the night preceding the engagement, I moved, at dawn, in double column to the front, relieving the Thirty-sixth Indiana Infantry, of the Third Brigade. As there was no indication of an immediate advance, I stacked arms, and permitted my men to build fires.

At 6.30 a.m., heavy cannonading and continued discharges of musketry were heard on our extreme right, which gradually approached our position, and were borne rapidly to our rear, until the sound of conflict was immediately in our rear, on the Nashville pike.

At 7 a.m. I received an order to advance in line of battle, supporting the Sixth Kentucky Infantry. Moving forward but a short distance, received orders to face by the rear rank and march to the rear. At this time the enemy's artillery, in our rear, had opened fire on our columns; was halted, and moved by the left flank in the direction of the pike and railroad. I here received orders to move rapidly to the support of Colonel Grose's brigade, then hotly engaged with the enemy's infantry, but a few paces to my right and rear. While forming on the left of the Third Brigade, I lost 2 men killed and several wounded by an enfilading fire from the enemy's artillery on my former front. The Third Brigade was closely engaged firing obliquely to their right.

The enemy did not appear in my front, and, by orders, I changed front to the rear on first company, and ordered my men to lie down. The enemy had advanced in our front, occupying the burnt house and grounds with a force of infantry and a battery of artillery. Remaining in this position but a short time, I was ordered to relieve the Forty-first Ohio Infantry, whose ammunition was said to be exhausted at this early hour in the action. I marched by the left flank at double-quick time, passing under the enemy's fire. Five men of Company H were knocked down by single shell, two of whom were mortally, wounded. Forming on the left of the pike, with my right resting near it, my left on the railroad, I moved forward in line of battle to the low crest, and relieved the Forty-first Ohio Volunteers.

The rebels then occupied the burnt house with one battery and their infantry, partially covered by the out-houses and a stockade fence extending to the pike. I at once opened fire on them, and but a short time intervened until their artillery limbered up, and retired in confusion to the rifle-pits on the ridge, where they went to battery and opened fire. After three-quarters of an hour the fire from the infantry in our front slackened, and many of them ran to the rear, in disorder. At this time a brigade of the enemy's infantry advanced from their rifle-pits, and marched obliquely in the direction of my position. Although at long range I at once opened fire on them, which thinned their ranks as they continued to approach. As they drew nearer, one of the regiments moved to the front, and advanced at the charge step upon my position. My men poured upon them a galling and deliberate fire that halted them within 75 yards of our line, where they lay down, covered somewhat by the cotton furrows, and opened fire on us, from which we suffered. Their colors had been struck down three times during their advance, and every field officer of the regiment was killed. (The regiment was the Sixteenth Louisiana, Colonel Fisk, of General Chalmers' brigade, composed of the Ninth and Tenth Mississippi and Sixteenth Louisiana. These facts were obtained from prisoners and burial parties that evening, and, I presume, are reliable.*) I received orders to fix

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*The Sixteenth and Twenty-fifth Louisiana Regiments (consolidated) were in D. W. Adams' brigade.

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