, 1864-01-06

! uuSus L1t uS1t, 1Id hne troops hau assume
position when day dawned. The sky wa
red and sultry, aad the atmosphere Of th
woods enyeloped in fog and smoke. As 500
as it was sufficiently light, I proceeded, &c
companied by Gen. Garfield and some aids
to inspect the lines
found Gen. McCook's right too far upo1
tle crest, and Gen. Davis In reserve upon .
hillside, west Of and parallel to the Dry y"al
| ley Road. mentioned those defects to. tht
| General, desiring Davis division to bt
| brought down at once, moved more to the
left, and placed In close column, By division
doubled on the centre, in d sheltered post
I found General crittenden's two divis.
ions messed at the foot of the same hill, in
the valley and called bis attention to It,
left. ~'1>
Gen. Thomas troops were In the position
Indicated, except Palmer's line, which was to
be closed more compactly.
Satisfied that the enemy's first attempt
would be Oh our left, orders were dispatched
to Gen: Neglcy to join Gen. Thomas, and to
Gen: McCook to relieve Neglcy. Returning
to the right, found Negley had not moved,
nor We're McCook's troops coming in to. re.
lieve him. Negley was preparing to with
draw his two bTigades from the Lire. He was
ordercd to send his reserve brigade immedi-
ately, and follow 1t with the others only
when relieved In line Of battle. Gen. Cit
t-nden, whose troops were nearest, was or
dered to FIJI Gen, Negley's place at once. and
Gen. McCook was notified Of this order,
growing ont Of the necessity Of promptly
sending Neg1ey to Thomas. Proceeding to
the extreme right, felt the disadya1ta-
ges Of it's position, mentioned them to
Gen. McCook, and when left hin, enioined
on him that It was an indispensable nccessitY
TINT We should keep closed to the left. and
that we must do SO at Ill hazards. On my
return to the position of Gen. Nerley.
found, to ny astonishment, that Cen Cit
having reached the position Of NcgleFs re-
serve; Percmgtory orders were given to re-.
pair this, and Woods troops moved into 10
s1tion, but this de1ay subsequently proved OF
serious s consequence. The battle began on
o'clock when Negley Was relieved.
Ing that Negley's remaining b1igadcs be sent
forward as speedily as possible TO succor the
lett, Gen. Crittenden was ordered to move
Van Cleye with all possible dispatch to q po-
sitton In the rear Of Wood, who closed in on
Brannan's right. Gen. McCook was ordered
to move Davis up to close in on Wood md fiji
an opening In the line.
IN my return from an examination Of the
second in tie rear Of our right and left cen
tre, found to my surprise that Gen. Van
Clevc was posted in line of battle on q high
ridge, much too far to the rear to give immedI-
ate support to the main line of battle, and
occupied By Negley's reserve in the morning.
General Crittenden was ordered to move Van
Cleye at once down the hill to q better posf-
ton, and General Davis WIS also ordered to |
close up to the support OF the line near Woods |
right. The battle in the meantime roared |
with increasing fury and approach from the |
left to center. Two aids arrived successfully |
within few minutes from Gen. Thomas ask
Ing for rcinforcements. The first was d. |
rccted to say that General Ncgley had already |
zone, and should be nearly at hand at that |
time, and that Brannan's reserve brigade was
ayailable. The other was directed to say |
That General Van C1eve would at once be sent
to his assistance, which was accordingly done.
A message from Generals Thomas soon fol- |
owed that he Was heayily pressed, Captain
kellogg, j. D. c., the bearer, informing me ut
ne same time that General Brannan Was out
If line, and General Reynolds right was az
2osed. Orders were dispatched to General
vas sent to General Thomas that be should
'e supported even If it took away the whole
.orps Of CEttenden and McCook.
General Davis was ordered to close on Gen |
'ral Wood, and General AcCook vas advised
# the state of affairs and ordered to close his
Cen Wood overlooking the direction to
close up" on Gen: Reynolds, supposed he
YES to support him BY withdrawing from
ne line and passing to the rear of Gen. Bran
'ap, Who. Is appears, was not out of line,
mt was In eths'oM and slightly In rear Of
axe gap Was opened in the line of battle,
# which the enemy took instant advantage,
nd striking Davis in flank anl rear as we'll |
IN front, threw his whole division In con-
asfon. The same attack shattered the right
rigade Of Wood before 1t had cleared the
H4r4f@& &+%
ack, nnd two Of his batteries, then In move
acnt to new position, we're taken in flank
nd thrown back through two brfgades Of
IN Cleve, then on the march to the left,
hroWing his division into confusion, frou
mich It never recovered until it reached
While the enemy poured in through this
reach, long line, stretching beyond sheri-
ans right, Was advancing. Laibold's brig
1e shared in the route Of Davis. sherldan's
ther two brigades, in movement toward the
IT, under orders to support Thomas, made
gallant charge against the enemy's adyanc-
g column, but were thrown into disorder
i'd were likewise compelled to- fall back,
'lying In the Dry Valley Road, and repuls-
e the enemy, but were again compelled to
eld to superior numbers, md retired west
ard OF The Dry Valley, and, By circuftous
'ute, reached KossTill4 from which they
ar left,
Thus Davis two brigades, one Of Van
|eve's, and Sheridan's entire division, were
lyen from the field, and the remainder, con-
sling Of Baird, johnson, Palmer, Reynolds,
Fannan and Wood, two ofNegley' brigades,
I'd one Of Van Cleve's, were left to sustain
e conflict against the whole power of the
bel army, Which, desisting from pursuit on
c right, concentrated their whole Efforts to
'stroy them.
At the moment Of the repulse Of Davis d.
sion, ] was standing in rear Of his right,
altlns the completion Of the closing of Nc
ook to the left. Seeing confusion among
IN Clevc's troops, and the distance Davis
en- were falling back, and the tide Of battle
{Co"tinues1 o.. Fourth Rtge).