unteers, Lieutenant-Colonel Keith; Fifty-ninth Illinois Volunteers, Maj. J. C. Winters; Seventy-fourth and Seventy-fifth Illinois Volunteers, commanded respectively by Lieutenant-Colonel Kerr and Lieutenant-Colonel Bennett, and the Fifth Wisconsin Battery, Capt. O. F. Pinney, on the left of the road.

The Thirty-first Brigade, Colonel Carlin, Thirty-eighth Illinois Volunteers, commanding, composed of the Twenty-first and Thirty-eighth Illinois Volunteers, commanded respectively by Colonel Alexander and Major Gilmer; the Fifteenth Wisconsin Volunteers, Colonel Heg; the One hundred and first Ohio Volunteers, Colonel Stem, and two sections of Captain Hotchkiss' Second Minnesota Battery, commanded by Lieutenant Dawley (Captain Hotchkiss, with one section, being engaged with General McCook on the left), I formed on the right of the road, and a wooded eminence, the men under cover, this brigade being in rear and within supporting distance of General Sheridan's division, which was then engaging the enemy in front.

The Thirty-second Brigade, Colonel Caldwell, Eighty-first Indiana Volunteers, commanding, was formed in rear of the Thirty-first Brigade, Colonel Caldwell's brigade comprising the following regiments and battery: Twenty-fifth and Thirty-fifth Illinois Volunteers, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonels McClelland and Chandler; the Eighth Kansas, Lieutenant-Colonel Martin; the Eighty-first Indiana Volunteers, Lieutenant-Colonel Timberlake, and the Eighth Wisconsin Battery, Captain Carpenter.

Almost immediately upon the formation of my lines the enemy appeared, advancing in force upon the right of Colonel Carlin's line, with the evident intention of charging upon his battery, which was upon his extreme right. I directed him to open fire upon them as soon as he could do so effectually, but they retired under cover at the advance of Colonel Carlin's skirmishers.

At this time I received a message from General Sheridan, stating that he was hardly pressed on his right and front and needed re-enforcements. I ordered Colonel Carlin to advance with his brigade rapidly to General Sheridan's right and aid his division. Colonel Carlin immediately advanced, leading his brigade through a skirt of timber to the open field on the right, and upon ascending the brow of the hill discovered the enemy rapidly advancing in great force upon General Sheridan's right. Colonel Carlin immediately formed his brigade, and at the double-quick charged upon the enemy, who after a moment's stand gave way to the impetuosity of the charge, and breaking in disorder ran precipitately to and through the town of Perryville a distance of nearly 2 miles. Colonel Carlin pressed them closely till they reached the bluff on the other side and formed under the protection of two batteries, which were in position there. The gallant Carlin charged with his brigade through the enemy's lines, completely piercing their center; but finding his ardor had outstripped all support, and having the enemy's artillery and infantry on both flanks, he fell back during the confusion of the enemy to a position immediately adjoining the town, and placed his battery in position on the west side of the town, the rebel batteries and our own firing directly over the town till darkness made further action impossible. This charge gave the officers and men of the Thirty-first Brigade a splendid opportunity to evince the intrepid, gallant, and soldierly qualities which the occasion showed they possessed. The manner in which they stood the subsequent severe artillery fire was worthy of high praise.

In Colonel Carlin's advance the Thirty-eighth Illinois Volunteers over-