was in front of the right of the line; in front of and extending ot the left of the division line there was a range of hills commanding the line and varying in distance from three quarters to a mile, and affording good positions to the enemy for artillery, and still farther distant a high range of hills, affording a good view of our lines.

Owing to the relation of the line to that which would be occupied by the enemy in case of an attack on us, being that of an inner are of a circle, the enemy's being the outer are, and affording particularly to my left, positions for artillery which could enfilade and fire in reverse on the right portion of the line, I caused the line of breast-works to be made in the form of a broken line, thus obviating that difficulty, and also giving a cross-fire on portions of the ground in front, particularly the slight elevation before spoken of, as being about 150 yards in front of the center of the line of the division. The only artillery placed in position under my direction was a section of the Twentieth Ohio Battery, commanded by Lieutenant Hadley [Burdick?], which was placed in rear of the right of the Third Brigade, and commanded the approaches to the center and right of the line, and could also cross-fire with a battery in position on the Carter's Creek turnpike by Brigadier-General Kimball, whose division of the Fourth Army Corps, was next on my right, connecting with my right at the Carter's Creek turnpike. About 2 o'clock the enemy's skirmishers appeared in front of my line of skirmishers, which was posted at a distance of from half to three-quarters of a mile in front of the main line. The enemy was observed to be developing in front soon after. About 3.30 o'clock I received information from Colonel Zollinger, One hundred and twenty-ninth Regiment Indiana Volunteers, commanding my line of skirmishers, that the enemy was advancing in force. Like information was also sent to me about he same time by Brigadier-General Cox, commanding the corps. The enemy advanced in three lines, covering the whole front of the division, drove in the skirmishers, who fell back slowly, firing as they came. At about 4 p.m. the attack of the enemy was made with great boldness and determination but was everywhere resisted with firmness, except on the left, of the division the enemy being checked within 100 yards by a steady fire of our men from the breast-works, and finally driven back, with very heavy loss, whilst our loss was comparatively slight.

On the slight elevation in front of the line before referred to the enemy's line was brought up by our fire, and from its elevated position it was clearly defined against the sky to the view of our men, and I distinctly observed it gradually waste and disappear under our fire. This attack of the enemy continued for about one hour. At the first onset of the enemy the left of the line, held by the Fiftieth Ohio Volunteers and the Seventy-second Illinois Volunteers, fell back some fifty yards from the breast-works at which position they were rallied and maintained a firm stand, holding this new position which was hastily entrenched during the intervals of the fighting. The enemy got possession of the outer portion of the breast-works, and apparently would have swept the line back and gained strong hold of the key point of our lines, and it not been for the timely assistance received by that portion of the line by other troops, particularly a brigade of the Fourth Corps, commanded by Colonel Opdycke. Much was due also, in restoring order and firmness to this part of the line, to the personal exertion and direction of Brigadier-General Cox, who was present on that portion of the line at the critical moment. It is reported by the commander of the Third Brigade that the left of his line temporarily gave way, owing