g up the
intrenchments for the whole front of this Division, the enemy capturing
the celebrated Degress Battery of 20-pounders and two guns in advance of
our lines. The officers of Lightburn's Division rallied it in the line of
intrenchments, just in the rear of the position they had in the morning.

General Logan was then in command of the Army of the Tennessee. He rode
over to my position, and I sent Mersey's Brigade of the Second Division,
under the guidance of Major Edward Jonas, my Aide-de-camp, to the aid of
the Fifteenth Corps. Of the performance of that Brigade on that occasion,
I quote the words of that staff officer, Major Jonas:

I conducted Mersey's Brigade to the point where needed; arrived at the
railroad, he at once deployed and charged, all men of the Fifteenth
Corps at hand joining with him. Mersey's Brigade recaptured the works
and the guns. Old Colonel Mersey was slightly wounded, and his
celebrated horse, "Billy," killed. By your direction I said to General
Morgan L. Smith (temporarily in command of the Fifteenth Corps):
"General Dodge requests that you return this Brigade at the earliest
practicable moment, as there is every indication of renewed assault on
our own line," and, after saying that your request would be respected,
General Smith added: "Tell General Dodge that his Brigade (Mersey's)
has done magnificently, and that it shall have full credit in my
report."

Afterwards one of Mersey's officers--Captain Boyd, I think--in trying his
skill as an artillerist, cracked one of the recaptured guns. At the same
moment of Mersey's attack in front, General Wood's Division of the
Fifteenth Army Corps, under the eye of General Sherman, attacked the
Confederates occupying our intrenchments in flank, and Williamson's
Brigade joined Mersey's in recapturing our line and the batteries--the
Fourth Iowa Infantry taking a conspicuous part.

Colonel Mersey and many of his men whom he so gallantly led had served
their time before this battle occurred, and were awaiting transportation
home. Eloquent words have been written and spoken all over the land in
behalf of the honor and the bravery of the soldier; but where is the word
spoken or written that can say more for the soldier than the action of
these men on that field? They were out of service; they had written that
they were coming home, and their eyes and hearts were toward the North.
Many an anxious eye was