there in obedience to his orders and immediately afterward was ordered to move with one section of my battery to the left of our line. At this time my battery was divided into sections, one section being in our direct front, one section operating with the Seventeenth Army-Corps, one section on the left of our line, and my caissons in columns in the road in the rear of the Second Division. I was with my left section. Two of my officers had been detached from the battery, and one was home on sick leave, leaving me but one officer.

Consequently two of my sections and my line of caissons were under the command of sergeants. But a short time had elapsed after the assault of the enemy on our left had been repulsed, and a confidence in our ability to hold our lines restored, when a furious assault was made on the front of the Fourth and Second Divisions of the Fifteenth Army Corps, breaking the line of the Second Division near the railroad and driving our men from their works. Every effort was made by the sergeant in charge to save my caissons but without avail, for before they could reach the main road the rebels had the lead horses by their bridles. The drivers saved themselves from capture by jumping from their horses into the brush. Two of them were severely wounded, but the majority escaped unhurt. I am informed by the sergeant in charge that no cowardice was exhibited by the drivers, and that not a solitary one of them left his saddle until the road was blockaded by the leading carriage being halted by the rebels. My entire of caissons were captured, with all their implements and equipments, and the haversacks, canteens, blankets and a part of the cooking utensils of the men. The breaking of the line of the Second Division compelled our division to fall back, and the line was performed and the artillery placed in position on the ridge occupied in the morning. As soon as it was fully ascertained that he enemy were the only occupants of the front line, the artillery in position, consisting of one of my sections, the First Iowa Battery, and a battery from the Seventeenth Army Corps, under the direction of the chief of artillery of the Fourth Division, opened a fire so destructive in its effective that our infantry reoccupied the line broken with scarcely any resistance. This closed the fighting for the day.

I forward herewith a report of casualties* and loss of horses and materials so far as I have been able to ascertain them.

Yours, very respectfully,

J. H. BURTON,

Captain, Commanding Baty. F, First Regt Illinois Light Arty.

Brigadier General WILLIAM HARROW,

Commanding Fourth Division, 15th Army Corps.

HDQRS. FOURTH DIVISION, 15TH ARMY CORPS,
Before Atlanta, Ga., August 19, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to report the part taken by the artillery of this division in the operations of yesterday, as follows:

At noon orders were received to make a demonstration for the purpose of inducing the enemy to believe our lines were about to assault their works. A feeble reply was elicited, but it soon ceased

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* Nominal list (omitted) shows 1 officer and 2 men killed, 4 men wounded and 1 officer missing. Reports of horses and materials lost not found.

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