ion seemed to occupy a position a little left of center of the general line, and was placed in Longstreet's corps, now under the command of Major-General Hodd, and also in the front line. The battle raged fiercely on the right until about 12 m., when occasional volleys might be heard on the left.

At 2 p.m. our skirmishers became engaged and we were ordered forward to meet the now advancing enemy. Our boys, eager to make short work of it, fought most gallantly, and after about an hour's most desperate struggle, in which the enemy made a most stubborn resistance, we drove him step by step through a dense thicket, in which he had greatly the advantage of ground, and across the Chattanooga and La Fayette roads.

On emerging from the thicket into the road, I discovered that I was disconnected with any line to my right or left. The cause of the right not being on line with me was very plain. A battery of the enemy, being in good position in an open field to my right and apparently in front of the right of the Forty-fourth Regiment, was pouring a deadly fire into their line. I hesitated for a moment whether to cross the road with a single regiment, but a couple of shots directed at my front from the battery decided me to shelter my regiment in the woods across the road to the flank of the battery. As I crossed the road I observed the Twenty-third and Seventeenth Regiments coming up en echelon to my left. The enemy that we had fought so desperately and driven from the thicket not appearing in my front, I turned my attention to the battery, which with a continuous fire was apparently holding in check the entire line to my right. I wheeled my regiment to the right to a fence running at right angles with our line of battle and on the immediate right of the battery. After firing a few rounds, I ordered my command to cease firing and load their pieces, which being done I directed them to charge the battery, which they did promptly, driving gunners from their pieces, killing several horses, and causing them to retreat, taking with them only the caissons, leaving their pieces on the field. The battery being silenced, no obstruction was offered to the advance of the entire line to my right, but they seemed to move forward with extreme caution, and while in consultation with Colonels Keeble and Floyd as to the propriety of forming a new line, to my astonishment I saw the brigade to my right give way, leaving the Seventeenth and Twenty-third Regiments and part of the Twenty-fifth in line of battle 200 yards in front of the road and general line of battle. I at once sent Major McCarver, of the Twenty-fifth Regiment, back to bring up that portion of my command that had fallen back when the line gave way; but before he could return, the enemy had discovered our isolated formation, had moved a brigade under cover of a thicket into the flank and rear of the Seventeenth Regiment, at once pouring on us a most terrific volley of musketry at a distance not exceeding 40 yards, which caused us to retire at a double-quick.

It was at this and point that Lieutenant Noah L. Kuhn, Company C, was killed, and Lieutenant D. M. Molloy fell mortally wounded. In falling back was, which was done in good order, without the loss of a single man i prisoners, we rallied without delay on the general line of battle, which we found a short distance in rear of the road last alluded to.

This being about dusk, we were not advanced, but ordered to erect temporary breastworks of such loose material as was at hand. Having completed this work, the command slept by reliefs (one-third