Lieutenant-Colonel Swayne, of the Forty-third Ohio, and proceeded to a point on the road from Rienzi to Ripley about 3 1/2 miles from the latter place. Five companies of this regiment were used as skirmishers upon this occasion, but found no trace of the enemy, save for stragglers from the rebel army, whom they captured. The same evening we returned to our former bivouac and joined the brigade.

During the entire engagement and march my officers and men behaved with great credit an to my entire satisfaction, saving a very few instances, which I have not as yet had the time and occasion to examine.

I am, captain, with respect, your obedient servant,

Z. S. SPAULDING,

Major, Commanding.

Captain W. H. LATHROP,

Actg. Asst. Adjt. General, &c., First Brigadier, Second Div.

Numbers 8.

Report of Lieutenant Colonel edward F. Noyeds, Thirty-ninth Ohio Infantry, including operations October 3-8.

HEADQUARTERS THIRTY-NINTH OHIO REGIMENT,
Camp, near Ripley, Miss., October 9, 1862.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report the part taken by the Thirty-ninth Ohio Regiment in the military operations in and near Corinth, Miss., from the 3rd to the 8th instant inclusive:

On the 3rd the regiment marched under orders from place of bivouac, near Kossuth, to Corinth, arriving in Corinth about 5 o'clock in the afternoon. Our men having marched without water during the day, it was deemed expedient to draw in wagons enough to satisfy immediate necessities. Before all were supplied the evening was so far advanced as to preclude the possibility of engaging the enemy until the next morning. During the night the Thirty-ninth Ohio Regiment was posted on the right of the First Brigade, General Stanley's division, on the Purdy road, west of Corinth, an at daybreak on the morning of the 4th the enemy, who had planted a battery under cover of the night within 150 yards of our lines, commenced shelling our position. A rapid fire was kept up until our own batteries, assisted by the infantry, drove the rebels from their guns. About 9 a. m. two companies of this regiment (A and K) were sent to our front, north of Purdy road, and deployed as skirmishers, under Major McDowell, of the Thirty-ninth Ohio, who had been detailed to command the skirmishers of the brigade. They advanced into the woods, discovered the enemy in force, and were immediately fired upon along the whole line. Soon the Confederate columns were observed moving in a southeasterly direction from the woods toward the town, and two brigades advanced to charge the battery which the Ohio brigade was posted to support. The Thirty-ninth Ohio was ordered to look well to the right, and to be prepared for an attempt by the enemy, then near the town, to turn our right flank, but the other regiments of the brigade, being hard pressed by the greatly superior force attacking them, this regiment was ordered to move by the flank to the left, to support the Twenty-seventh, Forty-third, and Sixty-third Ohio Regiment. We accordingly took position with our right wing fronting to the north and our left wing at right angles to it, fronting to