his men being bayoneted in the ditch), were compelled to give way, and the pieces could not be brought off for want of horses. They were abandoned and captured by the enemy. The Confederates here pressed their advantage, and, falling upon the balance of General Oglesby's small command, were severely dealt with by them and the most stubborn resistance made. The enemy here advanced to plant a battery against us and they succeeded in firing three or four shots, but were promptly silenced by Captain Welker and Lieutenant Green, the latter being in General Hackleman's brigade and on the right. The enemy pressed in large force on our left, center, and right center against General Oglesby's brigade, and the Ninth and Twelfth Illinois were compelled to give way; not, however, until they had left an honorable mark on the enemy's columns. The infantry of General Hackleman's brigade, being at the right of the Columbus road, was not engaged.

The operations upon the left on the first line on the Confederate intrenchments were also overpowered. Colonel Baldwin, who was in the rear of his brigade on the Chewalla road, wounded, was also cut off from his brigade, and General McArthur took command at the time my re-enforcements arrived at Colonel Oliver's position. The Seventh Illinois was formed on the breastworks to the right of the Chewalla road. The two left regiments were severely attacked, and they replied briskly in conjunction with the artillery, driving the enemy back. They rallied, brought up re-enforcements, attacked the two left regiments, repulsed them, and they with the artillery fell back about half a mile. One 20-pounder rifled gun of Richardson's battery, named the "Lady Richardson," in the retreat ran against a tree, broke the pole, and the piece was abandoned and captured by the enemy. The main body of the Confederates, which swept up in front of the intrenchments and attacked General Oglesby's brigade, was opened upon by the Seventh Illinois with an oblique fire, which staggered the enemy but did not prevent their onward march. At the same time Colonel Babcock, of the Seventh Illinois, was attacked in front and on the left by the force of Confederates, which back the two regiments on the extreme left. After some pretty sharp work Colonel Babcock, to prevent capture by the hosts which surrounded him on both flanks and front, ordered his regiment to the rear by the right of companies.

It being apparent, from reports received, that the whole Confederate Army was attacking us in front, it would have been disastrous, resulting in capture, to make a stand on this line, particularly as the left had given way and was driven back half a mile. I therefore ordered a retrograde movement on the Columbus road of Generals Oglesby's and Hackleman's brigades, to form the second line of battle at the open field, 1,000 yards in rear of the Confederate intrenchments, and at the same time sent a peremptory order to Colonel Baldwin to fall back to the junction of the Chewalla and Columbus roads. The messenger was shot, but made his way though and reported that the Confederates were in force between him and that point and entirely cut off. The second line of my two remaining brigades was only intended to attract the attention of the enemy and cause them to form line of battle in my front, which they did.

The movement of the Seventh Illinois was executed with order, and it fell back and joined the Fifteenth Michigan and Fifty-seventh Illinois and the artillery stationed in the road. The Fiftieth Illinois, from the reserve, had arrived, and the three regiments of Baldwin's brigade of