Green; 15th, four pieces light artillery, Captain Guy; 16th, Eighth Regiment Kentucky Volunteers, Lieutenant-Colonel Lyon; 17th, Seventh Regiment Texas Volunteers, Colonel Gregg; 18th, Fifty-sixth Regiment Virginia Volunteers, Captain Davis; 19th, First Regiment Mississippi Volunteers, Lieutenant Colonel A. S. Hamilton; 20th, second division Green's Volunteers, Colonel Reynolds.

The following forces were in reserve on the left wing, viz: Forty-second Tennessee, Twentieth Mississippi, Thirty-sixth Virginia, and Twenty-sixth Tennessee Regiments.

Brigadier General J. B. Floyd arrived at Fort Donelson at daylight on the morning of February 13.

A part of Colonel Heiman's brigade was posted on the most elevated point on our left wing, and on it was made the first attack on my command at about 12 m. on February 13. The enemy's infantry, supported and were both times gallantly repulsed within the period of two hours. The left of the Tenth Tennessee Regiment, the whole of the Fifty-third Tennessee Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Thomas F. Winston, the right of the Forty-eighth Tennessee Regiment, under Colonel Quarles, arriving the rear of the heights about the time of the second attack-having been dispatched to me by General Pillow for that purpose-was pressed forward to support the defense, and was warmly engaged with the enemy, losing about 8 killed and wounded. The Fifty-third Tennessee Regiment lost a somewhat larger number.

Having received the report of but one colonel-that of Colonel Lyon-it is proper here to state that I cannot give the casualties or do that complete justice to each and every part of my command which I desire and which they so much merit.

In this attack Captain Maney's company of artillery and Colonels Abernathy's and Quarles' regiments principally suffered and deserve more particular notice. In Captain Maney's company the loss was such that he was unable afterwards to man but two guns of the four which composed his battery.

During this attack and until night most of the left wing was exposed to the fire of sharpshooters and of field artillery. Colonel Lyon's (Eighth Kentucky) regiment, posted in rifle pits, in front of which was planted, at 700 yards, a battery varying from two to four pieces, lost by these and sharpshooters 2 men killed and 10 wounded within six hours of this day, and the Seventh Texas Regiment, I am informed, lost 1 lieutenant killed.

During February 14 the main attack was made with the enemy's gunboats on our water batteries, which, being on the right wing, did not affect my command. It was, however, exposed to the fire of sharpshooters and occasional artillery fire, without important results.

Between 12 and 1 a. m. on February 15 it was resolved, in council, convened by General Floyd, to attack the enemy's strong position on his right, while General Buckner should assault the enemy on the Wynn's Ferry road. By this attack it was proposed to roll the enemy's right wing back on his left, and at least to cut a way for our forces to retreat and save our army from capitulation. To provide for every contingency, even that of failure, a rallying point, far beyond the enemy's lines, was designated, and all the plans were skillfully and minutely adjusted. The commanding officers of brigades were dismissed from the council, with orders to marshal their forces with the utmost dispatch, but from some