Early in the great battle of the 22nd of July the brigade became engaged, and continued fighting until the next morning, repulsing many charges, literally piling the enemy's dead in heaps in front of the works, fighting the enemy all night with but the breast-works between them and the foe. Early in the action Brigadier-General Force was severely wounded, and the undersigned assumed command. During the fight the brigade changed front many times, fighting from both sides of same breast-works, and at times it was obliged to refuse its flanks to meet the desperate and furious onset of the enemy, so that it had to fight at same time on two fronts and one flank. But it held the hill so dearly gained the day before, and the key to the position of the Army of the Tennessee, with a loss (excepting Twentieth Illinois Regiment), aggregate, of 329 killed, wounded, and missing.

During all these two days' desperate fighting the organization and order was excellent and the men in the best of spirits. They fought to whip, and when the enemy at one point of the line had reached the outside of the breast-works, fixed bayonets and swore that they would stay or die.

From the time the command joined the grand army at Acworth, June 8, until the close of the campaign it was constantly at the front, under fire, marching, digging, and fighting. It has not failed to take and hold any position it was ordered to, nor has any part of the command moved except in pursuance of orders from proper authority. The officers and men believe they can't be whipped, and have always had perfect confidence in their officers and their final success.

On the part taken by the brigade in the battles of July 28 and August 31, see my report of yesterday.*

The aggregate loss to the brigade in killed, wounded, and missing since June 8, 1864, is 863.

I am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEO. E. BRYANT,

Colonel, Commanding.

Captain J. C. DOUGLASS,

Asst. Adjt. General, Third Division, 17th Army Corps.

Numbers 579.

Report of Lieutenant Colonel Greenberry F. Wiles, Seventy-eighth Ohio Infantry, commanding Second Brigade.

HDQRS. SECOND Brigadier, THIRD DIV., 17TH ARMY CORPS,
Atlanta, Ga., September 13, 1864.

CAPTAIN: In accordance with orders received, I have the honor to report that Second Brigade left Cairo, Ill., on transports on the 11th day of May, was transported up the Tennessee River to the town of Clifton, Tenn., disembarked and marched to Acworth by the way of Pulaski, Huntsville, and crossed the Tennessee River at Decatur, thence to Rome, Kingston, and found the Army of the Tennessee on the 8th day of June, 1864. Whole distance from Clifton to Acworth 304 miles.

On the 10th day of June we moved forward on the extreme left, and advanced as far as Big Shanty, with some skirmishing. On the

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*See p. 569.

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