turning the right flank of the army, leaving us exposed to the full fury of his artillery. At the same time attacks were made upon us in front and flank by his infantry. Thus hemmed in, and apparently in danger of being cut off, I obeyed an ordered to retire and form my command at right angles with the former line of battle, the right resting at or near the brick house, the headquarters of General Hooker.

While in the execution of this order, and having withdrawn the command an din the act of forming my new front, General Hooker came up, and in person directed me to resume my original position and hold it at all hazards. I accordingly advanced again into the trenches with the First Brigade, Greene's and Kane's having, in the confusion of the moment and the conflict of orders, become separated from the command and retired to a line of defense in a woods to the north of the Chancellor house. Upon regaining the breastworks, I found that the Sixtieth and One hundred and second New York Volunteers, of Greene's brigade, had been left behind when the command had retired, and were now hotly engaged with the enemy, who were attempting breaches throughout the whole length of my line, and in many places actually occupied it. These two regiment shad captured some 30 prisoners and a battle-flag of the enemy, the One hundred and second having captured that of the Twelfth Georgia. Our men here, after a fierce struggle, took a number of prisoners, who had advanced into our works under the impression that we had abandoned them. The fire upon our lines was now of the most terrific character I ever remember to have witnessed. Knap's and Hampton's batteries had been ordered to take part in the engagement in another part of the field. Two brigades of my command were separated from me, and, had I even known their locality, could not hope to have them reach my position. I was thus left with but Candy's brigade and two regiments of Greene's, and Lieutenant Muhlenberg with two sections of Bruen's battery and one of best's. Against this comparatively small body the whole fury and force of the enemy's fire seemed to be concentrated. Three of his batteries engaged Lieutenant Muhlenberg in direct fire at about 1 mile range. A heavy battery completely enfilanded our works from the right; that constructed by them in the woods directly in our front, which had been discovered by me in the engagement of the previous day, played upon us at short range with destructive effect, while under cover of their guns the infantry, becoming emboldened by the near approach of what seemed to them our utter and total annihilation, charged upon us repeatedly and were as often repulsed.

At this stage of the action the enemy suffered severely at our hands. Candy's brigade seemed animated by a desire to contest single-handed the possession of the field, and before the deadly aim of our rifles rank after rank of the rebel infantry went down, never to rise again.

This brigade had been in many well-fought actions, and their coolness and courage were conspicuous on this occasion, and told with fearful effect on the rebel lines. When the order was given by me to retire by the left flank, the movement was executed in excellent order, and even at that time the parting volleys of this brigade were given with an earnestness of will and purpose that showed their determination to avenge the death of their comrades if they could not avert the issue of the day; but the odds against us were too fearful to render the contest one of long duration, and, finally, after suffering very severe loss, and finding the enemy almost entirely enveloping my front, right, and rear, the order of General Slocum to retire was obeyed in a soldierly and masterly manner. We took position in the woods in the rear of Chan-