigade; Colonel Marsh, commanding the Second Brigade, and Lieutenant-Colonel Engelmann,* commanding the Third Brigade, heedless of danger,led their men to the charge amid a storm of bullets and in the face of a battery; and here Lieutenant-Colonel Richards, of the Twentieth Illinois; Lieutenant-Colonel Pease, of the Forty-ninth Illinois, and Captain Steward and Lieutenant Freeman, of my staff, were wounded, while Lieutenant-Colonel Ransom, of the Eleventh, although reeling in the saddle and streaming with blood from a previous wound, performed prodigies of valor.

Continuing this sanguinary conflict until several regiments of my division had exhausted their ammunition and its right flank had been borne back, and it was in danger of being turned, the remainder of my command, with the exception hereafter noticed, also fell back to the camp of the First Brigade. Here the portion which had first fallen back reformed, in obedience to my order, parallel with the camp and fronting the approach of the enemy from the west, while the other portion formed at right angle with it, still fronting the approach of the enemy from the south. The Forty-fifth Illinois, beige the last to fall back, only escaped being surrounded and captured by boldly cutting their way through the closing circle of the enemy's lines and joining the division, under the daring lead of Colonel and Major Smith, of that regiment.

In thus awarding honor to the meritorious it is but just to recognize the good conduct of the portion of General Sherman's division participating in this protracted and desperate conflict, while to him is due great credit for the gallant, skillful, and important part he took in it.

It was 2 o'clock p. m. when my fifth line had been thus formed. By that time Lieutenant Jones, ordnance officer of my division, had come up at great peril with ammunition, which was rapidly distributed among some of the most convenient regiments. As the enemy's artillery was already playing upon us, I continued my preparations to meet him by ordering up McAllister's battery, which was put in position in front and

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* But see Wood's report, p. 141.

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