pelling the men to traverse that portion of the line exposed. The weight of their guns overmatched ours, and I prohibited the opening of our light 12's till we could get a position nearer the enemy's line.

August 1, 2, and 3, inclusive, a slight advance of the skirmishers, and a brief shelling of their line on the 1st, by Lieutenant Blodgett, with a continued working on our obstruction, were all the events of these three days. The enemy disposed to be quiet, occasionally opening from their siege pieces. August 4, in compliance with orders from Military Division of the Mississippi, through corps headquarters, to make a demonstration to cover some movements on the right, and in co-operation with the command on my right and left, I doubled my skirmish line and, with the Sixty-sixth Illinois and Fifty-second Illinois, charged the rebels; drove them from their pits back into their main line. Under cover of this movement I reconnoitered the ground, and discovered a commanding position for the main line. About 6 p. m. the enemy opened their batteries, and, with a strong line of battle, advanced, driving amy skirmishers from the position gained in the morning, and threatening our main works. I ordered Colonel Phillips to take his brigade and recover the position. With the aid of the artillery he charged them in return, and, after a vigorous fight, secured the greater portion of the ground, but suffered from a galling fire on his flanks, the other commands not coming to his support as was expected. Our casualties were about 25 killed and wounded. August 5, the skirmishing was vigorous all day, but no effort on the part of the enemy to advance. Men intrenched themselves as well as possible under the enemy's fire. August 6, the enemy, evidently annoyed by our success and the fire of our skirmish line, shelled it warmly about 8 a. m., but produced no effect. August 7, 8, and 9, constant skirmishing, with a steady advance of our lines, produced a list of casualties expected only from an extensive engagement. Again were the rebels assaulted successively on the 8th, capturing 12 or 15 prisoners, and bringing our line within 1,000 yards of the enemy. On the 11th the rebel vedettes were captured or driven in, and we obtained a position from which we could command the rebel batteries and occupy with the main body. August 12, the command occupied works thrown up in the night on a ridge overlooking the eastern part of Atlanta. Our skirmishers were distant from the enemy about sixty yards. There was from this line a single ravine separating the ridge from that on which the city of Atlanta is located, and the central point of the line being quite elevated, furnished a fine natural position for a battery. Welker's battery, Lieutenant Blodgett commanding, moved in about 2 a. m., and was ordered to open whenever the enemy did. As soon as the fog had moved from the intervening space, the enemy discovered our line, our battery, and our working parties, and opened all their metal on the six 12-pounders. Their shot and shell penetrated the parapet, tore out the revetment, burst in front, over, and inside, killing and wounding the gunners, and threatening demolition to the entire battery. The veteran artillerists stuck close to their guns and handled them so well that Lieutenant Blodgett was enabled, in one hour, to silence both forts in his front. The true effect of artillery was here best found in volley firing. While one or two guns fired consecutively at an object for a week may produce no effect, six guns fired together and repeatedly will overcome any possible obstacle in a very short time. The great