over the Oostenaula, at resaca, at Lay's Ferry, and two flat-boat bridges over the Coosawattee; also pontoon bridges over the Etowah River at the cliffs.

The enemy showed little disposition to yield his stronghold at Kenesaw. After the assault of the 27th June it was determined to move toward our right, at the same time advancing that flank, a movement which it was supposed would result in the evacuation by the enemy of all ground north of the Chattahoochee except his bridge-head at the railroad crossing. Receiving instructions from General Sherman, commanding, I made a personal reconnaissance of the ground upon our right as far as our extreme cavalry outposts, at or near Anderson's Mill or Olley's Creek, and immediately upon my return and report the Army of the Tennessee was put in motion. No sooner was this movement developed than the enemy, on the night of the 2nd and morning of the 3rd of July, evacuated his position at kenesaw and in front of Marietta, and we took position, the troops moving right on in pursuit. Contrary to expectation and information, we found that the enemy intended to make a stand upon a line from Ruff's Station (Neal Dow) to Ruff's Mill, the flanks being refused along Nickajack and Rottenwood Creeks. This line had been prepared by militia and contrabands only a few days before its occupation by Johnston's army, and was well built, consisting of good infantry parapets, connecting salients, in which were placed a large number of pieces of field artillery in embrasure. The length of this line was nearly six miles. On the 4th of July our skirmishers drove the enemy's into the works on the main road by a spirited dash, being supported by the divisions of Stanley, of the Fourth Corps, and Johnson, of the Fourteenth Corps, and our lines pressed up at all points, but not near enough to silence the artillery. Late in the evening the Sixteenth Corps, forming the left of the Army of the Tennessee, carried by assault a portion of the rebel line. At daylight on the morning of the 5th of July our skirmishers advanced, only to find the enemy gone, a movement rendered necessary upon their part by the success of the Sixteenth Corps on the evening previous:

The next line of works was found in front of the railroad bridge and the several roads and pontoon bridges, at Pace's, Montgomery's, and Turner's Ferries, forming a very extensive tete-de-pont, which consisted of a system a square redoubts, in defensive relations, connected by infantry parapets, but few of these redoubts were prepared for artillery, being arranged with a banquette for infantry fire. The artillery was place in small intermediate redans. The redoubts partook more of the character of tambours. They were constructed by building double log-pens, and filling the space between them with earth. There was nothing in the plan to recommend them to the attention of the engineers. The left of this line rested upon a large seven-gun redoubt near the mouth of Nickajack Creek, and the right upon another redoubt prepared for eight guns, and situated near the Chattahoochee, about one mile above the railroad bridge. Opposite this point the intrenchments on the south side of the river began, and extended in a continuous line nearly to Island Creek, being altogether about eight miles. The railroad bridge at is southern end was protected by three batteries of irregular shape, and one redoubt. This line, owing to the care bestowed upon its construction and the nature of the approaches, was by far the strongest we

9 R R - VOL XXXVIII, PT I