carrying four days' rations and 60 rounds of ammunition. Arrived at Shellmound Station about 3 p.m., and bivouacked. I furnished for work on the pontoon bridge at that place a detail of 6 officers, 16 non-commissioned officers, and 110 men, who were on duty from 8 p.m. until 1 a.m. the 28th.

At 4 o'clock, the regiment was called out, and at 5 took up line of march, following the One hundred and thirty-seventh New York Volunteers. We arrived at a point on Wauhatchie Valley, near the junction, at about 5 p.m., and bivouacked in edge a wood near and to the left of the railroad in two lines, the left wing being in rear of the right, my position being at the right of the One hundred and thirty-seventh New York Volunteers. At 11 p.m. the regiment was put under arms, but the men were allowed to lie down behind their arms with their belts on.

At 12 a.m. the 29th, I was directed by the general commanding brigade to move by the left flank and follow the One hundred and thirty-seventh New York Volunteers to form line of battle. In accordance with directions I moved directly forward until I came to a road which ran to the right at an angle of about 45 degrees from the direction I was pursuing, which road I was directed to follow.

The attack upon our position began at 12.30 a.m., October 29, and at the moment of the attack the position of my regiment was as follows:Marching left in front, diagonally toward the enemy, with the rear rank exposed to their fire, the leading company being about 25 yards in rear of the right company of the One hundred and thirty-seventh New York Volunteers, which was just forming by "forward into line." The generals commanding division and brigade, both mounted, and attended by their staffs and orderlies, were on the line of battle directing its formation, when the enemy opened fire along his whole line from a distance of about 100 yards. In an instant the mounted men attending the generals, forming a cavalcade of some 20 horsemen, became very much scattered and broke to the rear, passing through my regiment in a dozen different places. In addition to those, two or three ambulances and wagon teams, attached to headquarters, also passed through my lines. The regiment was thus entirely broken to pieces and disorganized, with no company formations whatever, and all exposed to a terrific fire. I immediately threw the left and leading company back to the rear, and commenced reforming the line parallel with and about 50 yards in rear of the One hundred and thirty-seventh New York Volunteers, which was at that time actively engaged. As the line was nearly formed, I received direction from Lieutenant Davis, of division staff, to place the regiment by the side of the wagon road, perpendicular to the line of battle, to guard against at attack upon our right flank. I immediately changed "front forward," and took the position indicated. The enemy immediately attacked in my front, when, finding it possible to shelter the men, I moved the regiment forward some 20 yards to the railroad embankment and opened fire. After the regiment had expended 3 or 4 rounds, the enemy, consisting of a force of two regiments, withdrew from our front. I remained in that position until about 6 a.m. the 29th.

Too much credit cannot be given to the officers and men of the command on this occasion. Entirely broken to pieces and disordered, the line was rapidly reformed in a new direction, and a change of front executed, the men being all the time exposed to a murderous fire from a distance of about 150 yards, with a loss of but 3 strag-