River and pursued the line of march to a point near Lenoir's Station and bivouacked for the night.

On the 16th the march was continued to Campbell's Station, where the enemy had halted and made a stand. Disposition for battle was made and the line advanced, but the brigade did not become engaged, nor did the enemy's artillery, which kept up a sharp fire on the line as it advanced, do any serious injury.

That night the enemy retreated and next morning (the 17th) the pursuit was continued until we arrived in sight of the enemy's position and fortifications at Knoxville, when the brigade was moved to the left and took position near Crawford's house, where it remained with one battalion on picket until the 18th, when it was relieved by General Anderson's brigade, and then moved back and took its proper position in the line of the division.

Having advanced the picket line to the railroad, 600 to 800 yards from Fort Loudon, a rifle-pit was dug, by direction and under the superintendence of Colonel Ruff, 100 yards in front of the picket posts on the left, thus leaving its left partially exposed and unprotected; it was, therefore, used only for vedettes and sharpshooters.

A sortie was made on this work on the morning of the 24th by a regiment of the enemy (the Second Michigan). Crossing the railroad far to the left it moved down, its right flank perpendicular to our picket line, thereby getting completely on the flank and in rear of the rifle-pit, and there being but few men on post made an easy capture of it. A portion of the Third Georgia Battalion Sharpshooters being on duty at this position, the remaining portion was moved up to its support and soon succeeded in driving the enemy from the works with a loss, as nearly as could be ascertained, of 50 or 60 killed, wounded, and prisoners, while the battalion's loss was 5 men wounded, 2 of them mortally. The pickets of General Law's brigade took a part in this affair.

During the night of the 28th of that month the Twenty-fourth Georgia Regiment, in co-operation with the pickets of other brigades, advanced the line to a position about 250 yards from the fort, capturing a few pickets.

On the morning of the 29th the brigade moved out under orders to assault the works. The battalion of sharpshooters having relieved the Twenty-fourth Georgia on picket, immediately the artillery opened fire on the fort. In accordance with orders advanced skirmishers to easy rifle range and kept up a rapid fire into the port holes, which effectually prevented the working of their guns by the enemy until the column of attack had advanced to the summit of the hill near to the fort.

The disposition for assault was column of regiments, and in the following order: First, Phillips Legion; second, Eighteenth Georgia Regiment; third, Sixteenth Georgia Regiment, and fourth, Cobb's Legion.

The advance was obstructed by fallen timber, tangled bushes, &c., but so soon as this was passed the column formed in good order and moved forward with a cheerfulness, confidence, and enthusiasm that promised success; but arrived at the fort the column encountered a ditch 4 to 6 feet deep, 8 to 10 feet wide, and extending along the length of the work to the rifle-pits on either side. The height of the parapet, estimating from the bottom of the ditch, was about 18 feet, and its exterior slope at an angle of 65 to 70 degrees, with a base line. The berm, very narrow, soon wore away, and it was with difficulty that a foothold could be obtained upon it; yet by assistance