the wooded crest, and immediately set my men at work erecting a barricade of pine logs. Cutler's brigade was on my right, two batteries of 12-pounder on my left, and Rice's brigade in rear. This was at 1.15 p.m., and there was a heavy artillery fire from each side. The day was intensely hot, and the work distressing to the men after marching all night. The rest of the day passed quietly in our front, excepting encounters between the skirmishers. On Saturday night, May 7, I had sent out a picket detail of 100 men, under Captain Field, who had not yet been returned to me. Our losses by three days' fighting, and some 25 stragglers, had reduced my regiment to 180 men, so that I went into action this day with no more than about 80 men. The picket detail was placed in the ranks of General Crawford's division in an attack made by him upon the enemy this evening.

May 9.-Captain Field came in with about 60 men. He took the battle-flag of the Sixth Alabama and 50 prisoners last evening, having had a hand-to-hand encounter with the rebels. He reports that all our troops on his right and left retreated and left him alone, except the picket detail of the Ninth Massachusetts Volunteers. This day passed quietly. May 9, at dark, a strong skirmish line was sent out to drive in the enemy's pickets, which they did, and then entrenched themselves in rifle-pits. Scarcely were these latter completed (about midnight) than a sudden attack by the rebels drove our men back half way to our works. Our force being small, and that of the enemy said to be large, we did not press them again this night.

May 10.-Orders had been received from a grand demonstration at daylight, but it did not come off. 11.30 a.m. Major Burt was sent out by Colonel Sweitzer with the Twenty-second [Massachusetts] and Fourth Michigan to join the skirmish line and charge upon the lines of the enemy and ascertain their position. Our gallant boys dashed forward, drove the rebels from the disputed rifle-pits, and charged nearly to the woods, where their intrenchments were supposed to be. They were met (Twenty-second Massachusetts) by a galling fire of bullets and canister and were compelled to return to the rifle-pits, which they held until 2 p.m., when they were all relieved by 200 men from Thirty-second Massachusetts. I remained in command of the second line. Immediately after the repulse stretchers were made and the wounded sent for, the stretcher-bearers of the Ambulance Corps being in the rear. The Twenty-second lost heavily, mostly from a flank artillery fire, they having charged into a could-de-sac. At night a grand charge was organized, to be made along the whole line, but it was not carried out, failing somewhere on the right. We lost 65 men out of 170 in the Twenty-second Massachusetts to-day. Total loss thus far: Two officers and 118 men out of 254 men, which we numbered May 5. Captain Davis was killed by a sharpshooters. He was a good man and a gallant soldier. It was he who took the Sixth Alabama flag on the 8th. His brother Marcus (my adjutant) has distinguished himself in all our actions. Sergeant Madden, of the Sharpshooters, Corporal Bartlett, and Sergeant-Major Carter deserve notice for their bravery. Captain Baxter took a prominent part, silencing a battery by the fire of his company, which took a position in advance of the line. Sergeant Wilson led all the men, and was struck mortally by the first discharge of canister. Major Burt, true and worthy, performed his duty admirably, as usual, giving renewed evidence of bravery, prudence, and soldierly sagacity.

36 R R-VOL XXXVI, PT I