ing at 6 o'clock, sending Hawley's brigade in advance, the other brigades of Jackson's division and Ward's entire division with the trains, which had been increased by nearly all the ordnance wagons of the corps, and a long line of ambulances and wagons filled with wounded. At the road crossing, east of Mingo Creek, I was preparing, pursuant to orders, to send forward the trains and to cover the rear with my whole command, when information was brought me that Fourteenth Corps was seriously engaged with that was then supposed to be a large cavalry force supported by a large body of infantry. I ordered Jackson to send-forward his two leading brigades-Hawley's and Robinson's.

It was now past noon and the artillery firing, apparently five miles in advance, increasing in rapidity. I ordered all of Jackson's division forward. As I rode to the front information came fast that the rebel infantry was in large force, and orders to hurry up the whole command. Ward, whose division was scattered for miles along the mud-bound train, was ordered forward to bring up the ammunition wagons with one brigade, leaving a regiment to cover the cross- road. All the troops moved rapidly. Hawley's, the leading brigade of Jackson's division. reached the groung about 2 p.m. and was put in position at right angles with the main road along the interior ridge of woods occupied by left of Fourteenth Corps on the farm of Mr. Draper. Robinson's brigade, which followed immediately, was sent up to occupy a position between two brigades of Carlin's division, Fourteenth Corps. While these movements were going on cavalrymen and foragers from the left reported that large bodies of the enemy's infantry were moving to our left and were within a mile of the field upon which our trains were parking Hawley was ordered to change front and move to the left, and two regiments of Robinson's brigade were ordered to re-enforce him, leaving but three regiments with Robinson. Hardly were these dispositions made before the enemy attacked Carlin's left brigade, and, rolling it up, fell in overwhelming force upon Robinson's three regiments. He at once ordered his command to fall back. They rallied promptly in a new line a few hundred yards in rear, near the line first taken by Hawley's brigade. One of his regiments (One hundred and forty-third New York) was sent back to him and the other (Eighty-second Illinois) placed on Hawley's right refused, so as to cover a marshy interval between the two brigades. Seldfridge's brigade was placed in a second line behind Robinson, and the brigades of Ward now coming up were posted so as to prolong Hawley's line to the left. The left was refused so as to oblige the enemy, evidently bent on attacking, to draw out and weaken his line in seeking our flank. Major Reynolds placed all the batteries of the corps in a felicitous position, commanding the interval between Robinson's and Hawley's brigades, and the open ground serval hundred yards in breadth, between the first and second lines. These dispositions were scarcely made before the enemy renewed his attack. A heavy column moved into the interval between Robinson and Hawley, but was driven back in great discomfiture by the artillery and the infantry cross-fire from Hawley's right and Robinson's left. Five times the enemy renewed these assaults, mainly upon Robinson's brigade and the right of Hawley's, and they were continued until after dark; each time they were repulsed without the necessity of re-enforcing the front line.

While these assaults were being made Cogswell's brigade, of Ward's division, was sent to fill a gap in the line of Fourteenth Corps. While marching to his position he struck a rebel column moving to turn the left of Morgan's division, which he at once attacked, driving it back