a thin line of the enemy's skirmishers, who retreated as we advanced. Orders were received at 7 a. m. to advance my line and occupy the works abandoned by the enemy. I then reversed the works and made them defensible. At 12 m. heavy firing commenced on my left, which proved to be an attack made upon the Seventeenth Army Corps. My reserve regiment (Twenty-sixth Illinois Infantry, Captain Ira J. Bloomfield commanding) was ordered to report to the Second Brigade, leaving me on the line, Twelfth Indiana Infantry, Lieutenant Colonel James Goodnow commanding, on the right, and Ninetieth Illinois Infantry, Lieutenant Colonel Owen Stuart commanding, on the left. At 3 p. m. the enemy was reported advancing in my front. At 3.30 o'clock the engagement commenced. The enemy was checked and retiring, when,to my astonishment, I discovered the brigade on my right falling back. I held my line in position, and ordered the fire to be directed right oblique, and continued firing in that direction pouring in a terrific fire from that point, both with musketry and artillery. My command then fell back under cover of the woods, reformed, advanced, and re-occupied the works. The Ninety-ninth Indiana, Colonel Fowler commanding, reported to me, but could not make any disposition of them at that time, as I was forced to retire the second time and occupy the works I had left in the morning. Orders were then received from the general commanding to retake the works at all hazards. I immediately moved my line forward and occupied the works without any opposition, and pushed my skirmishers forward nearly to the line they formerly occupied.

Herewith I forward the reports and list of casualties of the regiments in my brigade.*

I have the honor to be, lieutenant, very respectfully, your, obedient servant,

REUB WILLIAMS,

Colonel Twelfth Indiana, Commanding Brigade.

Lieutenant A. M. VAN DYKE,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Fourth Division.

HDQRS. FIRST Brigadier, FOURTH DIV., 15TH ARMY CORPS,
Near Atlanta, Ga., August 3, 1864.

SIR: In obedience to instructions received from your headquarters, I have the honor to submit the following as the works performed by my brigade from and after the battle of Resaca up to 3rd August, 1864, at which time the brigade was reorganized by an order from corps headquarters,and by seniority of rank the command devolved on Colonel John M. Oliver, of the Fifteenth Michigan Infantry:

On May 16, in obedience to your order, took up the line of march in pursuit of the enemy, and arrived at Kingston, Ga., on 19th May, nothing worthy of special mention transpiring on the march. Here we rested an procured supplies. On 23rd resumed march and crossed Etowah River on Wooley's Bridge, and proceeded in the direction of Dallas, Ga., via Van Wert. On the 25th my brigade was detailed as guards for wagon trains, and about 2 p. m. of that day was fired into by a squad of Texas cavalry, who immediately

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*Nominal list (omitted) shows 12 killed, 1 officer and 31 men wounded, and 6 officers and 80 men captured or missing; total, 130.

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