ward briskly over the crest behind which they lay, down the slope of the ravine immediately in their front, and up the crest of the opposite slope. The whole line from the list (the ground being open fields) was exposed to a galling fire of musketry from the parapet of the enemy's works, and, when fairly exposed, descending the first slope, the batteries of the enemy commenced playing with terrible effect. The Fortieth Illinois, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Smith, of the Forty-sixth Ohio Infantry, observing the Ninety-seventh Indiana clearing the ravine, gallantry followed them at a close supporting distance, and, under an intense musketry and cannonading, took position in the bottom of a ravine along a fence, and held the line till the Ninety-seventh Indiana were compelled to fall back to them from the crest they had gained. This line was maintained till late in the afternoon, when the two regiments, finding that the enemy were trying to throw several regiments on the their right flank, fell back to their old line along the Livingston road. The fire to which both of these regiments were exposed was exceedingly severe. The conduct of the officers and men commands the highest praise.

The end accomplished by this part of the reconnaissance was the discovery of a two-gun battery between Colonel Withers' house and the Canton road, a line of rifle-pits about 200 yards in front of their main works, crossing the Canton road and protected by a rough abatis, two guns enfilading the Livingston road, and a tree-gun battery in the northwest salient commanding the natural glasic or slope. extending from their main work to the intersection of the Livingston road and Jackson and Canton Railroad.

I assumed command of the line formed by the Sixth Iowa Infantry, and at the designated signal the men dashed forward with a shout, met the line of the enemy's skirmishers and pickets, drove them back, capturing some 18 or 20, and killed as many more. Clearing the timber, they rushed out into the open fields, across the railroad, over the fence, up a gentle slope, across the crest, down into the enemy's line, where two field batteries of four guns each, fronting west, opened a terrific cannonading. The enemy were driven from two pieces at the point of the bayonet, our men literally running them down. In rear of the batteries two regiments were lying down, supporting the gunners, and at our approach they opened along their line, causing most of the casualties that occurred in this gallant regiment. With such impetuosity did the line go through the field, that the enemy, so completely stunned were they, would have precipitately fled had they not been reassured by a large gun, nearly 600 yards to our right, which enfiladed the railroad and line of skirmishers. Startled at this unexpected obstacle, which was now in full play, throwing its whirlwind of grape and canister about us until as if before an invisible reaper, I ordered the bugler to sound the "lie down. " The entire line fell in the corn rows, and I had an opportunity to look around, knowing my men were safe. On my right, extending across the railroad, the enemy had a battery of three iron guns. I judged them to be, from their size, 32-pounders, although they may have been only 10 or 20 pounder Parrotts. To my right and front I saw two more guns projecting through embrasures in direct range, and in my front was a field battery of four guns, two of which the gunners had fled from and my men were lying around them. In their rear I saw two flags and a line of men, I supposed about two regiments; on my left was another field battery and another line of men. To pass through the batteries, cross the regiments in our front, ascend the hill, and get inside of their main works was more than I could accomplish