While we were eating our dinner, a firing commenced on the picket-line to the rear, and in less than five minutes an entire division was engaged. Brigades of troops had been stationed near the rear pickets as a reserve. It was these troops that were attacked. The troops known as the "Iowa Brigade" of the 17th Army Corps, were among the reserves. Against this brigade were massed such overwhelming numbers, that it was compelled to give way and fall back. General McPherson immediately rode to the scene of action, and ordered up a brigade to its support. Anticipating that when the first shock of the onset was over the enemy would ease up, and swing round in mass against the rear of his left, he immediately dispatched his staff with orders to the different commanders to counteract such a move. He watched the progress of the action until satisfied that his presence was no longer needed there, and then started for the left. The falling back and changing of position of the Iowa brigade had left a gap in our lines to the rear. Through this a part of the rebel line advanced. As we were making our way along, we met the rebel skirmish-line, whose direction of advance had become changed by the broken character of the country. A volley was fired at us, which instantly killed General McPherson, the ball passing in at one side and out at the other, piercing his heart and lungs; another wounding his horse across the breast, and another wounding his horse across the neck, and another passed through the lower part of one of the forefeet of my horse, tearing off a shoe and leaving a groove across the entire foot. Seizing the General's horse by the bridle, I led him away out of danger. Two orderlies and a Captain of the Signal Corps were the only persons, besides myself, that were near the General when he fell. As soon as it was known that McPherson had fallen, Major-General Logan took command of the Army of the Tennessee. I turned the horse over to the Captain of the Signal Corps, to take care of, who despatched an orderly to Colonel Clark, Assistant Adjutant-General of McPherson's staff, with the intelligence of his death. My horse was so lamed by his wound that I could not ride him, so I took him to General Leggett's head-quarters and left him, took my gun and went to the front. By this time the action had become general along the Army of the Tennessee, and raged furiously in front and in rear. Attaching myself to the first regiment that I came to, the 18th Missouri Infantry, I fought with my rifle until the action was over.