The left of my regiment leading against a road, I immediately threw out a picket, one lieutenant, one sergeant, two corporals, and six files along the road, on the edge of the woods, about 150 yards. Received from this picket the report that extensive rebel camps were within 500 yards. On my arrival at the post I saw three lines of battle forming. Interring from the difference in the uniforms that they were three different regiments, about one-fourth mile distance, I went back to the regiment, preparing the men for the arrival of the enemy.

About 7 o'clock a.m. the Third Georgia Regiment came up in line of battle, in four ranks, as near as from 15 to 20 paces (the woods being too thick to allow a proper aim at a farther distance), when I gave the command "Fire by file", the fire from both sides continuing about fifteen minutes. After an interval of about fifteen minutes the One hundred and fifth North Carolina Volunteers came up, taking the place of the Third Georgia at the distance of about 30 paces, formed in our ranks. I ordered "Fire by file", which lasted about one-half hour, when the enemy retreated. At this time Adjutant Gregory, of the Sixty-first New York, reported to me that General Howard, with part of his brigade, was coming up in my rear to re-enforce the left of my position. Immediately after the Third Alabama Regiment came in line of battle within a distance of about 30 paces and was received with a constant and steady fire, when suddenly I received fire from the rear. I found that part of the right wing of the Third Alabama had broken the right of the Eighty-first Pennsylvania. After Colonel Miller's death, and after the wounding of the lieutenant-colonel of the same regiment, Major Freudenberg, with a part of the left of my regiment, fell back and drove the enemy out of the woods.

The engagement with the Third Alabama lasted about one hour. Seeing that my left was exposed and entirely unprotected for the moment I advanced in line of battle within about 30 paces from the end of the woods, this movement enabling me to see all the movements of the enemy before they entered the woods, at the same time keeping my men under cover. After an interval of about fifteen or twenty minutes a fresh attack on my front was made by the Eleventh Mississippi, which lasted fifteen minutes. A few minutes before this regiment came up, but being inside the woods already, Adjutant Gregory, Sixty-first New York Volunteers, came up, informing me of the wounding of General Howard, and bringing me the order of the general to take temporary command of a part of his brigade.

Seeing the Eleventh Mississippi coming up, I asked Adjutant Gregory to report my position, with a request to allow me to repulse this coming attack. In the mean time new regiments formed on my right and left, when a new attack was made by portions of the Forty-first and Fifty-third Virginia, which lasted only a few minutes. Finding that my men had only from 5 to 6 rounds left I fell back in rear of the new lines, and gave permission to ten files to carry the wounded from the battle-field, morning the remainder of the regiment along the railroad track on the right of the Eighty-eighth New York Volunteers.

When I withdrew the regiment from the fire it was 11.30 o'clock, having been four hours in action. I have to report a loss of killed, wounded, and missing of about 140, besides Major Freundenberg, Captain Benzler, First Lieutenant E. Von Schoening, Second Lieutenant Wiliam Frank, A. Pfautz, and Acting Second Lieutenant E. Frank, wounded. The wounded being carried to different hospitals and from them removed by railroad to the rear, no exact report could be procured except from the main

50 R R-VOL XI