second Wisconsin on the left of the road. The troops on the right were subjected for a short time to the same heavy fire the First Brigade had borne; but, having been directed by Colonel Baird not to return the fire,it soon ceased. It had by this time become dark. The troops on the left of the road at once began the work of fortification,and continued it all night. Those on the right were withdrawn, and placed on the left of the brigade, and in like manner fortified. The front of the brigade was the front of the Thirty-third Indiana and eight companies of the Twenty-second Wisconsin. The remainder of the line was refused on the left along the edge of a ravine,a portion of the Eighty-fifth Indiana line crossing it on the extreme left. An effort was made throughout the night to connect our line with the First Division on the left, but such was the darkness and the distance that it was not effected till after daylight. While with his regiment upon the right of the road Major Griffin was mortally wounded, and died during the night. He was a gallant, faithful,and intelligent officer, and did nobly is duty at all times. His death was a public loss. The men were wounded in the brigade during the fight. Colonel Baird behaved with remarkable coolness and skill in managing the troops on the right of the road under a gallant and destructive fire,and in withdrawing them when ordered, preserving them almost unhurt, when a want of caution might have sacrificed many of the men. During the night one regiment of the Twenty-third Corps joined my right, refusing its line squarely to the rear along the left of the road. The men labored with untiring patience at the earth-works, and by morning built a strong line in 200 yards of the rebel lines and under fire of musketry and artillery. On the 16th of June the brigade remained in same camp strengthening the works and skirmishing, the enemy in many places having a fatal range upon us from his principal line of works. The loss of the brigade this day was 4 killed and 24 wounded. On the morning of the 17th of June the enemy evacuated his position, and our skirmishers at 5 o'clock occupied his works, which were found to be very heavy and strong. The skirmishers were advanced at once, and found the enemy about three miles ahead, toward Marietta. At noon the brigade, with the division, moved forward in advance, formed in line with the Eighty-fifth Indiana as skirmishers. The enemy were soon found by our skirmishers posted on a wooded ridge beyond a small stream and well fortified. The brigade was advanced through a very dense wood half a mile to a large field and formed in line between the Second Division on the right and the First Division on the left, about 400 yards from the enemy's position. Earth-works were at once built under a slight fire from the enemy's artillery. On the 18th of June the brigade remained in the same camp skirmishing sharply, 6 men being killed and wounded; the artillery meanwhile playing with great activity on the enemy; the rain was excessive. June 19, the enemy evacuated his position and our skirmishers occupied his works at 4 o'clock in the morning. They were found to be quite strong, with well-prepared abatis. Six prisoners were captured. At 10 a.m. the brigade marched in rear of the division. The rain fell in torrents; notwithstanding we advanced a mile and crossed a branch of Noyes' Creek after a few hours' delay on account of the sudden rise of the water, which carried away the bridges and covered the road. Having crossed this

25 R R-VOL XXXVIII, PT II