with troops, even when not defended.  The ridge occupied by the enemy terminated abruptly where the ravine turns westerly.  The left of the enemy occupied the north end of this ridge.  The Bolton and Edward’s station wagon-road turns almost due south at this point and ascends the ridge, which it follows for about a mile; then turning west, descends by a gentle declivity to Baker’s Creek, nearly a mile away.  On the west side the slope of the ridge is gradual and is cultivated from near the summit to the creek.  There was, when we were there, a narrow belt of timber near the summit west of the road.

From Raymond there is a direct road to Edward’s station, some three miles west of Champion’s Hill.  There is one also to Bolton.  From this latter road there is still another, leaving it about three and a half miles before reaching Bolton and leads direct to the same station.  It was along these two roads that three divisions of McClernand’s corps, and Blair of Sherman’s, temporarily under McClernand, were moving.  Hovey of McClernand’s command was with McPherson, farther north on the road from Bolton direct to Edward’s station.  The middle road comes into the northern road at the point where the latter turns to the west and descends to Baker’s Creek; the southern road is still several miles south and does not intersect the others until it reaches Edward’s station.  Pemberton’s lines covered all these roads, and faced east.  Hovey’s line, when it first drove in the enemy’s pickets, was formed parallel to that of the enemy and confronted his left.

By eleven o’clock the skirmishing had grown into a hard-contested battle.  Hovey alone, before other troops could be got to assist him, had captured a battery of the enemy.  But he was not able to hold his position and had to abandon the artillery.  McPherson brought up his troops as fast as possible, Logan in front, and posted them on the right of Hovey and across the flank of the enemy.  Logan reinforced Hovey with one brigade from his division; with his other two he moved farther west to make room for Crocker, who was coming up as rapidly as the roads would admit.  Hovey was still being heavily pressed, and was calling on me for more reinforcements.  I ordered Crocker, who was now coming up, to send one brigade from his division.  McPherson ordered two batteries to be stationed where they nearly enfiladed the enemy’s line, and they did good execution.

From Logan’s position now a direct forward movement carried him over open fields, in rear of the enemy and in a line parallel with them.  He did make exactly this move, attacking, however, the enemy through the belt of woods covering the west slope of the hill for a short distance.  Up to this time I had kept my position near Hovey where we were the most heavily pressed; but about noon I moved with a part of my staff by our right around, until I came up with Logan himself.  I found him near the road leading down to Baker’s