Numbers 24.

Report of Major Rue P. Hutchins, Ninety-fourth Ohio Infantry.

HDQRS. NINETY-FOURTH OHIO VOL., INFANTRY, September 26, 1863.

SIR: I have the honor to make the following report of the part borne by the Ninety-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry in the engagements of Saturday and Sunday, September 19 and 20:

On Saturday morning, when the firing began on our left, the brigade was swung around in such a position as to face nearly northeast; the Ninety-fourth was in the second line on the left and immediately behind the Second Ohio, our right joining on the left of the Tenth Wisconsin. We moved forward with the brigade, maintaining our relative position for a distance of perhaps 40 rods, when General Baird rode along the line and told us that we were bearing too much to the right. In reply to the answer that I had been ordered to follow the Second Ohio, he stated that the whole brigade was bearing too far to the right, and ordered us to the left. We oblique to the left until we moved in a direction forming an angle of about 20 degrees with the direction taken by the brigade, when we were ordered to move forward on the double-quick. We moved in this manner for a distance of nearly or quite half a mile, a considerable number of the enemy passing our lines to the rear as prisoners. I then halted. Nothing could be seen of the brigade on the right, but on the left and about 25 rods to the rear a column of troops was bearing leisurely down, which I ascertained by inquiry to be the regular brigade. General Baird coming up, I reported to him for orders, and was told to move on. I did so for a considerable distance, moving over part of the field over which I supposed our troops had passed. I immediately sent an officer to learn the meaning of it. He returned and reported that the enemy were in our rear, and that we were to fall back to the support of the regulars. I immediately moved back and formed on the [now] left of the regular brigade.

By the time my lines were dressed the enemy opened a most terrific fire on us, and charged on a section of the regular battery. The troops fell back and I ordered my command back with them. We soon again rallied and moved off to the left. Here we were ordered by some general officer to the support of a battery. We were almost immediately ordered still farther to the left and formed again on a line with the regulars. We were then fronting very nearly to the north, on a hill, as nearly as I can judge, to the rear of where we had stacked arms in the morning. The troops to our right were the regulars, and to the right of them all or a part of Brannan's division; we appeared to be on the extreme left. Here the enemy again charged the lines, their right covering the right wing of the regiment, but were speedily repulsed with considerable loss. We remained here with but little change until about 3 o'clock, when I was ordered to move back until I struck the road, then to proceed down it. I did so, and after moving a short distance fell in with the brigade and formed on the left of the Second Ohio. We moved forward with the brigade from this point in the same position until the second order of battle was formed, when we were again thrown on the left of the second line and immediately behind the Thirty-