when we were relieved, and ordered some 400 yards to the rear and into the timber, for rest.

On the 31st (Wednesday), I was ordered to form in line on the left of the Sixth Ohio, fronting the enemy's battery in front, when, the fire becoming heavy upon our right and rear, Colonel Grose ordered me to change my front, which I immediately did, facing the direction of the enemy's fire, when I was ordered to unsling knapsacks. I was then ordered to move forward and support the Sixth Ohio, which I did, moving as far as the skirt of the wood on my left, when General Palmer rode up and ordered me to retire to the support of Parsons' battery.

At this time the stampede from the right became general from the woods in our front. I had some fear of being carried away with it, but found no difficulty in moving my men to the support of the battery, forming my right on the battery, and my left resting on the wood. The enemy appeared on our front, and poured in a galling fire upon us, with the intention, it seemed, to charge the battery. Some regiment formed upon my left, resting in the woods. The battery opened a cross-fire upon the enemy, as did also my regiment and the one upon my left, driving him back in great confusion and with heavy loss. The battery retired, when I was ordered to change my front and form behind a ledge of rocks, and cause my men to lie down and await the approach of the enemy. The enemy's fire becoming very heavy, I was ordered to fall back with my command to the railroad in rear of the Twenty-fourth Ohio, which I did slowly and in good order.

After remaining there for some thirty minutes, I was ordered to move forward and relieve the Twenty-fourth Ohio, whose ammunition was exhausted. This I did under a heavy fire from the enemy. That position I held for fifty-five minutes, driving the enemy back with my superior guns under cover of the woods, when we were relieved and ordered to the rear for ammunition.

At 5.30 p.m. I was again ordered to the front, when I took the position in the wood, in front of the railroad, occupied by me before I was ordered to the rear, which point I occupied until I was relieved, at 1 a.m., when I was again ordered to the rear for refreshments and rest.

On January 1, I was ordered to the rear and center of Van Cleve's and Wood's divisions, where I remained until 12 m.,. when I was ordered to cross the river to our left, where I remained until 2.30 p.m, when I was ordered to recross the river and go into camp for a night's rest.

On January 2, I was again ordered with the brigade to cross the river, when Colonel Grose ordered me to take a position behind a fence, on the extreme front and left. I threw out three companies as skirmishers. I remained in position until 3.30 p.m., when the enemy appeared, driving back the forces on my right. The Fifty-ninth Ohio broke and ran across my front and some of them over my men, who were lying behind the fence in line. I saw that the enemy were driving back the forces upon my right, so I changed my front and opened upon him. I had no sooner done so than a battery opened upon my left with grape, and at the same time a fire of small-arms was opened upon my left and rear, placing me within a cross-fire. I then attempted to move my men back to the brigade, when some stragglers raised the cry, "We are surrounded." and I found it was impossible to keep my men in order. They then fell back in confusion. I succeeded in rallying most of them in the woods on the left of the brigade. The balance, with a few exceptions, rallied and returned.

The enemy was then driven back with heavy loss. I then moved forward beyond my original position, keeping open a heavy fire upon him