of our troops, in the direction of Nashville; but before I could get all my dead and wounded from the field and have them provided for and disposed of an order came to me, said at the time to come from General Pillow, to move my command immediately back to the position from which I started on that morning, and which I had been holding for several days. I accordingly returned to my trenches. In a very few minutes after I reached my position, and before Colonel Hanson (just to my right) had gained his trenches, several Federal regiments, under command of General C. F. Smith, commenced their attack, and took possession of a part of Colonel Hason's unoccupied works. Unable, under these circumstances and against such remarkable odds, to drive back the attacking regiments, Colonel Hason immediately fell back with his command on my line, where, re-enforced by the Fourteenth Mississippi, the Third, Forty-first, Forty-ninth Tennessee, and parts of other commands, a long and desperate struggle ensued, closing at sunset with a decided and brilliant victory to our arms, the fight having lasted for at least two hours. The losses of the enemy in all the engagements above referred to, as ascertained by subsequent visits to their grounds, were indeed very great, exceeding ours both in killed and wounded, I must say, in any moderate estimate, at least seven to one.

Besides the conflicts already named in this report the Federal forces made several attempts upon my works, but were in every instance gallantly met and signally repulsed.

On the night of the 15th the whole of my command, except the detail made to continue the work of strengthening and extending our breastworks, stood to their arms, constantly expecting a renewal of engagements, until about 2 o'clock of the following morning. At this hour I received orders from brigade headquarters to move my regiment as rapidly as possible to Dover, a distance of 1 1/2 miles, where I was informed further orders would be given me. It was, however, well understood among all parties that the object of the march was to evacuate our entire position. I reached Dover some time before daylight and reported to Generals Floyd, Pillow, and Buckner, all of whom were still there, and who ordered me to halt and await further directions.

A messenger from Colonel Brown's headquarters soon came, ordering me back to my trenches, and on returning to my quarters I found that General Buckner's whole command had been surrendered. This was my first notice of that fact, and was thus received on Sunday morning at 5.30 o'clock.

Throughout the period covered by this report the men and officers of my command underwent an astonishing amount of hard labor and toil, suffering greatly from the want of rest, from terrible exposure and fatigue, and the absence of nearly all the comforts even of camp life; but every demand upon their strength and energy hardship and suffering bravely and patiently endured, evincing a glorious spirit of selfsacrifice and determination, now mentioned alike in simple justice to them and with the utmost pride and satisfaction to myself.

On the field my entire field and staff and company officers and men (with scarcely a noticeable exception) bore themselves nobly and gallantly, displaying on every occasion a dauntless courage and patriotism, alike deserving the praises of their chivalrous State and the approval of a glorious country.

Many officers and men of my command are justly entitled to the merit of personal honor and distinction. Lieutenant W. W. Smith, of Company