which was briskly continued for some minutes. At this juncture the fifth division of the regiment, being entirely unprotected, was moved forward some 50 paces, under cover of a ridge, and there did great execution upon the enemy's battery, which was immediately in their front.

Seeing the great danger to which the regiment was exposed the order to push forward was given by Colonel Smith, which was obeyed with alacrity, the left division being in advance and charging the battery in their front with a determination that drove the enemy before them, leaving their battery of four guns in our possession. We kept up the pursuit until we came to an open field, some 300 yards in advance, into which we moved, and were then halted by Colonel Smith to await further orders from the brigade commander.

At this time it was ascertained that Brigadier General B. R. Johnson had been severely wounded and borne from the field. The command of the brigade, therefore, devolved upon Colonel Smith, the senior colonel, and the command of the regiment upon me.

While in this position we were much exposed to the enemy's sharpshooters and suffered heavy losses, while unable to return the fire, as the enemy was unseen and the reports of their guns unheard. Waiting for some minutes for further orders, without receiving any, I deemed it proper to withdraw the regiment from the open field into the thick woods through which we had come.

After moving back on a line with our first position we were moved to the right, by order of Major-General Polk, into one of the enemy's camps, and then engaged the enemy a second time in a desperate and severe struggle. While in the field, however (above mentioned), the two left companies, under orders of Colonel Smith, were moved to the left, to reconnoiter a body of troops in the forest to our left, as we were in doubt whether they were friends or foes. It was while on this duty that I moved the regiment under protection of the woods in our rear and right, and thereby the left division became detached and were (by order of the major) permitted to remove from the field our wounded men, who were numerous. The major then rejoined the regiment, but the greater part of these two companies, under command of Captains Moreland and Edmondson, were unable to rejoin the regiment, but did most effective service in taking prisoners and guarding them to the rear. Captain Moreland, with some of his men, also rejoined the regiment.

After engaging the battery as above stated, under the immediate command of Major-General Polk we were ordered to the support of a battery playing upon the enemy from a position near us. The name of the battery is unknown to me. Here Company L, armed with Maynard rifles, and under command of Captain Cole, was detached, by order of Colonel Smith, and sent to the right as skirmishers, to unmask the enemy supposed to be there. They were soon briskly engaged, and continued to fire until re-enforced by some brigade, also unknown to me. The company then returned to the position from which they had been detached as skirmishers, but the battery and regiment having in the meanwhile moved forward, they were ordered by General Beauregard to fall in with a column, which he was forming, of detached companies and men. The battery to which we had been assigned having moved in towards the river, by order of General Beauregard we followed it, and again took, position on the edge of a field nearest the last encampment, into which we moved on Sunday evening. The battery did fine execution here, but moved forward with the army in pursuit of the retiring enemy, and passed thought the last encampment of the enemy.