We returned the fire and moved steadily forward until within fifteen yards of the battery, when I ordered the regiment to halt and lie down, the men loading and firing rapidly, and soon succeeded in silencing the rebel fire and holding possession of their battery of four 12-pounder brass cannon. Our line at this time was about thirty yards from the rebel breast-works and on a parallel line with it. The cannon were planted in a sort of natural for sunk in the side of the hill and about midway between my own line and the rebel breast-works with the rear opening into the latter and the front sunk so as to bring the muzzles of the guns near the ground. The position was one of extreme peril, and we had to contend (without any cover whatever) against superior numbers behind very strong breast-works, but we held the position from 12.30 p.m. till night, the right of my regiment covering the guns and preventing any approach to them or recapture on the part of the enemy. One company of the One hundred and forty-ninth New York Volunteers formed on my left, under command of Captain Coville, and did good service in the charge. I cannot speak in too high terms of the brave conduct of the officers and men of the One hundred and eleventh Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers. During the day they never flinched and many of them have sealed their devotion to the cause with their blood. I have also to regret the loss of Captain Charles Woeltge, Company I, One hundred and eleventh Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers, a brave and gallant officer, who was shot dead at the very mouth of the rebel cannon. Captain Wells, Company F, was also severely wounded in the same place. At 5 p.m. I received a written order from Major-General Hooker and verbal orders from General Geary, to take command of the troops in front of the rebel works. I accordingly turned over the command of the One hundred and eleventh Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers to Lieutenant-Colonel Walker, and immediately proceeded to place them in position to command the ridge, and to resist any attack that might be made by the rebel force in our front. About the same time an aide on General Geary's staff informed me that Colonel Ireland was wounded, and the command of the Third Brigade devolved on me. The One hundred and second New York Volunteers, Colonel Lane, took position on the left of the One hundred and eleventh Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers, by my orders, with the One hundred and nineteenth New York Volunteers, Colonel Lockman, as support, joined on the right of the rear line by the One hundred and thirty-fourth New York Volunteers, Lieutenant-Colonel Jackson, and One hundred and ninth Pennsylvania Volunteers, Captain Gimber, and on the left by a portion of the Thirty-third New Jersey Volunteers, Colonel Fourat, the One hundred and forty-ninth New York Volunteers, Colonel Randall, occupying the right of the One hundred and eleventh in the front line. In this formation the command remained with occasional firing on both sides until near 11 p.m. As soon as the lines were formed in the above order, I reported in person to General Geary, commanding division, and received orders from him to secure the four cannon in the rebel fort, and remove them by digging away the earth in front of them and draw them out with ropes. I immediately returned to the front and ordered the Fifth Ohio Volunteers, Lieutenant-Colonel Kilpatrick commanding, to relieve the One hundred and eleventh Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers, their right resting in front of the fort and covering it. The One hundred and ninth Pennsylvania Volunteers, Captain Gimber commanding, was directed to take po-