men formed behind this rectangular work. Soon afterward Colonel Logan with the pickets of the division, who having after night-fall been relieved on the other side of the mountain had lately come up and been placed under my command, was ordered by me from his first position on my left to a position on my right in continuation of the line across the road into the woods. This order he executed promptly. These desposition made, we awaited the approach of the enemy. Little firing had taken place. Our pickets had shot down several cavalrymen attempting to dash up the road from the right to the left where the fight was going on, and had taken a few prisoners. The enemy, however, were still near at hand, and a part of them had got into the wood and on the ridge which I by the original order was to occupy. I heard them talking myself, and their line was visible to the pickets. Thus they were threatening to cut us off from the bridge. About the time Colonel Logan had established himself in his new position on my right in the woods I saw the first of Colonel Bratton's troops returning down the road. They proved to be two regiments, the foremost commanded by Major----. They were moving in perfect order, and without any sign of hurry or excitement. Knowing that the enemy were in the wood toward the bridge, I requested the major to form his regiment in front of the bridge and face the hill instead of crossing over. He did so. I afterward found him in line there. The rest of Colonel Bratton's command passed down to the bridge by another way nearer the creek, which way was out of my sight. When the whole command had crossed the bridge, except the part of it lately formed in line in front of the bridge, I moved my brigade back to the bridge, leaving in the breast-works a strong line of skirmishers. Colonel Logan pursued a similar course with his command. Arriving near the bridge, I deployed the Fifteenth Regiment Georgia Volunteers as skirmishers in front of the bridge and of the line referred to. This line then crossed the bridge and I followed it with the three other regiments of my brigade. My skirmishers were sent for when I commenced moving to the bridge with the three brigades. They all came in safely, having repulsed two attacks of the enemy, one a dash of a small cavalry party on the breast-work across the road, the other an attack of infantry skirmishers on the angle of the work. Thus, captain, I have given you an account of the part which this brigade had in the night affair of the 28th, adn I regret much having had to use so many words for so little matter. We had two or three wounded, not dangerously, and two are missing, no doubt taken prisoners, as they went toward the part of the wood occupied, as we afterward found out, by the enemy. It was important to know where General Robertson's left was. These two young men volunteered to go and ascertain. They were gallant fellows. Their names are John J. Boswell, Company C, Seventeenth Georgia, and David Zachary, Company H, Sevententh Georgia.

I am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

HENRY L. BENNING,

Brigadier-General.

[Captain L. R. TERRELL,

Assistant Adjutant-General.]

[31.]