Corps the next day. On the 27th Minty's brigade, with two regiments of Wilder's, passed around the left flank of the enemy, and attacked him in rear with both artillery and musketry, and rendered much service to the Army of the Tennessee, which was acknowledged by Major-General McPherson in a written communication.

On the 1st of June, when the Army of the Tennessee withdrew from Dallas, the division with the cavalry of General Stoneman, secured Allatoona Pass. On the 6th Colonel Long, with his brigade, joined the division, via Decatur and Rome, and en route met, engaged, defeated, and pursued Roddey. On the 9th General Sherman ordered me to make a reconnaissance in front of Big Shanty, and find if the line of the enemy crossed the railroad. Taking Minty's and Wilder's brigades and two sections of artillery, I proceeded beyond Acworth, and met the enemy just outside of the infantry pickets. The enemy was driven from two lines of rail breast-works near big Shanty, and a line f log works in the woods beyond, and the reconnaissance was pushed until, from dead and wounded, it was positively ascertained that the line of the enemy crossed the railroad. Prisoners reported that we engaged and drove three brigades of cavalry and one of infantry. One brigade of the Fifteenth Army Corps was in rear of my command to support it, but was not engaged. On the 10th my division took post on the old Alabama road near where it crosses Noonday Creek, and until the enemy abandoned his works on Kenesaw Mountain remained on the left, conforming to the advance of the army, and guarding the left flank. My orders were to protect that flank and keep the cavalry of the enemy so engaged that he could not detach any large force to intercept our communications. This was effectually accomplished, but not without much exertion and activity, resulting in six engagements with Wheeler's force, namely, on the 11th, 15th, 19th, 20th, 23d, and 27th of June. The enemy had in every instance the advantage of position, and, as far as I could learn, a superior force.

On the 3rd of July, when the army advanced through Marietta, the division advanced down the Pace's Ferry road in pursuit of the enemy, and on the 4th was sharply engaged on the left of the Fourth Army Corps. On the 5th the division moved to Roswell, and on the 6th destroyed the immense factory at that place. On the 9th, in the presence of the enemy, the river was crossed, a foothold gained on the south bank, and the important ford at Roswell secured for our army. On the 18th the railroad near Stone Mountain was broken, and on the 19th two brigades were driven from Stone Mountain, the depot burnt, and a set of colors captured. On the 22nd the railroad, fifty miles east of Atlanta, was cut, and other damage done, exceeding the orders of the commanding general, and achieving a far greater success than was hoped for. On the 27th the division was placed under General Stoneman, who ordered it to Flat Rock, and abandoned it to its fate. After being surrounded by a superior force for over twelve hours, and contending against every disadvantage, in hopes of benefiting General Stoneman in his attempt to destroy the railroad, it extricated itself from its perilous situation. On the 20th two brigades. Minty's and Long's, were placed under General Kilpatrick, and acted under him on his raid Jonesborough. During the recent movement the division had had the responsibility of protecting the rear and of concealing our plans from the enemy.

The above enumeration of occasions on which the division has been prominently employed has been made to give an idea of its