and officers with their swords fought hand-to-hand with men with bayonets. Colonel Belknap, of the Fifteenth Iowa Volunteers, took prisoner Colonel Lampley, of the Forty-fifth Alabama, by pulling him over the works by his coat collar, being several times fired at by men at his side. The colors of his regiment were taken at the same time. The enemy's loss in this attack must have been very severe. It lasted for nearly three-quarters of an hour, when they reluctantly retired. The Twentieth Ohio Volunteers, and, I think, some other regiment of General Leggett's division, having become partially detached from their command, were now acting with my troops, and fought splendidly. It was now about 6 o'clock, and the ground gained by the enemy was only about 300 yards of the left of my work.

The forces of the enemy engaged was Hardee's corps, two divisions of which were engaged on my immediate left; Cleburne's in front, with Cheatham's in reserve, with Walker's division on their right, and Bate's ont he left. Other forces, who had been left in Atlanta, now advanced from that direction, which compelled us to again change our position to the east side of our works. This was scarcely done when we were opened upon from our left and rear with artillery loaded with grape, accompanied with heavy musketry, which compelled the abandonment of another portion of our ground, this attack coming from both front and rear. I now formed Colonel Potts' brigade in rear of our work, and perpendicular to it, with a portion of Colonel Hall's troops on his right, the remainder occupying the works vacated by General Leggett's command. This perpendicular line was so nearly enfiladed by the fire from the advancing troops from Atlanta that I was compelled to swing my right still farther back, connecting with a portion of the Third Division, formed across a corn-field, facing south. By direction of General Blair, Colonel Wangelin's brigade, of the First Division, Fifteenth Army Corps, reported to me, and was formed on my left. In this position another attack was made by the enemy by fresh troops brought up for the occasion, but was again unsuccessful, though as persistently persevered in as on any previous occasion. The Eleventh Iowa, of Colonel Hall's brigade, with the Sixteenth Wisconsin, of the Third Division, held the crest of the hill behind an angle in the works, the enemy holding the same works, a little lower down, with four stand of colors planted within a stone's throw of the colors of the Eleventh Iowa. The portion of the Third Division formed along the ridge facing south did great execution in this engagement. By dark the enemy had retired except along the line of the works, which position they held until nearly daylight next morning, thus being enabled to get off their wounded, but leaving the ground literally strewn with their slain. I forgot to mention that during this attack I ordered Colonel Wangelin to swing the left of his brigade around and advance, threatening their flank, which he did as far as he could without endangering his own left. The movement gave the enemy a decided check. We remained in this position during the night.

In this engagement, which lasted from 12 m. until 7 p. m., seven hours, with scarcely any cessation, the only change being in the fury with which it raged, the troops of this division displayed the greatest gallantry. The first attack, sweeping around our left, and attacking suddenly in the rear, might have thrown any veteran troops into confusion, but at the command they promptly took the other side of their works and fought with great coolness. Officers did