up to the road and said to be impassable), or second, to form his line of battle on both sides of the road and pierce their center. The latter was preferred and adopted. I was then directed to hold the line occupied by our troops (between Gervais' and Grimball's), in order that if Colonel Harrison was repulsed and pursued by the enemy we might be in position with fresh troops to cover his retreat and check their pursuit. Colonel Harrison then ordered the charge, and his line moved steadily and sternly across the field, met and drove in the enemy's skirmishers, and advanced upon their breast-works. His skirmishers, encountering a fearfully heavy fire, were checked until re-enforced by his line of battle, when the onward movement was resumed under a storm of bullets.

In the mistiness of the morning, the smoke resting upon the ground, I was unable to see his troops, and supposing from the continuance of the rapid fire on both sides that Colonel Harrison had encountered too heavy a force intrenched for him to carry their works without assistance, and that his men, held at bay, would be decimated and perhaps eventually driven back, to insure success I ordered the advance of the entire reserve to his support. The left wing of my line, commanded by Captain Fort, not coming forward immediately (whether from not promptly receiving the order or other cause), I moved forward without waiting for it with our right wing, consisting of detachment of Fourth Georgia Cavalry (dismounted), commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Harris, and the First Regiment Georgia Regulars, commanded by Major Wayne, the right of our attacking force appearing to me to be in need of instant help. But while our line advanced steadily and rapidly under a severe fire, which they had to endure with loss, without returning, for our men in front, before we reached Colonel Harrison, that gallant officer and the splendid troops under him, bravely led by their officers, had swept the enemy's lines and his skirmishers pushed beyond. Here he paused and the enemy brought up his reserves and his artillery and destroyed the bridge across the head of creek, and, sweeping the front of our new line (taken from them) with canister and shrapnel, advanced their skirmishers, who became sharply engaged with ours almost throughout the day.

At night the enemy quietly withdrew to the protection of their gun-boats, and next day embarked their forces, burning their commissary stores ashore.

List of casualties in my command having been furnished by immediate commanders, a recapitulation in unnecessary.

Respectfully submitted.

JOHN JENKINS,

Major.

Captain JOHNSTON,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

JOHN'S ISLAND, August 21, 1864.

Last night at 9 o'clock I burnt Legareville. The buildings were at almost the same instant set on fire and were in a few minutes a sheet of flames. The battery on Horse Island fired a farewell shot into the picket house before we had left. After a considerable time the battery and gun-boat renewed their fire, throwing their shell into the village and up the peninsula upon which Legareville