attacks, but concentrated a heavy artillery fire upon the troops. In retiring almost all the wounded of the division were brought off, and but few prisoners were lost. From this position the division was moved, under orders to the left and formed connection with the Second Division, Sixth Corps.

After General Ricketts was wounded Brigadier General G. W. Getty assumed command of the corps, from whom I received orders. The First Division, commanded by Brigadier General Frank Wheaton, was formed upon my right. Many of the troops thrown into disorder early in the engagement were reformed and brought into line; those of the Nineteenth Corps were formed upon the right of the army. It was known about 10.30 a.m. that Major-General Sheridan had arrived upon the field and had assumed command of the army. Major-General Wright resumed command of the Sixth Army Corps. Unfortunately, Colonel Emerson, commanding the First Brigade, failed to keep connection with the Second Brigade of the division during a march to the rear, in consequence of which some delay took place in getting into proper position. As soon as a position was taken up a heavy line of skirmishers was ordered forward from the Second Brigade, accordingly ordered forward the One hundred and tenth Ohio and One hundred and thirty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Otho H. Binkley. They took up a position about 300 yards to the front, and along the outskirts of the woods. Desultory firing and skirmishing were kept up.

The enemy about 1 p.m. attempted another advance, and after a brisk fight with the skirmishers caused them to fall back to the main line. The attack was then immediately repulsed, and the skirmishers retook their former position. A small detachment of the Army of West Virginia, under the command of Colonel R. B. Hayes, of the Twenty-third Ohio, was formed upon the left of the Third Division and connected with the right of the Second Division, Sixth Army Corps, the left of which rested upon the Valley turnpike, about one mile in rear of Middletown. The troops remained in position until 3.15 p.m., when a general advance was made, the order to do so having been received by me from Major-General Wright. Immediately after the advance commenced the troops of the Army of West Virginia were withdrawn from the line, leaving a short interval between the left of my line and that of General G. W. Getty, commanding Second Division. In accordance with instructions from Major-General Wright my line was ordered to dress to the left in the general advance and close up all intervals. Specific instructions were given by me to brigade commanders to dress their troops to the left in the advance, leave no intervals, and to be careful to avoid dressing them too rapidly and closely. The troops were in one line of battle and without reserves. When the advance commenced the division moved forward in splendid style and very rapidly. It soon encountered the enemy in great strength and well posted. The enemy opened a deadly fire with artillery and musketry upon the troops, but for a time they continued the advance, although suffering heavy losses. The order to avoid massing the troops in the advance was not complied with by the First Brigade, the troops of which, after coming under fire, dressed hastily, and in some confusion, to left and soon became massed behind and merged into troops of Second Brigade. In addition to the confusion that necessarily ensued the right was left unprotected. The greater portion of the division, after returning the enemy's fire vigorously for a short time, temporarily gave way. To the