in check until daylight the next morning (16th), when we marched to Campbell's Station, where we arrived at 10 a.m., and took up a position on the left of the road in support of some batteries.

About 2 o'clock I was ordered to take a position on the right of the road in rear of and as support of the Third Brigade (Colonel Humphrey's). A short time after taking this latter position I threw forward the Twenty-ninth Massachusetts Volunteers (Colonel Pierce commanding) on Colonel Humphrey's right, to protect his flank against a movement of the enemy in that direction. Subsequently I relieved Colonel Humphrey altogether, and took a position on our extreme right and in front. I held this position for about three hours under both artillery and infantry fire of the enemy.

At 3.30 p.m. I was ordered to retire, leaving my skirmishers to cover by line as much as possible. I moved to the rear about 200 yards under a severe fire of artillery in my front (now my rear) and from the enemy's infantry and sharpshooters on our right (now my left). I now halted my column to the enemy, and called in my skirmishers, and then moved to the rear over an open plain for near one-half mile under a heavy fire from one of the enemy's batteries. Arriving at our new position, I formed in formed in rear of our batteries until 5 p.m., when, according to orders, I marched to Knoxville, where I arrived at 3 o'clock on the morning of the 17th, and was assigned a position in rear of Fort Sanders until 9 a.m., when I was ordered to take a position near the railroad, with my right resting on Creek, and my left extending toward Fort Sanders and connecting with Colonel Humphrey's right.

Although the men were worn down with fighting, marching,and loss of sleep for the last three days and nights, yet they immediately, and under the circumstances with great alacrity, commenced digging rifle-pits, throwing up earth-works, constructing abatis, and otherwise strengthening their position. At first this work was done during the day, but after the advance of the enemy's lines it was done under cover of the night.

From the 17th until the 5th of December my command, in common with the rest of the troops, were nearly surrounded by a superior force of the enemy, by which all outward communication was nearly cut off.

On the evenings of the 18th, and 20th, a number of buildings were by my order burned on my front, for the reason that they afforded shelter to the enemy.

On the night of the 28th, from information received from division headquarters and from indications and movements of the enemy, I had every reason to except an attack on my position, and consequently had taken every precaution to render it unsuccessful. About 10 o'clock a charge was made, but by setting fire to some combustible materials previously prepared in the large round-house and other railroad buildings, as well as a number of private houses, making a complete wall of fire along my entire front, together with the determined resistance of a strong line of skirmishers advantageously posted in small pits and lunettes, the enemy were checked and soon after retired.

On the same evening, in compliance with orders from division headquarters, I temporarily detached from the brigade and took from their position in the rifle-pits the Twenty-ninth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers, and sent them to re-enforce that part of the command occupying Fort Sanders and its immediate surroundings.