brigade, by the Hillsborough pike, in rear of General Wood's right. General Cox's third brigade was left temporarily in his old works to support, if necessary, General Steedman, who was making a demonstration upon the enemy's right. As General Smith advanced against the enemy's position General Couch moved forward, keeping within supporting distance, while the proper position of General Cox, as reserve to the center, remained essentially unchanged. About 1 p.m. the major-general commanding, remarking that General Smith had borne more to our left than had been expected and had not reached the enemy's flank, ordered me to move my corps to the right of General Smith, attack the enemy's flank, and gain, if practicable, before dark, possession of a group of fortified hills near the Hillsborough pike, which formed the left of the enemy's position. I at once put my troops in motion, moving rapidly by the flank in rear of General Smith's line, rode forward and found General Smith near the right of his line, and informed him of the movement I was making. General Smith then put in his reserve, extending his line about half a mile to the right, and assisted General Hatch's cavalry [dismounted] in assaulting and carrying a high hill, covered by a redoubt, which proved to be a detached work commanding the Hillsborough pike and constituting the extreme flank of the enemy's infantry position, but not connected with his main line of defense.

General Couch, whose head of column had by this time arrived opposite the right of General Smith's line, at once moved forward, deploying as he advanced, passed immediately by the right of the hill just carried the left of a series of hills parallel to and overlooking the Granny White pike, one of the enemy's only two lines of retreat. This assault was made by General Cooper's brigade, led by its brave commander, and was most gallantly executed. The enemy now moved a considerable force toward our right, with the evident design of turning our flank and recovering the position just lost. General Couch sent Colonel Mehringer's brigade, the only one he had disengaged, to meet this movement. Colonel Mehringer met the enemy, much superior to him in numbers, in the valley which General Couch had just passed, and held him in check until General Cox, who had just come up, sent two brigades, Colonel Doolittle's and Colonel Casement's, to his support, when the enemy was repulsed and driven back. The engagement here was sharp, attended with considerable loss on both sides, and lasted until dark. Immediately south of the hill carried by General Couch was a still higher one held by the enemy, without the possession of which his position north of Brentwood was untenable. I had ordered this hill to be carried immediately after the success of General Cooper's assault, but the counter attack made by the enemy occupied our whole available force until dark, and compelled us to rest with the success already gained. After dark the troops entrenched their position and bivouacked for the night.

BATTLE OF THE 16TH.

In the night of the 15th I waited upon the major-general commanding at his headquarters, and received his orders for the pursuit of the enemy on the following day. Our operations during the 15th had swung the right and right center forward so that the general direction of the line was nearly perpendicular to that before the attack. Only the right was in contact with the enemy, and was therefore much