of Bate and Walker falling upon Dodge's command, and the divisions of Cleburne and Cheatham (under command on that occasion of General Maney) striking my left flank and swinging around through the wide interval or gap between my extreme left and the right of General Dodge, and reaching my extreme right, and occupying the breast-works constructed by Generals Leggett and Smith in their advance upon the bald hill, and as far to the right of it as General Leggett's command extended. At the same time the enemy advanced upon my line and that of the Fifteenth Corps on my right from the direction of Atlanta, with Hood's old corps, commanded on this occasion by General Cheatham. The Seventeenth Army Corps was thus completely enveloped, and attacked from the front, flank, and rear. General McPherson was killed in attempting to reach my command by the enemy as they swung through the gap between my left and General Dodge's right, on the road which is indicated on the diagram, and which passes through the woods in rear of my line. I was but a short distance from him at the time, and saw him enter the woods and heard the volley which probably killed him and the yells of the rebels which perhaps followed his fall. I sent word immediately to General Logan, commanding the Fifteenth Army Corps, that I was satisfied that General McPherson had been killed or had fallen into the hands of the enemy,and suggested that as he was the senior officer of the Army of the Tennessee, he should immediately assume command. General McPherson before his death sent word by Lieutenant-Colonel Strong, of his staff, to General G. A. Smith, commanding the Fourth Division of the Seventeenth Army Corps, and holding the extreme left, to hold his position, and that he would order up troops to occupy the gap between the Seventeenth and Sixteenth Corps. In pursuance of these orders from General McPherson, Colonel Wangelin's brigade, First Division, Fifteenth Army Corps, came up on the double-quick and took position on a knoll in the edge of the timber between General Dodge and the right of my line; but the brigade was so very small (about 600 or 700 men) that it did not rear fill the gap, and the enemy had already, before this brigade had time to assume its position, passed through the interval and attacked the Seventeenth Corps directly in the rear. If the enemy had concentrated his attacks from front, flank, and rear, so as to strike my line at the same moment with his different lines of battle, it would have been extremely difficult, if not impossible, to hold our ground, but this was not done, and as his first assault fell upon our rear, both divisions took the opposite side of their breast-works, and repulsed them with severe loss. The attack was renewed from the same direction upon General Leggett's division, but was again repulsed with great slaughter. This was followed by an attack upon General G. A. Smith's division, which came upon his flank and rear as his troops stood on the reverse side of their works, with their backs to the city of Atlanta. Both brigades of this division were immediately formed to meet this attack, at right angles with our works, in two lines, facing to the southwest, in the open field, and the enemy were repulsed with great loss and driven back in confusion. The third attack made upon the Third Division (General Leggett's) came from the direction of Atlanta. A skirmish line, followed by a heavy force, advanced from that direction with great impetuosity. The division changed front and got on the east side of the breast-works, and met the charge with the same deliberate and cool courage as they had the others, repulsing the enemy in handsome style. The enemy rallied, reformed their