Leggett. After a conference with that officer, my infantry was formed in two lines near and in rear of his intrenchments. Light Company F was assigned a position in the front line between General Leggett's division and that of Brigadier General G. A. Smith. My pioneer corps was employed in assisting to complete the intrenched line for General Smith's infantry, in constructing a work for Light Company F, and during the remainder of the night in throwing up a strong work to cover some heavy guns on the bald hill which formed the right of the line of the Seventeenth Corps. On the following morning, July 22, it was discovered that the enemy had fallen back from the line and he had occupied, and the skirmish line in our front was advanced nearly half a mile. Everything seemed unusually quiet, and the new position of the enemy appeared to offer an opportunity to considerable advance our lines. General Dodge came up early in the day, and informed me that our corps would take position on the left of the Seventeenth, and as soon that corps had established its new line we would form on its left. In the mean time, my command would retain its present position. At about 12 m. Lieutenant Laird reported with the Fourteenth Ohio Battery. I ordered him to park his battery on the hill near my headquarters until our position should be established. It so happened that the position where he halted was that from which he used his guns with such telling effect. It was near 1 o'clock when skirmishing was heard in our rear, and General Dodge, then dining in my tent, said he had been informed that the enemy's cavalry had been seen in that direction, and ordered me to place regiment in position to cover our trains. The regiment wa sent for, within four or five minutes after General Dodge left me the skirmishing was so heavy that I ordered out the entire brigade at a double-quick. Three regiments were formed in line in the field in rear of our trains, with our backs toward Atlanta, and my left near the right of the Second Division, which had just arrived, as shown in the accompanying map marked A,* the Eighteenth Missouri being held in reserve. Skirmishers thrown out to cover our front had scarcely crossed the field when the were driven back by the enemy's line of battle, and my command became at once warmly engaged.

The enemy advanced into the open field, halted, and opened fire upon us. But he seemed surprised to find himself facing our infantry in line of battle, for their steady fire, aided by the guns of the Fourteenth Ohio Battery, which held an enfilading position on my left, soon caused him to go back under cover of the woods. I then ordered the regiments to lie down behind the crest of the ridge, and, seeing the enemy was preparing to again advance, directed Colonels McDowell, Thirty-Ninth Ohio, and Churchill, Twenty-seventh Ohio, to wait until the enemy should march half way across the field, and then to rise, fire a volley, and charge. Bayonets were immediately fixed to carry out this order, but for some reason the regiments did not wait, as I had ordered, but charged as soon as the enemy's line had again emerged from the woods. This movement was executed too soon to give us very very many prisoners, the woods covering their retreat, but it so thoroughly routed that portion of the enemy's line which was in front of these regiments, and sent them back in such confusion himself on that part of the field. All whom were not shot, or did not run away, of the Sixty-sixth Georgia Infantry were cap-

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* See p. 479.

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