The gallant conduct of Lieutenant Edwards, of the Fifteenth, and the manner in which handled his men, is worthy of great praise, and the commanding officer takes pleasure in announcing that it has elicited the marked approbation of the general commanding the division.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN M. OLIVER,

Colonel, Commanding Brigade.

Captain GEORGE J. WILKINSON,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Fourth Division.

HDQRS. FIRST Brigadier, FOURTH DIV., 15TH ARMY CORPS,
East Point, Ga., September 9, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the First Brigade since August 4, when the division was reorganized, together with the reports of the regimental commanders, and a copy of the report of the operations of the Third Brigade, which was under my command during the campaign, until it was discontinued in the reorganization:

On the 4th of August, 1864, the Third Brigade was discontinued, the troops composing it, together with the Twelfth Indiana Infantry, Colonel Reuben Williams commanding, and Ninetieth Illinois Infantry, Captain O'Connor commanding, organized as a brigade, and designated as First Brigade, Fourth Division, Fifteenth Army Corps. The position occupied was about one mile west of Atlanta, well fortified, and in close proximity to the works of the enemy. On the 5th the Forty-eighth Illinois was put in the front line, relieving a regiment of the Second Brigade. While occupying this position our pickets were constantly engaged, and their fire was often severe and destructive. Our skirmish line having been securely intrenched on the nights of the 7th and 8th, the main moved forward and occupied it on the 9th, the distance gained being 300 yards on the left, and 450 on the right, and the line lengthened by this movement so that the Ninety-ninth Indiana and Fifteenth michigan were also brought forward. On the nights of the 12th and 13th a line of works was constructed, in advance of the Fifteenth Michigan, and occupied by the Seventieth Ohio the following day. At daylight on the 17th Captain John Murphy, Company B, Nineteenth Illinois Infantry, having volunteered for the purpose, with twenty men from his own regiment and twenty from the Twelfth Indiana, made a dash on a few of the enemy's rifle-pits, which had been annoying us greatly, and succeeded in taking them, with 8 prisoners, losing 1 man killed. The same night the enemy's skirmishers made an effort to retake them, but failed. 18th, made a demonstration, which resulted in discovering that there was no diminution of the enemy's force in our front; skirmishing continued until the 26th. At 9.10 p. m. commenced withdrawing our lines, leaving the usual number of skirmishers in front, and accomplished it without loss or interruption, the skirmishers having repulsed a heavy demonstration made by the enemy, and coming in all the safe at the sound of reveille in their camps. Marched all night and camped at 1 p. m., 27th, on the south side of Wolf Creek, distance twelve miles, and fortified our position. 28th, marched five miles to Atlanta and Montgomery Rail-