river front and the fortifications on the right; Reynolds, those on the right center to the Halls' Ferry road; Cumming, the left center, and Lee-re-enforced by Waul's Tenth Legion, the extreme left. Several sections and companies of artillery not properly belonging to my DIVISION were posted on my line. Captain Johnston, botetour Artillery on my staff, and the artillery on the right of the Halls' Ferry road placed under the command of Captain J. B. Grayson, first Louisiana Heavy Artillery, and than on the left under that of Captain J. F. Waddell, of my DIVISION.

On the evening of the 18th, the enemy made his appearance in front of our lines, and immediately began to push forward his sharpshooters., the number of guns, superiority of range and metal, and exhausted supply of ammunition, enabled them in a very short time to plant many batteries in such commanding position as to damage our works materially, and inflict a very considerable loss among the men.

On the morning of May 22, many indications showed that the contemplated and assault upon the line of General Lee. AS tremendous artillery fire was opened and kept up for about two hours, while the fire of their large force for sharpshooter was heavy and incessant.

At about 1 p. m. a heavy force moved out to the assault, making a gallant charge. They were allowed to approach unmolested to within good musket range, when every available guns was opened upon them with grape and canister, and the men, rising in the trenches, poured into their ranks volley after volley, worth so deadly an effect that, leaving the ground literally covered in some places with their dead and wounded, they precipitantly retreated. An angle of one of our doubts had been breached by their artillery before the assault and rendered untenable. Toward this point, at the time of the repulse of the main body, a party of about 60 of the enemy, under the command of a Lieutenant-colonel, made a rush, and succeeded in effecting a lodgment in the ditch at the foot of the redoubt and planting two flags on the edge of the parapet. The works was constructed in such a manner that this ditch at the foot of the redout and planting two flags on the edge ditch was commanded by no part of the line, and the only means by charge, ane either kill or compelled the surrender of the whole party by made and promptly responded to by Lieutenant Colonel E. W Pettus, twentieth Alabama Regiment, and about 40 men of Waul]s Texas Legion, a more gallant fear than this charge has not illustrated our arms during the war.]

The preparations were quickly and quickly made, but the enemy seemed at once to divine our intention, and opened upon the angle a terrible fire of shot, shell, and musketry. Undaunted, this little band its chivalrous commander at its head, rushed upon the work, and in less time than it require to describe it, it and the flags were in our possession.

Preparations were then quickly made for the use of gand-grenades, when the enemy in the ditch, being informed of our purpose, immediately surrendered. From this time forward, although on several occasions their demonstrations seemed to indicate other intentions, the enemy relinquished all idea of assaulting us and confined himself to the more cautious plie of a system or gradual approaches and mining. The weakness of our garrison prevented anything like a system of