camp of General Lee, making an obstinate resistance the whole time. The credit of this advance is due to the Twenty-third Wisconsin, Nineteenth Kentucky, Seventy-seventh Illinois, and Sixty-seventh Indiana Regiments Volunteer Infantry. Lieutenant Colonel L. R. Webb, of the Seventy-seventh Illinois, an accomplished gentleman and a gallant officer, was killed while commanding his regiment in the advance. The number of casualties was not large, only a few wounded.

At a point said to be 4 miles from Mansfield, our advance came in sight of a wide opening in the timber in front of a hill of considerable height, on the right, left, and top of which there was considerable timber, but not so thickly set as on the road over which we had advanced. I had made frequent requests, before coming to this point, to have the brigade relieved or allowed to rest, inasmuch as the men were excessively fatigued by the loss of sleep and the difficulty experienced in advancing through the underbrush, which seemed to extend for miles to the right and left of the road, and was informed by General Lee that he had sent for the Second Brigade of my division to relieve the First. Believing that the position in my immediate front was too strong to be abandoned by the enemy without a stubborn resistance, I expressed to opinion to General Lee that it would be dangerous to send the Nineteenth Kentucky (which was then deployed as skirmishers) through the opening to the top of the hill without a heavy support. By his direction, however, I ordered the regiment, with the remainder of the brigade in support, to advance, and covered their movement by a fire from two guns of a battery which had been ordered to report to me during the day. The enemy soon disappeared, and I formed line with the brigade on the side and top of the hill. In the mean time Major-General Banks and Brigadier-General Ransom arrived, and upon consultation, I believe, it was decided to halt at that point. About one and a half or two hours must have elapsed before my other brigade arrived, during which time the enemy made scarcely any show in front. On our right, however, there were frequent indications of a large force of the enemy moving by the left flank endeavoring to get a position upon our right, parallel with the road. This induced me to commence changing front so as to face them if they came down the road from Mansfield, or advanced in line from a road on our right parallel with the road upon which we had moved, and as fast as they extended their line I extended mine so as to effectually cover my front and right flank. At 3.30 p.m. the enemy placed his line (said by prisoners to be 8,000 infantry, with a reserve of 12,000 cavalry and infantry) in motion.

My force consisted of the following troops: First Brigade, Colonel Frank Emerson, Sixty-seventh Indiana, commanding: Nineteenth Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, Lieutenant Colonel John Cowan commanding; Twenty-third Regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, Major J. E. Greene commanding; Seventy-seventh Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, Major J. A. Burdett commanding; Sixty-seventh Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry, Major F. A. Sears commanding. Second Brigade, Colonel J. W. Vance, Ninety-sixth Ohio, commanding: Ninety-sixth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Lieutenant Colonel A. H. Brown commanding; Eighty-third Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Lieutenant Colonel W. H. Baldwin commanding; Forty-eighth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Lieutenant Colonel J. W. Lindsey