the retreat of Lieutenant Smyser's, which was well done. One of Lieutenant Ludlow's caissons was left here, all the horses having been killed or wounded, but we recovered it later in the day. I served one of Lieutenant Smyser's pieces (the fifth, a Napoleon) and he the other. We fixed prolonges and fired retiring. The enemy charged us, but were staggered by our discharges of canister, whilst Lieutenants Guenther and Ludlow, on our left, poured spherical case-shot into them. We checked their advance three times, retiring as they charged upon us. From the vigor of their fire, their cheering, and the impetuosity of their advance I judged they were re-enforced each time. For a time Lieutenant Smyser and Corporal Roberson served the fifth piece (a Napoleon) alone. Sergeant Metcalf, chief of the sixth piece, behaved with great gallantry and devotion. Though wounded in the head by a musket-ball, he gallantly stood by his captain till wounded in the leg and compelled to crawl off. Corporal Brodie and Private John T. Carroll served at this piece until we silenced the enemy's fire. A sergeant of infantry, seeing us sorely pressed, brought up ammunition at my request. He served but a few moments, when he was shot down. I do not know his name nor the regiment to which he belonged, and was not able to find his body after the battle. Private John Marshall, of Company E, Twenty-fourth Ohio Volunteers, having expended his cartridges, threw down his musket and served as a cannoneer during the remainder of the action. He was of great service.

After checking the advance of the enemy we shelled the woods where they were, and at 3.30 p. m. all was quiet in front of General Nelson's division, when he ordered a change to the position last occupied by the enemy. The Sixth Regiment Ohio Volunteers were then reserved as a support to my battery. The skirmishers thrown to our front discovered that the enemy had abandoned that position. Seeing General McCook sorely pressed and a battery in the woods about half a mile to our right playing upon his division, I opened fire upon the battery with two Napoleon guns. In an instant that battery and one to its rear, and nearer us, opened. Having but few cannoneers, I called upon Lieutenant-Colonel Anderson for a detail of men from his regiment to man the guns. The men soon came forward, and the Napoleons began to tell. Lieutenant Smyser's piece was disabled by a shot tearing off the center axlestrap, when the next recoil of the piece tore off the other two. Lieutenant Guenther, in the mean time, with his section had advanced with General Nelson's skirmishers, and he took these batteries in reverse. They were soon silenced, and I enfiladed the enemy's line with shells and spherical case-shot. My center section was posted so as to prevent our left flank being turned. Our fire must have told fearfully, for very soon General McCook's whole line rapidly advanced and drove the enemy before them, and the day was ours. After ascertaining that the enemy had retreated, Captain Fry, chief of staff, ordered me out on the road leading to Corinth, to camp for the night with General Nelson's division. We remained all night in the camp occupied by the enemy the previous night, and the next morning at daylight returned to the battle-ground.

I have already spoken of Lieutenant Guenther's gallant conduct, but I cannot close my report without doing justice to my other gallant officers. Asst. Surg. Dallas Bache, U. S. Army, who has been with my battery, and the chief medical officer of the artillery of the Second Division, was on the field of battle, attending the wounded, not only of the artillery, but of all arms, friends and foes. Words can hardly express my appreciation of his services and great devotion to duty. For