beyond it by a hedge-row, and arriving beyond the right of the enemy and to his rear to halt, face to his right, and wait until I moved forward. As soon as the Twenty-fourth had advanced near enough to begin the charge I directed Shaaff to charge with a yell, coming up on the right rear of the enemy, while I assaulted him in front. As soon as the Sharpshooters got into the position described above, I ordered the Twenty-fourth forward immediately on the enemy's line, in full view, on the elevated ground in front. The regiment marched out into the open field as if on parade, and, coming under the fire of the force before us, I rode forward and ordered the charge. At the same moment almost Major Shaaff's battalion gave a shout and came out into the field to the rear and right of our foe. Both commands behaved in the most admirable order, and the enemy, after firing wildly over us, broke into a precipitous retreat, the battery narrowly escaping capture. We took a few prisoners, the knapsacks of the cannoneers, and freed our line of the annoyance to which it had been subjected by the proximity of this force. I re-established the pickets, and while engaged in so doing, received the general's order to bring to Twenty-fourth and the Sharpshooters back to the bivouac.

We lost 9 killed, 30 wounded, and 2 missing in the Twenty-fourth. I have no record of Major Shaaff's loss, and have no report to make of the enemy's loss, but the estimate hastily formed on the field. I think the number of prisoners was about 20, and from their reports and what I saw on the field, I estimated the enemy's loss at the time at 2 to our 1. Major Hill, of the Twenty-fourth, being on picket duty, Captain T. C. Morgan, Company K, acted as major of the Twenty-fourth, and was severely wounded in the charge. Sergt. Major J. B. Dotterer was also severely wounded in the chest. I had the honor to receive the personal thanks of the lieutenant-general and to extend his compliments to Major Shaaff.

On the 17th of May our corps marched toward Adairsville, and bivouacked near that place. On the 18th the march was resumed through Kingston toward Cassville, going into bivouac two miles from the latter place. Early on the 19th the corps was formed in two lines of battle, and the commanding general published an order of battle. The greatest enthusiasm prevailed in our ranks as the men and officers saw the army formed for battle. Hardee's corps was on the left of the general line, Walker's division in the center of the corps, and Gist's brigade on the left of the division. The Twenty-fourth [South Carolina] and Forty-sixth Georgia were in the front and the Sixteenth [South Carolina] and Eighth Georgia Battalion in the rear line of the brigade. The general line ran about east and west, and our position was in an open field west of the railroad, the ground sloping down in our front for a quarter of a mile and then gradually rising to the crest on which the enemy were slowly forming. It was about 2 o'clock before he developed his force, and we moved forward. After advancing to the foot of the slope our lines were halted, the enemy being in full view about three-quarters of a mile, and apparently in some confusion in taking up their positions. Our detention soon became very painful, and the reason for it wholly unaccountable. We must have been in this position half an hour when General Gist, in person, gave me the hour from his watch and ordered me to retire the front line precisely at 4 o'clock. At the moment the entire corps faced by the rear rank and moved in beautiful order to the rear, the enemy not firing a shot