ment. At 2.15 p.m. I advanced rapidly with my entire command, formed as stated above, Major-General Hooker then being present. The enemy, in heavy force, was encountered at once, and the battle became severe, lasting until after dark. All of my brigades were handled very handsomely by their commanders, preserving their formation in two lines while advancing,and fighting desperately over very rough and timbered ridges. The enemy were driven from two ridges, which they held with rifle-pits strongly occupied, and my troops charged impetuously up to the very mouths of their cannon, which were in a line of powerful works on a high ridge which forms part of the chain south of Pine Hill and connecting Kenesaw with Lost Mountain. Here the fighting was desperate. The enemy, driven with heavy loss into powerful intrenchments, on which they had bestowed a week's labor in preparation, and in which, in my front, they used eighteen pieces of artillery, fought from these works, knowing that if they were carried by us all to them was lost. In front of them the timber was slashed, and strong abatis, and also chevaux-de-frise of pointed stakes, had been formed. Their artillery, which had played steadily into my ranks, was now used with redoubled effort. My troops, charging into the abatis, in some places within fifty yards of the guns, by dark had silenced many of them. There had been no co-operating attack on either my right or my left, both of which the enemy had attempted to flank during our assault. This attempt of theirs was repulsed without checking my advance, the attack on my right being met by a regiment from the second line of Ireland's brigade changing front to the right, that on our left by a regiment from the second line of Candy's brigade changing front to the left. The One hundred and thirty-fourth New York Volunteers, under Lieutenant-Colonel Jackson, as skirmishers, also rendered most effective service, holding the ground between Candy and the Fourth Corps, and following up our movement with the right of his line.

Darkness coming on the battle diminished to heavy skirmish firing, the enemy also keeping up a brisk enfilading artillery fire upon us from their works extending beyond my left. My lines were established in the position gained close to the enemy's main works. So near were the opposing forces that it was extremely hazardous to attempt the construction of breast-works. The sound of an ax was the signal for a volley of bullets and canister from the enemy, but by cutting timber some distance in the rear, and carrying it up by the help of old logs, and the active use of the spade, a tolerable line of irregular intrenchments was thrown up in our front during the night. I ascertained that the position held by Ireland's brigade was in the opening of a wide re-entering angle of the enemy's works, thus exposing him to a severe fire of artillery and musketry from both flanks as well as from his front. His brigade, which in this position was within a very few yards of the enemy (so close indeed that the slightest word could be heard by the opposing forces), was toward morning quietly withdrawn about 150 yards to the rear, thus forming a refused line on my right flank. In his front a strong log breast-work was finished by morning. My skirmish line connected during the night with that of Butterfield's to my right. At 5 p.m. Williams' division had come up and massed in my rear. Colonel Robinson's brigade, of that division, reported to me for orders, and by my direction took position in line on a small spur about 150 yards in rear of the center of my line. On this spur his