Hill, 17 miles in rear of the battle-field. Here the forces of General A. J. Smith, portions of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Army Corps, had arrived, some 6,000 strong, and here the Nineteenth Army Corps took position and awaited the enemy Firing was heard nearly all day upon our skirmish line and occasional discharges of artillery from the enemy. At 4.30 p. m. of the 9th, the rapid discharges of the musketry along our entire line told the advance of the enemy upon our skirmishers. This regiment was then formed in line of battle in rear of a ditch, upon level ground; its front was somewhat obscured by reeds and bushes, and in the rear the ground rose for a distance of 40 rods over open ground, and by a gentle descent and another rise farther to the rear was met by a growth of pine woods near half a mile in rear of our line of battle. Our position was the extreme left and front of the line of battle of the division. Captain Boynton's company (D) was deployed as our advance skirmish line in the woods in front, supported by Captain Randall's company (E). Captain Prince's company (F) was deployed upon either bank of the ditch, 30 yards in advance of our line. Shortly after the firing had become general upon our advance lines Company D came on in good order, having delivered three volleys upon the enemy, and formed upon the left of the battalion; Company E retiring at about the same time, farther to the right, was ordered by Colonel Benedict, commanding the brigade, to occupy the interval between the right of the One hundred and sixty-second and left of the One hundred and seventy-third New York Volunteers. These regiments, in the order given, formed the continuation of the brigade line upon our right. Immediately behind our companies of skirmishers a full brigade of the enemy emerged from the woods, deployed in line of battle, with no skirmishers advanced, and moved upon us rapidly and in excellent order, delivering a heavy fire as they advanced. Our interior line of skirmishers then opened fire and did the enemy considerable damage, but failed to check him. When the enemy was within 100 yards the battalion opened fire and continued an effective discharge until ordered to retreat. This order was not given until the three regiments which formed the entire right of our brigade line had broken and retreated nearly a quarter of a mile up the hill. At this time our flanks were almost enveloped by the enemy gaining the unoccupied ground upon our left and that abandoned on our right, and our line was strongly pressed in front. At the command the battalion retired in tolerable order up the hill, our ground very much exposed and under a very heavy fire.

Arrived at the summit of the hill, the line was partially reformed, and another volley delivered upon the enemy. The regiment again fell back toward the wood before mentioned, and on the edge of it made a final stand. Here a portion of General Smith's force advanced to our support, and under our combined fire the enemy commenced to fall back, followed closely by our forces. In this advance the regiment became much broken; four companies formed upon the left of an Ohio regiment, mistaking their colors for our own; nearly all the remainder advanced with our colors across the open field and drove the enemy beyond our first position. Here the second line of the enemy emerged from the wood, and rallying their retreating forces made a stand for several minutes. Under our rapid fire they finally broke and were pursued by our forces for 2 miles. The forces of the enemy engaged on the 8th are estimated by their prisoners at about 8,000; those engaged on the 9th instant are estimated by them at