opposite Kelly's house, and we were placed here in position for the fight of Sunday.

Although my losses this day had been great, including Colonels Payne and Shackelford wounded, and Lieutenant-Colonel Rockingham killed, besides the loss of 439 officers and men, the brigade, with the exception of the Sixth Kentucky, was in good condition, with few absentees. The latter regiment, from the great mortality among its officers, was very much broken, its fragments being attached to the other regiments of the brigade.

On the morning of the 20th, the men were roused at 3 a.m. and directed to make coffee where they had water, and at daybreak a breastwork of logs and rails was commenced which was taken up on my right and left, and carried through our entire division and that of Reynolds on our right, and Johnson and Baird on our left. Wherever this work was done, the line remained the entire day with firmness and with little loss. At about 8 o'clock the attack commenced upon the left of this line and swept along toward the right, arriving at my position about fifteen minutes afterward, passing on but producing no effect until it had passed General Reynolds. This assault was kept up without intermission till about 11 o'clock with a fury never witnessed upon the field either of Shiloh or Stone's River. The repulse was equally terrific and finally complete. A few light attacks upon this front were made from time to time up to 1 p.m., after which everything was comparatively quiet. The value of this simple breastwork will be understood since my loss behind it this day was only about 13 men during a period of more stubborn fighting than at Shiloh or Stone's River, when the same brigade at each place lost over 400 men. Our left flank was twice turned and partially driven this day, but the enemy was easily checked and our lines speedily restored.

At about 10 a.m. our couriers for ammunition previously prompt to return, failed to come back, and it soon came to be believed that our trains had been captured. I at once cautioned my colonels, who fired only by volley, not to waste a single round of ammunition and my battery was similarly cautioned.

During the quiet that afterward settled upon us, several officers were struck by sharpshooters from distant trees. Ascertaining the proper direction, I caused volleys to be fired into the tops of the trees,and thus brought several of them from their hiding places, checking for a time this species of warfare. Skirmishers sent out along this front reported the execution of our arms during this engagement to have been terrible beyond anything before seen in this war, as I believe the fight from 8 to 11 o'clock to have been.

The stillness that now hung over the battle-field was ominous. We had four divisions in line that, although they had withstood on of the most terrific assault on record, had hardly left the breath of the battle. There were four more upon our right, with General Thomas, as fresh as we were, but the feeling that our ammunition was gone was gone was like a leaden weight in the breasts of many. The men, however, felt confident of success. It afterward appeared that the breaking up of the troops on our right had swept away our ammunition-and much else along with their fragments-to Chattanooga.

No new dispositions of troops on our part of the line were made, except that General Reynolds' right was somewhat withdrawn to cover that flank. General Wood, General Brannan, and two divisions of the Reserve Corps were formed in a line at right angles with