No. 27.

Report of Col. Daniel McCook, Fifty-second Ohio Infantry, commanding Thirty-sixth Brigade.

HDQRS. THIRTY-SIXTH BRIG., ELEVENTH DIV., THIRD ARMY CORPS, ARMY OF THE OHIO, Battle-field Chaplin Hills, October 9, 1862.

SIR: In obedience to the orders of General Buell, conveyed through you, at 2 a. m. of the 8th instant I moved three regiments of my brigade, viz, the Eighty-fifth Illinois, the Fifty-second Ohio, and the One hundred and twenty-fifth Illinois, to the foot of Peters' Hill, the position I was ordered to carry. At this point, discovering the enemy's force upon the hill above, I deployed the Eighty-fifth Regiment Illinois upon the right of the Perryville road and the Fifty-second Regiment upon the left, throwing skirmishers to the front, enveloping my flanks. The skirmishers had scarcely taken intervals when a severe and galling fire was opened on them. As soon as sufficient ground was gained to the front I deployed the One hundred and twenty-fifth Regiment Illinois upon both sides of the road as a reserve. Although all my regiments were fresh from their homes they moved steadily up the hill driving the enemy, who contested warmly every step, and occupied the crest of the heights, which gave us a commanding position over the surrounding country and one of vast importance at a subsequent part of the day. There I halted my battalions in a favorable position, keeping the One hundred and twenty-fifth Regiment well in reserve under the crest of the hill and throwing skirmishers at such a distance from my line as to keep the enemy's sharpshooters, who still occupied a skirt of woods on the slope of the hill to the front, from annoying my regiments lying in position. About this time Captain Barnett's battery arrived and was put into position upon the left of the road. Two of his pieces he could not use on account of the inexperience of the men detailed to man them. With the remaining four he did good service during the day. The enemy, knowing the importance of the position he had lost, being re-enforced, advanced to retake it. He opened a battery upon the Eighty-fifth Illinois and began using spherical case. I ordered a section of Captain Barnett's battery upon the extreme right of the position to reply to this and ordered the right wing of the One hundred and twenty-fifth Illinois to take position to the right of the battery to support it. The enemy's fire for about fifty minutes was very severe, but Captain Barnett, after compelling him to change position three times, finally drove him off. The steadiness with which the Eighty-fifth and One hundred and twenty-fifth Illinois withstood the fire was admirable, as they were unable to reply and had during it a considerable number wounded. After this the firing almost ceased, with here and there a straggling shot aimed at mounted men. At this juncture General Sheridan arrived upon the field.

The enemy under Buckner soon began massing troops in the skirt of woods into the edge of which I had thrown my skirmishers. General Gay, commanding cavalry, came up and attempted to go toward Perryville, when his further advance was checked by the enemy in the woods. He dismounted a portion of his cavalry, and, supported by the skirmishers of the Fifty-second Ohio Regiment, advanced into the woods, where we afterward learned there were two rebel brigades.

The action quickly became sharp, when the Second Missouri Infantry, and soon the Forty-fourth Illinois to support it, were ordered into the