Oliver Otis Howard, Autobiography of Oliver Otis Howard, major general , United States army : volume 2

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[6] meal, not a little anxious notwithstanding the unusual calm. Surely, this isolated position behind the brave Army of the Tennessee, with the able McPherson in command, was a safer one than any Dodge had held for weeks past-when they suddenly heard this same firing.

General Blair had been with McPherson that morning, just before McPherson started to see Sherman. Blair had then gone directly to his own headquarters not far away, when about 12 M. he heard that there had been an attack upon his hospitals, and that Colonel Alexander of his staff had taken a small company of mounted infantry and had gone there to defend them.

Sweeny sent men at once to reconnoiter between him and the Seventeenth Corps. The men sent ran across some Confederates advancing in the woods.

Dodge, on Sweeny's report, immediately comprehended the situation, and ordered Sweeny to face his lines east and south; he ordered Fuller to send a regiment to cover Sweeny's right flank. Sweeny was just ready when he was surprised to see Confederates emerge from the timber. The two batteries were part of Sweeny's fighting line, and every soldier's rifle was loaded.

Fuller, without waiting for orders, had, instead of a regiment, developed his whole force to the left of Sweeny as he faced rearward. Thus Dodge with two divisions became hotly engaged.

The Confederates were terribly shaken at the first fire; but they persevered. Their very momentum carried them beyond Dodge's command, and exposed their lines to a raking fire of artillery, to which two or three regiments of riflemen sent by Dodge, getting