The contest was a desperate one, and the slaughter on both sides dreadful. Five times we jumped our works, fighting sometimes to the front and sometimes to the rear. The action did not extend beyond the Army of the Tennessee. When the action had ceased, we were ordered to fall back a short distance and throw up intrenchments. The Colonel of the regiment I was with now saw me for the first time, and, from my dress, supposing that I was a reb. trying to evade capture, said to me: "Look 'e here, mister, where do you belong?" "I am a member of the 20th Ohio Infantry, but I belong to Gen. McPherson's head-quarters." "What are you doing here?" "I have been in the fight. I had my horse disabled in the beginning of the action, so I took my gun and went to fighting with your regiment, and I have been with it for two hours." I then handed him an order that General McPherson had given me, which said, "Guards, pickets, and patrols will pass Corporal Lorain Ruggles, of the 20th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, who is on special duty, at all places and at all hours, without the countersign." When he had read it, he said, "May be General McPherson gave you that and may be you stole it from the pocket of a dead soldier. You look to me more like a _reb._ than any thing else." I then showed him an order that General Leggett had given me to draw fresh beef for myself and scouts that messed with me. Having read it, he said, "It may all be right, but I don't want such a looking man in my regiment; if you have got a hole you had better hunt it." We won a victory, but at a fearful cost of life, of both officers and men. Among the fallen heroes of this war, there has been none more amiable in character, none whose services were of more value to the Government, and none whose loss was more regretted by the men of his command than the brave, gallant McPherson. He was loved and highly esteemed by all that knew him. I can scarcely describe my sorrow at his loss. My attachment had become intimate, and I felt that I had not only lost my commanding officer, but my most valued friend. Such feelings of sorrow and loneliness came over me that I was well-nigh incapacitated for duty. I had felt lonely when General Grant left the Army of the Tennessee, but now I scarcely knew what to do.