of Captain Henry Leefeldt and Lieutenant August Timm, respectively, of this regiment, were deployed as skirmishers in front and upon the left flank of the regiment, the right of the line connecting with the skirmishers of the Eleventh Iowa and the left with the skirmishers of the Fifteenth Iowa. At about the hour of 12 m. our skirmishers became engaged and were very soon driven in, closely followed by the enemy in strong force, who was thrown upon the front and left flank of the regiment, pressing it most vigorously. The Fifteenth Iowa, whose left was attacked simultaneously with the Sixteenth, was compelled to fall back and charge its front. During this movement (which was also executed by the other regiments of the brigade) the enemy concentrated his fire, which by this time was front and rear, with an enfilading fire from the left, upon the Sixteenth. The regiment entire, including officers and enlisted men, also the colors, were now captured, after as gallant resistance (I am informed) as could have been made. So desperate was the fighting that bayonets were freely used over the works, and men were actually knocked down with breech of muskets, the regiment shifting position from one side of the work to the other to suit circumstances. Lieutenant-Colonel Sanders, who was commanding the regiment, is reported to have received a flesh wound in the thigh upon his refusal to surrender after having been surrounded. Captain Smith, A Company, acting major, is reported killed while nobly doing his duty.* From the information I have obtained from officers and men of the brigade, the Sixteenth Regiment captured about 200 prisoners, but was able to hold them only a short time. All of the regiment did their duty well and refused to surrender while it was possible to inflict punishment upon the enemy. I append to this a list of the missing. It is impossible to give a list of the killed and wounded, as it is not known, the enemy having buried the dead. One man, who was carrying ammunition, escaped, also a detail from the regiment for fatigue, consisting eighty men and three commissioned officers, to wit: Captain C. W. Williams, D Company; First Lieutenant Elek Weingartner, K Company, and First Lieutenant John F. Conyngham, H Company, had been sent out to throw up breast-works and were absent from the regiment when the attack commenced. I am of the opinion that some 10 or 12 of the fatigue detail were captured by the enemy in their endeavors to rejoin the regiment, and that some 12 or 15 were killed and wounded, about 25 being the number missing. They were nearly surrounded before ordered to leave the work; had nearly a mile to travel to rejoin the brigade, subjected most of the distance to a cross-fire from the enemy's artillery. They became somewhat scattered, but were rallied and formed in the trenches of the Third Division, Seventeenth Army Corps, where they did good service. Lieutenants John F. Conyngham and Weingartner did their whole duty, encouraging the men to remain firm, relying upon their own strong arms for the success of the day. The loss known to be is: Killed, 1; wounded, 4; missing, 242; total, 247.

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

C. W. WILLIAMS,

Captain D Company, Commanding Sixteenth Iowa Volunteers.

Lieutenant O. D. KINSMAN,

Actg. Asst. Adjt. General, 3rd Brigadier, 4th Div., 17th Army Corps.

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* A mistake.

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