left of the battery at the same time pouring in a well-directed fire. The enemy would hesitate but a moment, when they continued to press on. Their augmenting forces at length broke my lines, and forced me to fall back. The nature of my line, being in a right angle, the intricacies of the woods, overwhelming numbers, and the impetuosity of the charge rendered it impossible to withdraw in order, and not until they had reached a point near the road could order be restored. To show the impossibility of my brigade, unsupported, to hold the place, I would respectfully refer the general commanding to the fact that a force more than four times as strong as mine was only able, after many hours' hard fighting, to regain my position.

About 4 o'clock in the afternoon, together with the Second and Third Brigades of this division, we took another position on the left of General Brannan, and at about sundown advanced into the woods toward the left of the position I had occupied in the morning to the support of General Johnson. Here we got possession of many of our wounded, who had been left upon the field in the morning. General Johnson, on our right, was vigorously attacked, which soon passed over to our position, the enemy's shells bursting among us. My extreme left was also fiercely assaulted by the enemy, who, by accident or design, fell upon my flank, when, it being so dark that nothing but the flash of the guns could be seen, I ordered my left to fall back into the edge of a clear space in the woods. From this position we passed a short distance to the rear and right, where we remained during the night.

Before daylight on the morning of the 20th we took up a position on the left off General Johnson, the Second Brigade of our division on my right and the regular brigade on my left. I formed in two lines on the crest of a wooded slope. Between my front and the woods was a clear space, averaging 75 yards. This space was enfiladed by two guns of the Fourth Indiana Battery. Here we built temporary breastworks in front of both lines, and got all things arranged, when the enemy advanced upon us in strong force, driving in our skirmishers and approaching to the edge of the clearing with their battle-flag [a large white ball in a blue field]. My men were cautioned to hold their fire. The second line closed up to the first, and at the opportune moment the first line fired; then the second, which caused the enemy to fall back in haste and disorder, leaving the ground strewn with their dead and wounded. Three times in succession the enemy made similar attempts to drive us from our position, but were as often repulsed. Sometimes they would swing to the right in front of the Second Brigade, then to the left on the regulars, but without success. In the afternoon several bodies of troops passed into the woods beyond and in rear of our left, who soon became hotly engaged, and after some hours were forced to fall back. They were seen coming out of the woods on our left and rear. This having been observed by General Baird, commanding division, he promptly ordered me to form my second line, faced to the rear in an acute angle, and successively formed the troops as they emerged from the woods upon the prolongation of this line. Wherever a regiment or party of men could be found, they were persuaded to extend or support this line, so that when the enemy, flushed with success, came charging from the woods into the corn-field in our rear, they met with a deadly fire from this line, which soon compelled them to fall back, being closely pressed by the troops who had just been driven out. General Baird then apprehending that