when it made a reconnaissance of 2 miles on the La Fayette road beyond Lee and Gordon's Mills, in which some sharp skirmishing and cannonading took place. I was deployed in line with brigade in rear of First Brigade as support, but was not actually engaged. Nothing particular occurred from this time till the 18th instant, when we were at Crawfish Spring. Then the division was ordered down to Lee and Gordon's Mills to support General Wood. I was ordered by Colonel Dick to take position on the right-hand side of the road leading from Crawfish Spring to Lee and Gordon's Mills, near the mills, with the Thirteenth Ohio on my left. I had not remained here over an hour, when Colonel Dick ordered my regiment and the Thirteenth Ohio to move down the Chattanooga road and cover the left of our line, entirely unprotected.

In the course of an hour I received an order from Colonel Dick to move my regiment, together with the Forty-fourth Indiana, down the Chattanooga road and report to Colonel Wilder, who was being hard pressed by the enemy, with orders that that road must be held at all hazards. Colonel Dick, our brigade commander, having reported to Colonel Wilder, he ordered my regiment to take position in the woods on the east side of the Chattanooga road, and on the right-hand fork on a road leading to Ringgold, just in the edge of the woods, with a corn-field between me and the Chattanooga road in my rear. I had just gotten into position when the enemy advanced on a detachment of Colonel Wilder's mounted infantry, placed in our front as skirmishers. It being but the advance of the enemy, the skirmishers succeeded in driving him back. But the enemy soon sent up a brigade of infantry, who drove the skirmishers back, but not without strong resistance.

In the meantime, my regiment was lying upon the ground in line of battle waiting his approach. When he advanced within 50 yards of my line, I gave the order to rise, fire, and charge, cheering loudly, the effect of which threw him into confusion, checked his advance, and caused him to fall back a short distance. After firing several rounds, on account of his being under cover of the woods and it now being dark, I gave the order to fall back about 100 yards to a ravine in the field, which was done in good order. I then threw out my skirmishers and remained until 4 o'clock in the morning, skirmishers occasionally firing at each other during the night. Thus ended the day, with 1 man severely wounded and 2 in the hands of the enemy, who, fortunately, effected their escape in the night. During the night circumstances convinced me that the enemy was in our immediate front in force. I reported these facts to Colonels Wilder, Dick, and Minty, and stated that our line was too weak to hold the position we then occupied, and that we had better fall back across the open field to the Chattanooga road before daylight and avoid the necessity of being driven back in the morning. Colonels Wilder and Dick then ordered me to fall back and take position on the west side of the Chattanooga road in the edge of the woods and put my skirmishers along the road.

At daylight of the 19th instant, sharp picket firing commenced across the open field. I constructed temporary breastworks of logs and rails to protect myself in the front [in case of an attack, which was ominous] to the best advantage possible. In this position, I remained until about noon, when Colonel Dick ordered me to fall in with the balance of the brigade and move out with the division to meet the enemy, who had engaged a part of our force on the extreme