morning of May 23. Crossing Etowah River by Wooley's Bridge, and passing Euharlee Creek and Van Wert, we struck the enemy's out-posts at Pumpkin Vine Creek, three miles west of Dallas, Ga., on the morning of May 25, 1864. The following day we advanced to-ward the last-mentioned place, dislodging the rebel forces, who held it, after a short skirmish. In pursuing them, however, we came upon the enemy in force, and well posted in a strongly intrenched position, about one mile southeast of Dallas. In pursuance of orders from the major-general commanding army corps, I deployed Colonel Williamson's (Second) brigade on the left of the Second Division, which, being in advance, had already engaged the enemy. Availing myself of a high ridge almost parallel to the enemy's works, I directed Colonel Williamson to throw up a line of rifle-pits. During the night the Sixteenth Army Corps was to connect with the left of Colonel Williamson's line. The First and Third Brigades of my division were ordered to deploy in reserve in an open field, the Third in rear of Second Brigade, the First Brigade to the left of the Third. The intermediate ground between the First and Third Brigades, in reserve, and the Second Brigade, in front, as well as all the ground in front, was very thick timber; I, therefore, to facilitate communication between the lines, had roads cut along and between them. The enemy opposed these operations persistently, and attempted repeatedly, during the evening and night of 26th, to drive Colonel Williamson back, all of which attempts this officer succeeded in repelling. Before daybreak, however, on the following day (May 27), he reported large masses of the enemy moving toward his left flank, where the Sixteenth Corps had not, as yet, made connection. After reconnoitering that part of my position thoroughly, I ordered Colonel Wangelin, at 5 a.m., to deploy his brigade in two lines on the left of the order was given, and its execution being barely commenced, the rebels attacked on the left flank of Second Brigade, throwing an enfilading fire into its lines, and compelling them to fall back, in spite of the desperate resistance of Colonel Williamson's command. At this juncture I arrived on the scene of attack with the head of the Third Brigade, and immediately ordered the leading regiment (Twelfth Missouri Infantry) to deploy and throw out skirmishers. Captain Albert F. Affleck (a here, since killed) executed the deployment of the skirmishers under a terrible fire. Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Kaercher formed his regiment (Twelfth Missouri) in support of the skirmishers and at once advanced. The attacking rebels yielded slowly to the determined advance of the Twelfth Missouri; the Twenty-ninth and Thirty-first Missouri (Lieutenant-Colonel Gage commanding the combined battalion) were deployed on the left of the Twelfth Missouri, and, throwing the left of the line of these regiments well forward, we soon gained all the ground lost at the outset of the rebel attack, and more, too. I afterward ordered General Woods, with the First Brigade, to relieve the Second Brigade, which had been under fire ever since we arrived near Dallas, the Second Brigade. Then Sixteenth Army Corps also came up and made close connection with the left of Third Brigade. The lines were now well established and intrenched; two sections of light 12-pounder guns (Fourth Ohio Battery, Captain G. Froehlich's) were placed in battery on the key point of my position, sweeping its front completely. I refer to

9 R R-VOL XXXVIII, PT III