when that division moved forward to attack, Hartranft stood with his right in front of the Boisseau house in echelon about 300 yards in rear of Potter's left, Hartranft's left resting on a swampy ravine. The enemy's works were visible on his left, in a westerly direction, about 1,000 yards. Potter's attack being met by a counter-charge of the enemy, who outflanked him, the Thirty-fifth and Thirty-sixth Massachusetts Regiments, of Potter's command, came to the rear in confusion and were rallied by General Hartranft on his line. General Hartranft's farther view to the right was obstructed by a growth of sorghum, so that he was not aware of the general repulse along Potter's line, and he still maintained his position, skirmishing with the enemy on his left and right front, until recalled by an order from Major-General Humphreys, chief of staff, Army of the Potomac. Meantime, pursuant to General Parke's orders, the First Brigade, Colonel Samuel Harriman, Thirty-seventh Wisconsin, commanding, was formed on the left of the Pegram house and obliquely in rear of both the Second Division and Hartranft's brigade, with orders from me to support either, as the occasion should demand. One regiment (One hundred and ninth New York) of this brigade was posted on a road coming in rear from the southwest.

As soon as Potter's division became engaged I ordered the brigade to extend farther to the right as far as the Pegram house road so as to support General Potter. A moment afterward I received orders from General Parke to advance the reserve to the crest of the field toward the Second Division, and both brigades were ordered forward. Harriman was on the left and in front of the Pegram house, in an open field, and the Third Brigade, Colonel N. B. McLaughlen, Fifty-seventh Massachusetts Volunteers, commanding, was in rear and in the woods. The orders were scarcely given before the Second Division troops had fallen back as far as Harriman's line, which now became engaged on its own ground. The field sloping up toward the enemy gave them the advantage of ground, and Harriman's brigade soon began to give way. The right wing, consisting of the Thirty-seventh Wisconsin, Eighth and Twenty-seventh Michigan, retired in good order to a fence on the left of the Pegram house, where these regiments halted, faced about, checked the farther advance of the enemy, and threw up hasty breast-works of rails, where they remained. The left wing did not behave so well; the Thirteenth Ohio (dismounted) Cavalry were thrown into panic and part of them fled ingloriously from the field, breaking the Thirty-eighth Wisconsin, which latter, however, were soon reformed in the woods in rear. McLaughlen's brigade was moving forward under my orders toward Harriman's line and rallying fugitives when Captain Wright, assistant adjutant-general Second Division, rode up and requested me to send some troops to the right of the Pegram house. Here McLaughlen was put in position, connecting on the right with the Fifth Corps troops and on the left with Harriman's brigade, and opened fire on the enemy, checking his farther advance in this quarter of the field. Hartranft's brigade, in retiring on the left, had considerable skirmishing with the enemy, who drove his skirmishers across the swamp on his left and threatened his rear. But this brigade withdrew in excellent order and took position to the left and rear of Harriman's line. The division now occupied the front on the left of the Fifth Corps. Before dusk the enemy fell back. In the evening there was some firing on our right, but mostly from our own men. Pickets were thrown out and the rest of the troops withdrawn to a position in front of the Peebles house, the right about half a mile from the Pegram