they would swing round upon us, our first line was put upon its guard, while the Second Ohio and Tenth Wisconsin, of my second line, and the regulars, with some other detached forces, proceeded to strengthen our left, hastily throwing up barricades of logs.

These preparations had scarcely been made before the enemy came upon our left flank. Having been repulsed, they stubbornly persisted, and only after being repelled several times did they abandon their design. Thus the day was spent. During the intervals of the heavy attacks, constant skirmishing was kept up by the sharpshooters. About 5 o'clock in the afternoon the enemy, with great zeal and force, seemed to attack simultaneously our whole line. They had got a battery in position, and rained upon us shot and shell. Everything assumed a discouraging aspect. Our ammunition was almost gone; staff officers and details who had been sent for it returned without it. About this time I observed a column of our forces from our right passing to our left and rear. Then not knowing that the army was falling back, I encouraged my men to believe that re-enforcements were going around our left to turn the enemy's right, and urged them to economize the few rounds of ammunition they had left, and hold out until this maneuver could be accomplished. About this time an officer of the regular brigade notified me that the general ordered my command to retire. He not having been announced on the general's staff, I was unwilling to obey, and called his attention to the supposed re-enforcements and the fact that hitherto we had driven them off. Soon after this I observed the troops who were passing to my left were retiring, and that the Second Brigade was falling back. At this juncture, Captain Cary, of the general's staff, came up and delivered General Baird's order to fall back, firing. This order I promptly gave. We moved to the rear into the woods, across the Chattanooga road, my design being to join the forces who had been fighting there all the afternoon. Here we halted and reformed our lines as best we could in the dark, when I was ordered to move to Rossville.

At noon on the 21st we took position in the gaps on the left of General Negley, forming breastworks, but met with no enemy save their skirmishers and sharpshooters, and a few shots from the enemy's shells. In this position I only had one man wounded.

In the night the army fell back upon Chattanooga. My command was designated as rear guard, and, according to instructions, at 4 o'clock in the morning followed the army to this place.

Before closing this report, already made too long, I would respectfully call the attention of the general commanding to the good conduct of the officers and men of my command. I have had but few stragglers; my missing are mostly in the hands of the enemy or cut off. The service and the country lost heavily when Major Ellis, Thirty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and Lieutenant Van Pelt, commanding battery, were killed. Lieutenant-Colonel Maxwell, commanding Second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in the absence of Colonel McCook, who is absent on special duty, was dangerously wounded by two shots on the first day, after [performing] many praiseworthy acts. He was succeeded by Major Beatty, who filled his place with credit; he, also, was wounded late on the second day, and is supposed to be a prisoner. Lieutenant-Colonel Ely and Major McKercher, of the Tenth Wisconsin, are prisoners, with all of the