engagement having by this time become heavy General Rice offered to form a second line with some of his troops, to hold the enemy in check while the Forty-third Illinois and Fortieth Iowa Regiments of my brigade and Thirty-third Iowa of his own should prepare themselves some coffee and rest from the fatigue and exposure of the night. The Twenty-seventh Wisconsin was to be withdrawn on the completion of the second line. This line having been formed the Twenty-seventh was moved off, and my brigade was placed in position in the edge of the timber bordering the last field ont he road toward the bridge. The Third-third also came into the same field, and the men of the different regiments built fires to prepare their coffee. But long ere this was cooked the engagement had assumed such proportions that the regiments had to be successively sent to assembled in the field General Rive first withdrew his own regiment, the Thirty-third Iowa. He making application for a regiment of my brigade to cover his left flank, the Twenty-seventh Wisconsin was ordered out and placed in position by Lieutenant Duncan, of his staff. The general commanding division coming up, the two remaining regiments of my brigade were by him ordered toward the enemy, leaving two companies of the Fortieth Iowa deployed to cover the left of the position heretofore held by the brigade. The enemy at this time making a demonstration in force on our right beyond the creek, and there being danger of his gaining a position enfilading our own lines, the general ordered the Forty-third across to force him back. The men, with some hesitancy, plunged into the narrow but swollen stream, the water being from 3 to 4 feet deep, filling the cartridge-boxes of many. Deploying on the opposite side, the Forty-third was soon briskly engaged, and in conjunction with two companies of the Second Kansas, African descent, steadily and speedily drove the enemy from that side of the creek. The section of Vaughn's battery, under Lieutenant Thomas, having returned to the battle-field, the Fortieth Iowa was formed for its support, several of its companies, however, being also thrown across the creek to deploy as skirmishers on the extreme right of our lines. Information being now received that the enemy were making a powerful demonstration on our left and threatening to turn it, Colonel Garrett, with four companies of his regiment, which had been stationed to the left of the guns, was ordered to form on the extreme left of our lines.

The enemy having been completely repulsed on the right concentrated his efforts on the center and left of our lines, testing the braveery of the troops to the utmost. General Rice requested that the Forty-third Illinois, now lying on its arms and not engaged by the enemy, be ordered to the left center of our position. This request was complied with as expeditiously as the distance occupied by that regiment beyond the creek would admit, the skirmishers of the Fortieth Iowa, heretofore deployed still farther to the right, being moved toward the left as the Forty-third withdrew. This movement took place at a decisive moment. The four companies of the Fortieth Iowa, heretofore deployed still farther to the right, being moved toward the left as the Forty-third withdrew. This movement took place at a decisive moment. The four companies of the Fortieth Iowa holding the extreme left of our lines were hard pressed by the enemy, but maintained their position with the most commendable bravery, suffering, however, in proportion to the number of men composing those companies, the most severe loss of any of our troops engaged at Jenkins' Ferry. The general commanding division being informed of the desperate nature of the conflict on our extreme left