assisting to silence two others. Battery Ninth Indiana came next into position to the left of Third Battery; G, Second Illinois, came last into battery, securing a good position near the white house, within 800 yards of one of the rebel batteries. Later in the day the whole of the sixteen guns of the division were (by order of the general commanding) massed at this point, and held nearly the same position until the close of the action.

It has never before been my fortune to witness so accurate and effective artillery firing as was exhibited by our batteries from this point. The enemy had four batteries, with an aggregate of seventeen guns, bearing upon our three batteries, and yet so terribly effective was our fire that the rebel cannoneers could not be induced to work their guns, and three of their four batteries remained silent most of the day. Captain Edwards, commissary of subsistence, Second Division, informs me that the rebel Major-General Johnson, who was captured near the five-gun battery, directly in our front, said that our artillery firing was the most scientific he ever witnessed. A sergeant of this same rebel battery (who was captured) told me that his battery lost that day twenty-seven men killed and wounded by our shells; his battery also lost twenty-three artillery horses from same cause. In the final charge our batteries did everything in their power to keep the rebel batteries silent, in which they, to a great extent, succeeded, there by saving the lives of many of they, to a great extent, succeeded, thereby saving the lives of many of the brave officers and men of our division. I saw this charge, and am witness to the fact that the First and Third Brigades captured 15 pieces of the enemy's artillery, and if, as I am informed by undoubted authority, the Second Brigade captured 4 guns, it makes a total of 19 pieces of cannon captured from the enemy by our division as a part of the share of the Second Division in the glorious results of this day.

On the evening of the 16th and morning of the 17th, by my direction, Batteries Ninth Indiana and G, Second Illinois, drew out and parked 11 guns and 7 caissons, captured by the First and Third Brigades, but I found 4 of the guns captured by the First Brigade in the possession of the guards from the Fourth Corps, who refused to surrender them to me.

I respectfully submit to the general commanding that the conduct of both officers and men of the three batteries of the division was most excellent, and I earnestly bespeak for them his favorable mention. When all did so well, I will not attempt to designate single individuals.

I wish to call particular attention to the fact that during both day's battle there was a great guns were almost constantly idle on this account, and such was the case when the final charge was made, when every gun should have been used to keep silent the batteries of the enemy. There was a great fault committed by some one, but whom I am unable to say.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN W. LOWELL,

Captain Battery G, Second Illinois Light Artillery,

Acting Chief of Artillery, Second Div., Detach. Army of the Tenn.

Lieutenant JAMES B. COMSTOCK,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.