for its preservation so dear a peice. Upon General McPherson's death, Major- General Logan, the senior officer upon the field, assumed command of the Army of the Army of the Tennessee, and retained it until it devolved on me, the 27th of July, by directin of Major- General Sheman, and in accordance with a telegraphic dispatch from the Secretay of War. Acopy of General Logan's able report of this interim is heewith inclosed.*

The 26th of July, about 10 p. m., I received a telegram from General Shrman, advising me that I had been appointed by the President of the United States to the command of the Depeartment and Army of the Tennessee, and directing me to assume command and put the army in position the following morning.

Pursuant to Special Field Orders, Numbers 42, paragraph IV, Military Division of the Mississippi, the army was withdrawn from its position on the left and marched to the rear of the center of the Military Division of the Mississippi during the night of the 26th. At daylight in the morning, the head of column had reached the Guck Head road, near the headquarters of General Sherman, where I joined the army. He then directed me to accompany him to the right, where he would indicate the position he wished me to take, The general pointed out a ridge running nearly south and perpendicular to General Palmer's line, opposite his extreme right, along which he desired my column to me. In compliance with General Sherman's instructions, I assumed command as the head of the column reached the position indicated. The Sixteenth Corps, Major- General Dodge commanding, was leaving. I directed him to deploy his corps in two lines, as each divsion arrived. General Corse's division was first deployed adn pushed forward, following a reconnaissance that Brigadier- General Morgan, of Davis' division, Fourteenth Corps, was making, in order to facilitate my movement. Corse's division pressed forward with- out waitinng for Fuller's divison, which had halted some way back, and created much delay. Fuller was fiployed, on his arrival, to the right and rear of Corse, and followed up that movement. In this same manner each successive division of the army passed to the right of the preceding, formed, and moved forward in echelon. Geeral Corse having arived at the position I had designated for the left to rest, wheeled to the left till his line faced eastward. Fuller's divisiondid the same on Corse's right, refusing, however, his right flank. The Seventeenth Corps had headly reached Fuller's right when it became too dark to proceed farther. In proceeding thus far, the enemy's skirmishers had been easily driven back. The Ffteenth Corps was placed in reserve till the moon arose, about 3 a. m. of the 28th, when one division was sent to cover the right of the Seventeenth Corps.

As soon as it was light on the morning of the 28th, I found Major- Generals Logan and Blair already on the field and their commands in motion, in order to extend their lines in the manner previously directed. By 11 a. m. a strong position had been secured- General Dodge on the left, Geenral Blair the center, General Logan the right. The Sixteenth and Seventeenth Corps faced substntially to the east, the latter refusing slightly the right flank, just enveloping Ezra Church. The Fifteenth Corps, General Logan, occupied a wooded ridge parallel with the Lick Skillet and Atlanta road, facing nearly south. As soon as this hill had been carried by the

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*See p. 21.

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