and Colonel Orr to relieve the Second Brigade by extending his own line. Colonel McQuiston, on arriving at the position on the left, was ordered by me to advance a skirmish line well extended to the left, using what skirmish force was already there of the One hundred and eightieth Ohio Volunteers, and ascertain how far to our left the right of the enemy's skirmishers extended. In the meantime I had placed the two batteries in position on the Trent road. The enemy had by this time advanced so as to be within the effective fire from the Artillery of General Carter, in position on the Trent road, which, together with the two batteries of my division, was opened on his column.

Colonel McQuiston reported that the left of his skirmish line met with no opposition; that on the right he found the enemy's line. I at once, with the approbation of Major-General Cox, ordered him to advance the left of his skirmish line, double up the skirmish line of the enemy, and attack him in flank if possible, which was done just as the enemy had found the fire from the breast-works in his front on the Trent road more than he could live under. The result was a quick and disorderly flight of the enemy, with considerable loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners. This attack was made by Hoke's rebel division. No sooner was the attack on the left repulsed than at attack was made on that portion of the center held by the First Brigade, Colonel Orr, to which point I at once moved and ordered the Fifth Illinois Battery, Captain Wood, to move toward the right and go into position near the right of the First Brigade. The enemy in this attack drove in the skirmish line, and, apparently, being disappointed in drawing the fire of a line of battle behind breast-works, or else finding the fire too severe, retired precipitately very soon after coming well under fire of the line, and did not again renew the attack in force. The Ninth New Jersey Volunteers, General Palmer's command, reported to me, by direction of Major-General Cox, just as the attack of the enemy on the center was repulsed and was assigned to position with Colonel Orr's brigade and soon after relieved by troops of the division and ordered to report back to General Palmer. As ascertained from prisoners taken, this attack was made by the rebel divisions of Generals Clayton and Loring. The plan of action of the rebels was said by some prisoners to be that by moving on the lower Trent road it would lead in rear of the left of our line of breast-works and cause us to change front to rear, so that the attack in the center would find only a skirmish line, or, at most, a feeble line, and thus they could crush us between the two attacking forces. If such was the plan it failed, and their own right flank was turned instead. Skirmishing, sometimes quite spirited, occurred from time to time until dark. The rebel forces, so far as I could ascertain, consisted of Hood's old Army, with the exception of Cheatham's corps, Hoke's division, and the troops formerly around Kinston, in all about 15,000 commanded by General Braxton Bragg in person. The attack was a failure and the enemy retreated during the night of the 10th.

The loss of enemy in killed and wounded I have not the means of knowing. It must, from the relative situation of the forces, have been considerably greater than ours.

The number of prisoners turned over to the provost-marshal of the division was 10 commissioned officers and 235 enlisted men. There were also in addition at the division hospital 1 commissioned officer and 21 enlisted men severely wounded. Of those there are know to have been captured by this division 193 officers and men.