a short interval, for fear of killing our own men (who were still retiring), until all hand passed the gun, when a charge of canister was thrown into the enemy's line, doing considerable execution. The gun was then limbered up, and moved off the field slowly, one of the wheel-horse's legs being broken.

The second gun, in charge of Lieutenant A. B. White, commenced firing about the time Lieutenant Robinson moved his piece to the right at a column of the enemy advancing on our left. For twenty or thirty minutes the fire was kept up with great exhausted, the limber of the caisson was ordered to take the place of the limber of the gun, and the latter to take its place, by Lieutenant A. B. White. The caisson limber not being forthcoming, in a few moments Lieutenant White went in person to see after it, and found two of the drivers (J. J. Young and William E. Barksdale) refusing to drive their horses up to the gun. About this time the Forty-fifth Regiment, who had rallied in front of this gun, gave way, and left it too much exposed to attempt its removal. Accordingly, the gun was abandoned, the cannoneers bringing off all the equipments.

The third gun, in my own charge, was fired rapidly for the last thirty or forty minutes of the fight at both the enemy's infantry and artillery on our left, doing some execution, their ranks being broken at almost every fire, and I believe that one of the enemy's teams was disabled by a shell from this gun. This was the last gun to leave the field, and when limbered up the enemy were not more than seventy-five yards from the gun, and no infantry support. The fourth gun was no doubt handled with great deliberation, and inflicted a heavy blow upon the enemy, they being within 300 yards of the gun in an open field. Our line of infantry giving way upon our right left this gun flanked by the enemy, and no way to withdraw except by the road described heretofore; consequently it was abandoned, the men escaping the best way they could.

The loss in this action was Lieutenant A. W. Hoge, Privates M. J. hoge and Samuel H. Jones missing; Privates C. A. Dalton and Fred. C. Davis wounded badly and 2 others struck by fragments of shell. The loss in horses was 5 killed at the third gun, 1 badly wounded at the first gun, and 16 horses killed and captured at the fourth gun. Two 12-pounder Napoleon guns and 2 caissons and 10 sets of artillery harness left upon the field. All the men acted with a great deal of coolness, except the two before mentioned, the latter of whom redeemed himself on the 10th instant at New River bridge, when he acted with a great deal of bravery in driving his horses through a shower of shell. On the 10th instant my two guns occupied the center of our line of artillery. The firing commenced about 9 a. m., and was kept up until about 12 m., doing but little damage I fear to the enemy, the position being a bad one on our side. The casualties in my battery in this action were 2 men slightly wounded by fragments of shell. My guns, with one of Captain Bryan's, were the last to leave the field in this action.

Hoping that my battery may soon be replenished with guns, and that I may have a better opportunity of using them with effect against our enemies.

I have the honor to be, very truly, your obedient servant,

CRISPIN DICKENSON,

Captain, Commanding Ringgold Battery.

Major C. S. STRINGFELLOW, Assistant Adjutant-General.