my left battalion. I will here say that the Thirty-second Indiana, the first regiment I saw coming to my support, did so in detached fragments, and not as a regiment. None of the other troops except about fifty men of the Forty-ninth Ohio advanced as far as my lines during their desperate and unsupported battle. Colonel Payne, with a portion of his command, held his position, quite at the front, until after dark, when they were withdrawn. It is due the brave brigade which I have commanded during the entire war until within the past few days, and which has been in the front of every battle of the Army of the Cumberland, to say that this battle of the 27th of May is its first and only unsuccessful effort during the war, and at this time, as its dead list will show, went at its work with an honest good will which deserved a better result. I shall ever believe its part bravely and well done. To Colonels Berry and Payne and Lieutenant-Colonels Kimberly and Foy, since killed, and their brave commands my sincere thanks are due. A sketch of the battle-field is herewith appended.*

The brigade was put in position near where it fought, and during the night the enemy having permanently established his lines in our front, we remained here until the morning of June 5. The enemy having retired from the front the night previous, we moved to a position near New Hope Church, where we remained until the 10th. From this date to the 22nd the command moved forward at short intervals, taking up new positions and fortifying them as the enemy would take up new lines, losing a few men each day. On the 22nd reached Kenesaw Mountain, or, more properly, the last position taken up before the enemy's retreat beyond Marietta. This position was separated but about 300 yards from the enemy's. We remained here maneuvering with picket-lines, losing some men every day, and on the 23rd losing 4 officers and 64 men in moving the picket-line forward, until 3rd of July. The enemy having retreated during the previous night we moved forward through Marietta, and on the 4th and 5th to Pace's Ferry, on the Chattahoochee River, the enemy having halted and fortified but one position in this distance. This brigade being in advance on the 5th, met the enemy's cavalry five miles from the river, but pushing on vigorously did not half for them, and reached the ferry just as the enemy had cut loose one end of their pontoon brigade, which swung around, but was secured by my men three days afterwards. All of the command during the day was at different times on the skirmish line; and all the battalion commanders performed good service. Our losses were slight in all the battalions. Major Williston, Forty-first Ohio Volunteers, near the ferry, was wounded and disabled. We remained in this position until the 10th, during which time Colonel Foy, Twenty-third Kentucky, was wounded, from which he has since died. We then moved up the river about six miles, and on the 12th crossed the Chattahoochee at Powers' Ferry and took up a position about one mile from it, putting up works on the 13th, where we remained until the 17th, when the division was moved down to Pace's Ferry, clearing the river-bank of the enemy to assist the Fourteenth Corps to cross, when we returned to the position of the morning and remained until the 18th, when we marched to Buck Head, taking up a position, and on the 19th moved to Peach Tree Creek, when, after repairing the bridge, the

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* See p. 427.

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