ertson's batteries, of General Wheeler's command, poured into the enemy for the space of one hour a most galling and destructive fire. The artillery was ably and skillfully served, and so terrible was the fire and severe its results that the enemy retired before it, leaving some of their dead upon the field unburied and hastily burying others. This advance of the enemy in force and in three lines of battle was evidently made with the intent and for the purpose of attacking our forces in the main line of battle. At the same time this advance was made on General Scott's front the enemy also made their appearance with infantry and artillery in front of General Wheeler's command, on the right of this division. General Scott's skirmishers resumed their original position in front of the brigade after the firing of the artillery had ceased, about 4 p. m. At the same time the enemy advanced upon General Scott's skirmish line, three of his regiments made their appearance in front of the line of skirmishers of Featherston's brigade. His line of skirmishers was composed of the First Mississippi Battalion of Sharpshooters, commanded by Major Stigler, and the Third Mississippi Regiment, Major Dyer commanding. The three regiment of the enemy made their appearance upon the right of the line, passing through a filed and going in the direction of the Bell's Ferry road. They came within easy range of Stigler's battalion, when a destructive fire was poured into them, which caused them to fall back and oblique to the right, bearing from the field several of their dead and wounded.

The line of skirmishers before this brigade held their position during the day, except on the right, where they were ordered to fall back some distance to guard against a flank movement by the enemy after Scott's pickets had been driven in.

About 4 p. m. the enemy advanced upon this line of skirmishers on the left and center with a heavy line to within sixty yards of our line. They were met by a galling fire in their advance until they were repulsed in great confusion. Their loss is supposed to be very heavy, as they had no protection except the undergrowth. A brisk fire was kept up on this line during the evening, and both the battalion and Third Mississippi Regiment acted with great coolness, courage, and determination.

The skirmish line of Brigadier-General Adams consisted of the Sixth Mississippi Regiment, under the command of Colonel Robert Lowry. About 8 a. m. the enemy charged upon the extreme left of his line, and at the same time advanced upon the line of General Quarles, which connected with that of General Adams on his left. The enemy was handsomely repulsed on the left of General Adams' skirmish line, and from the position our line held it was enabled to cross-fire with two companies upon the enemy moving upon General Quarles. Major Borden, who commanded on the left of Colonel Lowry's regiment, reports that he thinks he drove in some 15 or 20 of the enemy to General Quarles line, where they surrendered. It appeared that after getting to a certain distance in General Quarles' line they were unable to get back, because of the heavy cross-fire of the two left companies. They made an effort, were driven back, and then surrendered. About 10 a. m. the enemy made a charge on Colonel Lowry with a heavy, close line of skirmishers, supported by a strong reserve immediately in rear. They charged rapidly, shouting, &c., and were permitted to get in about 150 paces, when a heavy fire was opened upon them and kept up until they got in some seventy yards of the skirmish line, where they wavered, broke,