command forward and met the enemy, and taken the aggressive, and he had confidence, from what he witnessed of their steadiness, that the men would have supported him. He then complimented the men for coolness under fire and said no doubt the regiment would feel chagrined at the outcome of their first battle, but no doubt an early opportunity would be given them to retrieve themselves. He also said that if the regiment should be called upon for volunteers for an assaulting party, in a future assault (which he thought would be the case very soon) he directed Captain Stanwood of Co. B and his company not to feel as if called upon, but to remain with the main body of the regiment, that he would not be expected to volunteer in any forlorn hope or assaulting party. His 1st Lieut. (Rollins) detailed to Col. Chapin's staff. Lieut. Merrill was acting Quartermaster of the regiment for some considerable time.
May 23. Alarm in the night—long roll beaten—regiment turned out under arms, but the alarm proved to be false. 48th ordered far down to the rear of the 1st Battery fight on the Bayou Sara road.
Co. E's men proved themselves good foragers, bringing in quantities of poultry and pigs.
May 24. Regiment ordered to march to the front with one day's rations at 6 o'clock A. M. Co. B was detached and sent forward skirmishing into a narrow strip of woods; the mud and water were very deep and almost impenetrable. They advanced, however, with great difficulty through the woods to within about 300 yards of the rebel works and there remained through the day, lying in the edge of the woods, and witnessed the artillery battle between the opposing bat-
