made stronger. The brigade remained in this position until the 26th without anything important occurring, except that the line was advanced about forty roads on the 24th. On the 26th our entire division was relived by the Second Division and was put in reserve, where we remained until the 29th. On the 29th the entire division was moved to the extreme right of the army to support a reconnaissance to be made by Davis' division, of the Fourteenth Corps. The reconnaissance was accomplished without any fighting, and our division rested for the night in large field about one mile in advance of the works of the Army of the Tennessee. On the day following Davis' division again moved to the right and went into position, and our division formed in the rear of the right of that division, and at right angles with it, to cover the flank. A line of works was here constructed, but no enemy was seen even by our pickets. We remained in this position during the 31st of July and 1st day of August, and on the 2nd moved toward the left of our line and encamped for the night near the railroad.

On the morning of the 3rd of August my brigade moved up and relieved Moore's brigade, of the Fourteenth Army Corps, in the works, my left resting on the railroad. On the day following we built and occupied an advanced line of works and continued to hold them without any change of importance occurring until the 11th of August, when the right of my line for the length of three regiments was again advanced. On the 14th and 15th I planned and constructed a lunette on the left of my line for the four guns stationed at that point (one section Battery I, First Michigan, and one section Battery C, First Ohio), with a view to give better range and more security to the guns. From that time until the night of the 25th no change took place in our lines.

During all the time we lay before the city very active picket-firing was kept up, and frequently we were subjected to a severe and well directed fire of shell from the enemy's forts. Almost every day casualties occurred within my line, and it was in many places impossible to show a head above the works without it being made a target for rebel sharpshooters. The men were compelled to keep continually under cover and suffered great constraint by being kept so continuously in the ditches, which were frequently very wet and muddy. Many casualties occurred while men were sitting in their tents close behind the works, and several were killed while asleep in their bunks. The enemy's works were not more than 600 yards from my lines, and their gunners could be plainly seen from my lines with the naked eye when using the rammer. Our picket-lines were in some places not more than fifty paces apart. On the afternoon of the 25th of August I was ordered to report to Brigadier-General Williams, commanding Twentieth Army Corps, for orders, and having done so was by him ordered to report to Brigadier-General Knipe, commanding First Division, Twentieth Army Corps. From the latter I received orders to withdraw my brigade from the works at 8 p. m. and from it in mass on a range of hills about one-fourth of a mile to the rear near the Marietta road, there to await the movement of the Fourth Corps to the right of the army, and then to move in the rear of Brigadier-General Ruger's brigade by the Marietta road to the Chattahoochee River. These orders were executed, and the brigade arrived without loss at the river about daylight on the morning of the 26th, and was put in reserve until it should be ascertained whether the enemy would follow up our move-