their second line. This compelled our skirmishers to fall back and take a new position.

The advance of the rebels had now become so formidable and rapid that, before our skirmishers were well aware of it, they had turned our right and threatened to cut them off entirely from the regiment. But becoming aware of their perilous position, they jumped from tree to tree, retreating the while, until Captain Fahnestock [who held the right] got his company within reach of the rear of our column, which was then moving by the flank [by order of General Steedman] toward the old La Fayette road. Captain Worrell, however, was not so fortunate, his left being so far advanced, and acting under an order to "hold his position until he heard Barnett's battery open on the enemy," remained too long, and when forced to retreat, found his right covered by the enemy in force. This compelled him to move rapidly to the rear and left, but he was so nearly surrounded by the enemy that he lost 4 men: Sergeant Kingsley, M. V. Birdine, private, wounded and taken prisoners; Lewis L. Lehman and Alexander Bennett, privates, missing [condition not known]. Captain Worrell succeeded in joining the regiment with the remainder of his company.

The conduct of Captains Fahnestock and Worrell, with their companies, on this occasion, I am proud to say, was that of brave and true soldiers, and worthy of the great cause for which we are battling.

The regiment then moved with the brigade to Rossville, where we were again drawn up in position to support Captain Barnett's battery [I, Second Illinois], which had taken position on the mountain on the left of the gap leading south from Rossville, where we remained during the night of the 19th.

Early on the morning of the 20th, I moved with the brigade on the Ringgold road, and took up position on an elevated piece of ground near McAfee's Church, where we remained for about two hours.

My position was then changed to ground immediately in front of McAfee's Church, in which position we remained until about 1 o'clock in the afternoon, when we moved with the brigade, in compliance with an order, to report to Major General Gordon Granger, on the north side of Chickamauga Valley, in prolongation of Generals Steedman's and Whitaker's line of battle. In moving into this position my regiment was in the advance.

After passing the field hospital on the old La Fayette road, and the whole column being enveloped in a thick cloud of dust, we were suddenly brought to a halt by a rebel battery opening upon us with shell from the left of the road. Being ordered to leave the main road, which I did by marching by the right flank, which brought us in line of battle by the rear rank. In this order we passed through a narrow skirt of woods and across a field which had been fired by the shells in previous conflict on that ground early in the day. A more desolate sight never met the eye. The entire country seemed to be one smoking, burning sea of ruin. Through this blazing field we marched, while the rebel battery played upon us with spherical case, shell, and almost every conceivable missile of death. Under this fire we moved quietly into the woods skirting the field on the north, where we remained until we extinguished the fire. We then moved into position, my regiment being on the right of the brigade. My line was formed on the crest of the ridge, with my left resting on