d to find our infantry
in line of battle, prepared for attack, and after facing for a few
minutes the destructive fire from the Divisions of Generals Fuller and
Sweeney, fell back in disorder to the cover of the woods. Here,
however, their lines were quickly reformed, and they again advanced,
evidently determined to carry the position.

The scene at this time was grand and impressive. It seemed to us that
every mounted officer of the attacking column was riding at the front
of, or on the right or left of, the first line of battle. The
regimental colors waved and fluttered in advance of the lines, and not
a shot was fired by the rebel infantry, although the movement was
covered by a heavy and well-directed fire from artillery, which was
posted in the woods and on higher ground, and which enabled the guns
to bear upon our troops with solid shot and shell, firing over the
attacking column.

It seemed impossible, however, for the enemy to face the sweeping,
deadly fire from Fuller's and Sweeney's Divisions, and the guns of the
Fourteenth Ohio and Welker's Batteries of the Sixteenth Corps fairly
mowed great swaths in the advancing columns. They showed great
steadiness, and closed up the gaps and preserved their alignments; but
the iron and leaden hail which was poured upon them was too much for
flesh and blood to stand, and, before reaching the center of the open
field, the columns were broken up and thrown into great confusion.
Taking advantage of this, General Dodge, with portions of General
Fuller's and General Sweeney's Divisions, with bayonets fixed, charged
the enemy and drove them back to the woods, taking many prisoners.

General McPherson's admiration for the steadiness and determined
bravery of the Sixteenth Corps was unbounded. General Dodge held the
key to the position.

Had the Sixteenth Corps given way the rebel army would have been in
the rear of the Seventeenth and Fifteenth Corps, and would have swept
like an avalanche over our supply trains, and the position of the Army
of the Tennessee would have been very critical, although, without
doubt, the result of the battle would have been in our favor, because
the Armies of the Cumberland and the Ohio were close at hand, and the
enemy would have been checked and routed further on.

General Blair, in his official report of