ade, Hurlbut's division, but on Colonel
Marsh's request took position on Marsh's right; McClernand, when he fell
back, formed the rest of his command on Marsh's left. The line consisted
of the Forty-sixth, Forty-eighth, Twentieth, Seventeenth, Forty-ninth,
Forty-third, and Forty-fifth Illinois, the Thirteenth Missouri, and the
Fifty-third and Eighty-first Ohio. The Forty-sixth Illinois lay in front
of its camp, being the right of Veatch's brigade camp, Hurlbut's
division. The Forty-eighth and Twentieth lay on its left. The
Seventeenth, Forty-ninth, and Forty-third moved around to connect with
Sherman's left. The position of the Forty-third was between the bivouac
of the Forty-sixth Illinois and the Thirteenth Missouri, and midway
between the camp of the Ninth Illinois of McArthur's brigade, W.H.L.
Wallace's division, and the camp of the Forty-sixth Illinois. The
Fifty-third and Eighty-first Ohio were in front of the camp of the
Second Iowa, Tuttle's Brigade, W.H.L. Wallace's division. Colonel
Crocker, Thirteenth Iowa, who had assumed command of the First Brigade
on the wounding of Colonel Hare, bivouacked with his regiment in front
of the camp of the Fourteenth Iowa, Tuttle's brigade. The Eighth and
Eighteenth Illinois spent the night with the reserve artillery.

Colonel Veatch, commanding Hurlbut's Second Brigade, formed his command
at half-past seven o'clock in the morning, and was shortly after ordered
to march to the support of Sherman. He reached a point not well defined,
between nine and ten o'clock, and was placed in reserve. He soon became
hotly engaged on McClernand's left. His two right regiments, the
Fifteenth and Forty-sixth Illinois, became separated from Colonel Veatch
with the other two regiments, and then separated from each other. The
Forty-sixth aided the Sixth Iowa and Forty-sixth Ohio in their desperate
struggle with Trabue, and after continual engagements, being forced back
to within half a mile of its camp, repaired thither about two o'clock
and had a comfortable dinner. The Fifteenth suffered severely. The
lieutenant-colonel and the major, the only field-officers with the
regiment, were killed, two captains were killed and one wounded, one
lieutenant was killed and six wounded. Colonel Veatch, with the
Twenty-fifth Indiana and Fourteenth Illinois, continued fighting and
manoeuvring with skill and determination till the retreating division
of Hurlbut passed along his rear. Colonel Veatch then report