the four right companies of the regiment diagonally to the right, to prevent as far as possible being outflanked in that direction. It was not long before the enemy appeared out of the woods immediately in front of me. His first regiment which appeared mistook my regiment for their friends, whom they expected in the same direction, and on seeing us loudly demanded that we should show our colors. Theirs were first shown. Their appearance created the usual doubts in the minds of my line officers. On our colors being waved a volley from the enemy passed over our heads. Our fire then opened buck and ball at not over 60 yards, and was so effective that we advanced, and the rebel regiment was supported by another regiment. The firing was maintained briskly on both sides for a long time, when, as my regiment seemed to have settled itself behind a salient line of the fallen timber, and as I felt the enemy's fire sensibly increasing, I directed a number of men from each company near me to charge over the timber with cheers, and drive back the enemy farther and maintain their ground. I did this because, from the direction and extent of the enemy's fire and his progress on my left, I knew that the position must be held. My wish was well seconded by officers and men, and the enemy gave ground, which my men maintained until their ammunition gave out.

I immediately after this little advance I sent to the colonel commanding the brigade for re-enforcements, as the fire had been so hot as to warn me that ammunition must soon be low. The enemy were evidently re-enforced in front of me, and they attempt to regain the little ground they had lost,and this skulking contest from opposite sides of logs in front of my main body became in some cases hand-to-hand. At this point Captain Willard, of the Seventy-second Regiment New York Volunteers, came over to me from the rear and warned me of the terrible fire to which my regiment was exposed. While speaking of the position he fell at my side with a bullet through the head. Major Stevens, of the same regiment, joined me at his point. As he had been near me frequently before he asked me my opinion of the position of affairs what had better be done. I told him we could do nothing but hold the position where we were; that the enemy's fire had proceeded so far on our left that we must depend on its being driven back by others, and I urged him to bring my troops in rear of my position up to my line. At the same time I directed my adjutant to go and see if re-enforcements could not be sent up to support me in my position.

Previous to this Lieutenant-Colonel Farnum had gone to the rear wounded, and I had received what I had deemed but a scratch in the right leg. After these two officers had left me came the most painful part of the time I spent on the field. The enemy's fire increased, and been short of ammunition, in many cases came to me to know what to do. I directed them to fix their bayonets and keep their place. I had the misfortune with my own eyes to see many of my best officers fall at this time, and although I had heard that there were portions of the Seventy third and Seventy-fourth Regiments New York Volunteers in my rear, and had sent several of my best officers to urge them forward to my position, I received no practical aid from any regiment. This state of affairs endured for some time, the enemy's fire increasing, mine diminishing, when I received notice from Lieutenant Nelson, of my regiment, that the colonel commanding the brigade had ordered the right of the regiment to retreat, and on looking toward the right I saw its companies pressing in. Knowing if this continued the enemy would charge on us, I endeavored to check it, and in so doing received two wounds,