2 miles up the river, where, in compliance with an order from the general, we formed in line in rear of the Twenty-third Wisconsin and remained till near sunset, when we fell in with the brigade and advanced about 2 miles farther through a swamp, broke off from the right of the brigade and formed near the river, so well in range with the gunboats that two shells from the fort directed at them burst very near us. Here we bivouacked for the night.

Soon after sunrise we fell in rear of Blount's battery (Seventeenth Ohio) and advanced within 200 yards of the edge of the woods, and formed on the left of the Sixteenth Indiana, facing the enemy's works. I threw out a company of skirmishers to the edge of the woods, who immediately opened fire on the enemy's skirmishers and kept it up more or less briskly until they were withdrawn, and drawing upon us an occasional shot or shell from the enemy's batteries.

About noon a written order was brought me that we should advance when the Sixteenth Indiana advanced, adapting our movements to theirs. An hour or two afterward Captain Keigwin, aide to General Burbridge, ordered me to move the regiment to the left of the siege gun, some 200 yards to the rear of our position. I immediately marched the regiment to the rear in line of battle toward the designated position, when Lieutenant Whilldin, another aide to General Burbridge, ordered me to resume my former position immediately, which I did. Soon after Captain Keigwin renewed the former order to move back, in order to uncover the siege battery as it was about to open upon the enemy's works, and to draw in my skirmishers. I immediately complied with the order. In a few minutes after the regiment had taken the new position I was ordered to move it to the old position on the left of the Sixteenth Indiana, and when that regiment advanced to advance with it. I commenced to advance at once, at the same time sending a sergeant with orders to the commander of the skirmishers to advance them to their former position. Before the captain received the order the regiment met and passed the skirmishers, who afterward came up and took their place in line. The regiment had just resumed the old position when the Sixteenth Indiana commenced to advance, and in compliance with my orders we advanced with them. In passing out of the woods and climbing a fence at its edge our line of battle was somewhat disarranged. The regiment on our right did not stop to dress their line, but advanced upon a run, shouting. My regiment did the same, advancing with it. We were immediately assailed both by the enemy's infantry and artillery, but continued to advance until about 300 yards from the woods, when we halted, availing ourselves of whatever protection the nature of the ground afforded, and poured in our fire with good effect upon the enemy, who were partially protected by piles of brush, clump of trees, and stumps. We had occupied this position but a short time when a heavy fire of musketry was poured in upon our right flank. My attention was then called to the fact that the troops on our right had fallen back. I looked and saw them near the woods, retreating. We were on the extreme left and no other Federal troops were in sight. I immediately ordered the regiment to fall back to our old line, where the other troops were forming, and reformed upon that line. We were then ordered to advance upon the enemy, which we immediately did, not halting until we had reached a position in advance of that we had reached before, and never yielding a step, but advancing little by little, till the enemy surrendered, when we were within point-blank musket range of the fort.

About the middle of the action we were re-enforced by the Seventy