supporting force, who occupied the space left vacant by the forward movement of McCown between the left of my front line and McCown's right. Opposing him in that space was the Second Division, of Major-General [A. McD.] McCook's corps, under the command of Brigadier General J. C. Davis, to confront which he had to wheel to the right, as the right of General McCook's corps was slightly refused. Cleburne's attack, following so soon on that of McCown, caught the force in his front also not altogether prepared, and the vigor of the assault was so intense that they, too, yielded and were driven.

Major-General Withers' left was opposed to the right of General Sheridan, commanding the Third and remaining division of General McCook's corps. The enemy's right was strongly posted on a ridge of rocks, with chasms intervening, and covered with a dense growth of rough cedars. Being advised of the attack he was to expect by the fierce contest which was being waged on his right, he was fully prepared for the onset, and this notice and the strength of his position enabled him to offer a strong resistance to Withers, whose duty it was to move next. Colonel [J. Q.] Loomis, who commanded the left brigade, moved up with energy and spirit to the attack. He was wounded and was succeeded by Colonel [J. G.] Coltart. The enemy met the advance with firmness, but was forced to yield. An accession of force aided him to recover his position, and its great strength enabled him to hold it. Coltart, after a gallant charge and a sharp contest, fell back, and was replaced by Colonel [A. J.] Vaughan, [jr.], of Major-General Cheatham's division, of the rear line. Vaughan, notwithstanding the difficulties of the ground, charged the position with great energy; but the enemy, intrenched behind stones and covered by the thick woods, could not be moved, and Vaughan also was repulsed. This caused a loss of time, and Cleburne's division, pressing Davis, reached a point where Sheridan's batteries, still unmoved, by wheeling to the right, enfiladed it. Colonel Vaughan was speedily reorganized and returned to the assault, and, in conjunction with Colonel Coltart, drove at the position with resistless courage and energy; and although their losses were very heavy, the enemy could not bear up against the onset. He was dislodged and driven with the rest of the fleeing battalions of McCook's corps.

In this charge the horses of every officer of the field and staff of Vaughan's brigade, except one, and the horses of all the officers of the field and staff of every regiment, except two, were killed. The brigade lost also one-third of all its force. It captured two of the enemy's field guns.

The brigade of Colonel [A. M.] Manigault, which was immediately on the right of that of Colonel Coltart, followed the movement of the latter, according to instructions; but as Coltart failed in the first onset to drive Sheridan's right, Manigault, after dashing forward and pressing the enemy's line in his front back upon his second line, was brought under a very heavy fire of artillery from two batteries on his right, supported by a very heavy infantry force. He was, therefore, compelled to fall back.

In this charge the brigade suffered severely, sustaining a very heavy loss in officers and men, but the gallant South Carolinians* returned to the charge a second and a third time, and, being aided by the brigade of General [G.] Maney, of the second line, which came to his relief with its heavy Napoleon guns and a deadly fire of musketry, the enemy gave way and joined his comrades on the right in their precipitate retreat

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*See Indorsement Numbers 2, p. 697.

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