length. The enemy occupied a strong line of trenches and a large for immediately in my front. On the night of the 18th Companies B and E, under charge of Captain Robinson, who was assisting me now in the management of the regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel Lawrence, having gone to the rear sick on the 17th, leaving me without a field officer, erected a temporary bridge across the Peach Tree and built intrenchments on the south side. On the morning of the 19th the enemy opened early upon my line and made a vigorous effort to drive my companies back across the river. All day long and until late at night they kept up a heavy fire all along my line, killing 1 man of Company E and wounding 1 man of Company K and 1 man of Company E. My command returned the fire vigorously, expending --- rounds of cartridges. A deserter, who swam the river and came to us under cover of the night, informed me that we had damaged the enemy very seriously, killing and wounding, in addition to 2 commissioned officers, many of their men.

Before daylight on the morning of the 20th I crossed four additional companies over the Peach Tree, and at daybreak, with six companies (A, F, G and E, of the One hundred and twenty-first Ohio, and two companies of the Thirty-fourth Illinois that had been sent to assist me), I drove the enemy from their two lines of rifle-pits in my front into his main fort on my right, on the south side of the river, near the ruins of the railroad bridge. During this advance the other companies of my regiment were posted on the north side of the Peach Tree to cover my retreat should I be driven back. After carefully examining the enemy's position and works I had just completed my arrangements to charge the enemy's forts at 3 o'clock when a staff officer from General Davis brought me orders to withdraw my command to the north bank of the Peach Tree, at the same time informing me that the command that had crossed above me, and which I supposed was still on my left, had been withdrawn for some two hours. In obedience to orders I immediately withdrew across the Peach Tree. The enemy did not follow me up. On the 21st, the enemy having withdrawn from his line south of the Peach Tree, with my regiment I rejoined the brigade some three miles to my left. On the morning of the 22nd we moved out and took up a position on the right and south of the railroad within three miles of Atlanta in front of the enemy's works, our right resting near the old mill, built intrenchments, and rested here behind our works until the morning of the 28th, doing only the customary picket duty. July 28, the division, under command of General Morgan, made a reconnaissance to the right toward Sandtown; returned and took up a position at 12 o'clock at night near White Hall. On the 29th advanced our line across the battle-field of the 28th, making reconnaissance to the front. Found the enemy's dead unburied and many of their wounded uncared for. On the 30th advanced our line again to the front and right, the One hundred and twenty-first Ohio acting as skirmishers. On the 31st made a part of division reconnaissance to the right and front, and returned to camp at dark.

Rested in camp on the 1st, 2d, and 3rd of August. On the 4th moved early in light marching order, Second Division to support First and Third Divisions on a charge on the right. Advanced our lines some two miles and halted for the night. On the morning of the 5th moved forward and took up a new position fronting the Sandtown road. Before we succeeded in getting into position the enemy opened his batteries and shelled my line, our line being about

45 R R-VOL XXXVIII, PT I