morning, the 27th, our assaulting column was formed, consisting of three brigades. My brigade, in the center, was formed in two lines, as follows: The Fifty-seventh Ohio, Colonel Rice, on the right; the One hundred and eleventh Illinois, Colonel Martin, on the left; the One hundred and sixteenth Illinois, Captain Windsor, in the center, in front. The second line was composed of the Sixth Missouri, Lieutenant-Colonel Van Deusen; the One hundred and twenty-seventh Illinois, Captain Little; the Fifty-fifth Illinois, Captain Augustin, in the order named, from right to left. The Second Brigade, of your division (General Lightburn's), was on my right, and Colonel Walcutt's brigade, of the Fourth Division, on my left. My line of battle was formed about 100 yards in front of our works, then occupied by the First and Fourth Divisions of the Fifteenth Corps, and immediately in rear of their picket-lines. The position of the enemy's works to be assaulted was a ridge or hill on the right of Kenesaw Mountain, Colonel Walcutt's brigade to enter the gorge or ravine between the mountain and hill, his right to overlap the left of the hill, and his left to extend over a portion of the mountain. General Lightburn's objective point was a ridge farther to my right about 800 or 1,000 yards. The ground was wooded, with thick underbrush in many places, and held by the enemy's skirmishers. Nothing further of the ground was known, and very little of the enemy's position, except what could be seen from a high point in our lines over the tops of the trees. The movement commenced at 8 o'clock. The enemy's skirmishers were steadily driven back, leaving some dead and wounded on the field. The ground over which my line of battle advanced proved even worse than was anticipated. A part of the way was low swampy ground, and so densely covered with underbrush as to compel the men to crawl almost on their hands and knees through the tangled vines. These difficulties were finely overcome, and the open ground in front of the enemy's works gained. The hill was steep and rugged, covered with fallen trees, precipitous rocks, and abatis, rendering any advance in line of battle utterly impossible. The works, a little below the crest of the hill, were very formidable, and filled with men, completely commanding the whole slope of the hill, and from the nature of the ground, being enabled in many places to pour in a cross-fire that no troops could withstand. My command moved gallantly up the ascent, making their way independently as best they could over all obstructions, some nearly gaining the works, but only to be shot down as they arrived. Our loss, particularly in officers, was very heavy. Colonel Rice, Fifty-seventh Ohio, not yet fully recovered from his fearful wound at Vicksburg, was shot in both legs, one of which has since been amputated. The Fifty-fifth Illinois lost Captain Augustin, commanding regiment, and Captain Porter, killed within fifteen yards of the intrenchments, and Captain Aagesen and other officers wounded. Of the One hundred and eleventh Illinois, Captain Andrews was killed and Captain Walker wounded twenty yards from the ditch, and Major Mabry struck by a ball on the leg, but not so severe as to compel him to leave the field. To gain any portion of their works seemed impossible. The ground gained was mostly held until dark, when the picket-line was established in the edge of the woods, and the men withdrawn from the side of the hill. Our pickets were soon after relieved by the First Division, and my brigade ordered to occupy the camp of the previous night.