direction ought to be so and so, but was not sure. Captain Chester took out another map and said he thought it ought to connect so and so, which would be nearer the Jones house. I said, "Well, we will do it." I went to my troops and ordered them into line to move; sent a staff officer of my own to find the end of the line of the Ninth Corps as it then stood. While eating breakfast Captain Cope, I think, reported to Lieutenant Mead that the line was on the road in my rear about a mile or a mile and a half. I directed at once that my line connect with it, and used my whole brigade to be deployed to do it. I deployed them along the road to cover a long train of ambulances and made the connection. My movement subsequent to that time was to conform to the line when complete, as I understood it from the conversation between Captain Cope and Captain Chester. After my return to camp I met Major Roebling, who said he desired to have the line advanced upon its left across a corn-field to two trees, which he designated. My opinion was that it would be impossible to from it there without engaging the enemy from his works in the rear of Petersburg. Lieutenant Mead, of the Third Division staff, accompanied me to make a reconnaissance of the ground. While doing that the enemy until that time were lying en perdu in the wood and struck our line while we were on the front near its left center. The operations after that have been already furnished.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully,

EDWD. S. BRAGG,

Brigadier-General.

HEADQUARTERS THIRD DIVISION, FIFTH CORPS,
September 4, 1864.

Captain GEORGE MONTEITH,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report that on the morning of the 19th of August I was directed to assist General Bragg in forming a connection with the picket-line of the Ninth Army Corps. Verbal orders for the general direction of the line were communicated to Captain Chester of General Crawford's staff, and myself, and by Captain Chester communicated to General Bragg, who immediately proceeded to execute them. General Bragg's brigade, consisting of the Sixth and Seventh Wisconsin Volunteers, the Seventh and Nineteenth Indiana Volunteers, and the First and Twenty-fourth Michigan Volunteers, were deployed along a road running in the rear of and in a southeast direction from the picket-line of the Ninth Army Corps was found and a connection made about one-quarter of a mile northwest from the Aiden house. General Bragg immediately advanced his line through the thick underbrush and dense timber to shorten his line. The advance was made with great difficulty, and was effected only with great labor by the officers of General Bragg's brigade, aided by Major Roebling, of the staff of Major General Warren. The line having been thus established, Captain Chester remained at the right, and Lieutenant Clarke, Lieutenant Herr, and myself, of General Crawford's staff, went with General Bragg to the extreme left of the picket-line to see if any change in the pint of connection with the line of Colonel Hartshorn was desirable. While there heavy firing was heard on the left center of General Bragg's line. He immediately