On my right flank was formed Hamilton's division, Sullivan's brigade being directly on my right flank, and Buford's brigade formed on his right, and facing to the northeast, being directly in rear of my command. Dillon's battery was stationed about 200 yards north of the earthwork that I defended and was supported by some infantry. Two regiments of infantry of this brigade were in line of battle facing north, their left resting about 400 yards directly in rear of breastworks. Here we waited till about 9 o'clock, when some skirmishers were sent out on my front. The Seventh Iowa and Seventh Illinois were moved forward to their support. Skirmishing becoming very sharp I ordered them back into line. The skirmishers, too, soon returned in sight. I ordered them to get out of the way, that I might open upon the enemy with the artillery. They had reached the creek, about 350 yards from the line. The artillery opened in full cry over their heads and upon the advancing column of the enemy, which now became plainly visible on the rise of ground in the woods opposite and at a range varying from 500 to 800 yards, the infantry having all been ordered to lie down. The column steadily advanced, firing as they came, and when within about 300 yards some few of the infantry fired, and one in particular, whose named I shall tacked great pains to find out, fired his piece in the air, ducked his head, and ran to the rear. A very few of those who fired followed his example, and I only regret that I was not near enough to the cowards to have shot them down, as I had shot at two day before on leaving the line under similar circumstances. All the men upon the line remained at their work, firing steadily and doing well, when that portion of Sullivan's brigade on our right, and which protected the right flank, gave way, and the limbers and caissons of Dillon's battery came down the road leading directly in rear of the house upon the full jump, running toward the town parallel with Colonel Sweeny's brigade, presenting rather an alarming appearance. The heads of the horses of the limbers and caissons of my artillery were about on a line with the road, and they became frightened and unmanageable, floundered about, and those of one or two limbers and a caisson ran away and joined in the race, all of them running through my reserve (the Twelfth Illinois and eighty-first Ohio), running down several of the men, injuring 12 in the Eighty-first Ohio and 9 in the Twelfth Illinois, and throwing the two regiments into confusion. This communicated a stampeded in the ammunition wagons in the hollow in the rear of the line, and they too started on the run to the rear. They were quickly brought into order by the members of my staff and myself and continued moving slowly to the rear. The guns of Dillon's battery having fallen into the hands of the enemy, and the enemy pressing very closely upon the earthwork, the officers in charge endeavored to limber up the heavy guns and lighter pieces, but the space was so small in the earthwork that, although some of the limbers had nearly succeeded in attaching to the guns, the horses were so restless and frightened and the enemy pressing so close (within 20 yards) that the pieces were abandoned and the limbers and caissons made their escape. They passed down the same road taken by Dillon's limbers and caissons, but Green's battery, farther down the line, libeled up and retired in order. The artillery moving to the rear and parallel to my lines, and most of it, including Dillon's, on the keen run, had a very demoralizing effect upon the stability of the infantry line. The Confederates had now gained the earthwork, turned the flank of the Ninth Illinois in the yard of the house in the rear, and came in on my right flank, between the redoubt and the house and in the rear of it, and opened an enfilading