the 3rd it was discovered that he had fallen back toward the Chattahoochee. Very soon the command was marching to the right and toward the river, and we bivouacked that night on the right bank of Nickajack Creek, near Ruff's Mill. On the following morning July 4, the First Brigade was ordered to drive the enemy from a position he held on the opposite bank. We crossed the stream at the mill, and as soon as we reached the hill beyond, the Thirty-ninth Ohio and Sixty-fourth Illinois were deployed in line, and the Twenty-seventh Ohio and Eighteenth Missouri were formed in column on either flank. The rebels were soon encountered, and after a sharp skirmish fell back to a strong line of works, where they were found to be in force. During the skirmish, and while ascertained the position of their line, we lost 30 or 40 men. After forming our lines within 200 or 300 yards of the enemy, we constructed continuous rifle-pits for the infantry, and also placed a battery in position to command his works. The annexed map* will explain the movements just described. About noon an order was given by General Dodge to make an effort to break the enemy's line. The Twenty-seventh and Thirty Ohio Regiments were selected to make the charge, and were advanced quietly through the woods to the line held by our skirmishers. This order was soon countermanded, the movement being deemed too hazardous to attempt. About 6, however, in the evening, the order was rebated. The two regiments mentioned were again moved forward to the skirmish line. The Sixth-South Illinois was to cover the left flank, and on the right it was understood a part of the Second Division of this corps was to charge simultaneously. The Eighteenth Missouri and Second Brigade (Colonel Sprague) were held in reserve, and in readiness to cover their retreat, should the troops assaulting be repulsed. Orders were given not to fire a shot before reaching the works, and at a given signal the two regiments rushed forward. They had not more than 100 yards to run, yet more than 80 feel before the works were reached, among them Colonel E. F. Noyes, the gallant commander of the Thirty-ninth Ohio, who lost a leg, and Captain Angel, of the Thirty-fifth New Jersey, who was instantly killed while forming his line. Some of the same were bayoneted, others shot, and a good many captured, but the great mass, apparently panic stricken by the boldness and suddenness of the assault, ran off at full speed. A moment later, seeing a portion of his works in our possession, and, perhaps, thinking the cheering from our lines indicated a general assault, the enemy, as far as we could see to the right and left, abandoned his intrenchments and retired. It is doubtful whether so small a force as that actually engaged ever emptied a longer line of works. During the night the enemy made great show of strengthening an interior and still stronger line of earthworks, but daylight the next morning revealed the fact that he had abandoned our front altogether and retired to the river. We were now ordered to move down the Sandtown road, and take a position in rear of the Seventeenth Corps, near the Chattahoochee. We bivouacked for two or three days, skirmishing with the enemy across the river (which at this point is less than 100 yards in width) until the 9th, when we marched to Roswell, via Marietta, which we reached on the evening of July 10, and immediately forded the river.

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* To appear in the Atlas.

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