beyond praise. If any one of them failed in doing his whole duty I do not know it.*

Asst. Surg. Otis Ayer and Hospital Steward Frederick A. Buckingham were captured from the field hospital September 20, and are prisoners in the hands of the enemy. A good portion of our wounded were left lying on the field and are now prisoners in hands of the enemy.

I am, general, very respectfully, your most obedient servant,

JAMES GEORGE,

Commanding Second Minnesota Volunteers.

Brigadier General LORENZO THOMAS,

Adjutant-General, U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.

Numbers 59.

Report of Lieutenant Colonel Henry V. N. Boynton, Thirty-fifth Ohio Infantry.

HDQRS. THIRTY-FIFTH OHIO INFANTRY VOLUNTEERS,
Chattanooga, Tenn., September 24, 1863.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report the following as the part taken by the Thirty-fifth Ohio in the action of September 19 and 20 in this vicinity:

We were brought into action at 8 a. m. of the 19th, after a most fatiguing march begun at 5 p. m. of the previous evening, and only ended in time to allow of fifteen minutes rest before the fight. The Thirty-fifth occupied the right of the first line, and the skirmishers of the command met the enemy after a very short advance in line. The engagement soon became very fierce, but the accurate fire of the line soon broke the rebel line. In this short fight our loss in thirty minutes was 60 killed and wounded. In a short time the rebels rallied and made another desperate assault on the line, but were again repulsed.

The next move of the enemy was an attempt to flank our position on the left. The regular brigade, which had been engaged on our right and to the front, were driven across our line, which was placed as a support to the Fourth Regular Battery, Lieutenant Smith commanding. Seeing this rapid approach of the enemy in four lines, the front of my regiment was immediately changed to the left, though without orders from the colonel commanding the brigade, it being perfectly apparent that this alone could save the battery. The assault of the rebel lines proved terrific, but so soon as the confusion attending the passage of the regular brigade had in part subsided, the Thirty-fifth faced, advanced, and by a few moments of close fighting, in connection with the well-directed fire of Lieutenant Smith's double-shotted guns, repulsed that portion of the rebel line opposed to our immediate front. This closed the fighting of the day, it having continued for four hours with great fury. The rebel forces opposed [to] us were a portion of Longstreet's forces, as prisoners reported. Together with the other regiments of the brigade, we bivouacked upon the battle-field without blankets or tents, and although a white frost covered the ground, and being in an open

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*List of casualties, here omitted, is embodied in revised statement, p. 173.

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