attached to Barton's brigade, and about the center of the column. As we neared Olustee, Barton having heard some firing in front, and noticing its increase, threw out a regiment on the left and two on the right. We then, after a short halt, moved on in three parallel lines, the regiment by the flank and the battery in column of pieces. Quite or nearly an hour had been occupied by different halts, and not much ground gone over by us, who were not in advance. During all this the firing occurred with fewer intervals and more force after the first shots until we moved on the last time, when it had become a continuous but not very loud rattle of musketry. I was soon met by an aide, who brought orders for me to "come up at once," and a few minutes afterward I received another order to "come up as quickly as possible." I started out at a trot, leaving the infantry to which I was attached, and coming behind the line of battle near where Hamilton's caissons stood, and I think one of his sections not engaged. Here seeing the general in command, his staff, and Hamilton, the chief of artillery, I waited for further orders. After forming line, nearly perpendicularly to the line of battle, pieces in front and prepared to move in any direction, I waited there some five or ten minutes, when an aide came to me and said I was wanted, or help was wanted, on the left; in addition, as nearly as I can remember, he added," We are threatened there;" or, "We are threatened there and unsupported. Go on the left." Moving to the left then and some 150 yards to the rear of and obliquely to the line of battle, I was overtaken by another aide who told me" to send one section off to the right." I detached Lieutenant Tully McCrea, whose section was the nearest, and asking the aide-de-camp to point out the way to McCrea, I moved on with the other four guns; this was done without halting, his section merely wheeling out of line. I saw McCrea no more until the line was ordered to retire. I came into battery by wheeling the sections to the right, having Metcalf's section on my left.

My position was about 100 or 150 yards to the left, and quite as much to the rear of Elder's battery. The latter was the extreme left of the line then in my front; at least, there was nothing that presented the appearance of a regiment in line. I have been informed that the Seventh New Hampshire and the Eighth U. S. Colored were posted on my left. I did see a crowd of men firing wildly in my front, but without order or judgment. I saw what I believed to be Elder's battery on my right and front, and on his right other guns and a line of men, firm and cool, firing as if on parade, and out of this line men dropping singly and in groups, wounded and dying. From my position not an enemy could be seen, though the balls came occasionally with such force as to indicate their immediate vicinity. They must have fired from the grass and trees. A line of smoke in front was my only guide. I fired a few rounds, but was not satisfied, for I could see no result, as I was firing high to reach their reserves. There being nothing visible in front, I limbered to the left and moved farther to the left, about 100 yards. Here the same difficulties presented themselves-the trees too thick to obtain a chance to fire, and my men and horses falling from an invisible foe. In my first position, before firing at all, I lost 2 or 3 men, how badly hurt I do not know. In my second position I had but a few minutes to wait before the enemy seemed to have suddenly discovered me, for the balls came now rapidly and evidently directed at us, as though I fired double can-