The ground admitted of no more forces being brought into action in front, and our position must be held or, the enemy once forcing it, his overwhelming massed would have passed over the hill and fallen on our unformed column in the rear. Brigadier-General Sullivan, having reached the rear of the battle ground with the head of his brigade, placed one of his regiments (the Tenth Iowa, under the gallant Perczel), with a section of the Twelfth Wisconsin Battery, on the road across the ravine and open field on our extreme left, and finding no more of his force could be brought into immediate action, placed them in position in reserve and came gallantly tot he front, asking to be of service. I immediately placed him in charge of the right of the line in front, with instructions to hold the ground and see that the right flank was not turned by the heavy force of the enemy moving in that direction. Colonel Sanborn, in command of the First Brigade, most gallantly held the left in position until, under a desolating carnage of musketry and canister, the brave Eddy was cut down, and his regiment, borne down by five times their numbers, fell back in some disorder ont he Eightieth Ohio, under Lieutenant-Colonel Bartilson. The falling back of the Forty-eighth exposed the battery. As the masses of the enemy advanced the battery opened with canister at short range, mowing down the rebels by scores, until, with every officer killed or wounded and nearly every man and horse killed or disabled, it fell an easy prey. but this success was short-lived. The hero Sullivan rallied a portion of the right wing, and, with a bravery better characterized as audacity, drove ther rebels back to cover. Again they rallied and again the battery fell into their hands; but with the wavering fortunes of this desperate fight the battery again fell into our hands, and with three of its guns spiked and the carriages cut and splintered with balls it is again ready to meet the foe. While these events were transpiring along the road the brave General Stanley had come to the front, and joining his personal exertions to mine the regiments that had fallen into disorder were rallied and held in position to the close of the battle. One of Stanley's regiments, the Eleventh Missouri, coming up fresh and eager for action, was pushed into the right, where, uniting its efforts with the Fifth Iowa and Twenty-sixth Missouri, it made a most gallant fight and aided much in first holding our ground against the enemy and afterward in driving him back in confusion to the cover of the ravine from which the attack was begun. An attempt to turn my left flank by a heavy force of the enemy moving up the open field and ravine on my left, was most signally repulsed by Colonel Perczel with the Tenth Iowa and a section of Immell's battery. So bravely was this attempt repulsed that the enemy made no more attempts in that direction. After this repulse the Fourth Minnesota was withdrawn form the left and ordered to report to General Sullivan on the right, where it did good service tot he close of the action. This completed the movements in the front, and the battle was fought and won in this position. The Thirty-ninth Ohio, of Stanley's division, coming up during the heat of the contest, could not be placed in position to take an active part owing to the want of ground, and was placed in reserve near the log church. From 5 p. m. until darkness prevented distinguishing friend from foe the battle was fought along the road and to the right of it by the Fifth Iowa and the Twenty-sixth and Eleventh Missouri with a bravery which scarcely admits of a parallel. The enemy, confident int he heavy forces they had deployed, pushed on with frantic desperation; but they were met by a greater heroism, and though often rallied and riven to the charge, they were as often met and hurled back to their cover. Against this