rout of the second line was about being made as complete as the disaster to the first a few minutes previous, a force of the enemy appeared on my right flank, and had well nigh turned it, compelling the Eighteenth and Forty-fifth Tennessee Regiments to retire rapidly and in some confusion under a heavy enfilanding fire. This necessitated the withdrawal of the center and left, there being no support upon my right for a mile, and none in my rear nearer than 600 yards, and which was then not in motion.

Before reaching the summit of the ridge, many of the best and bravest officers of my command had been stricken down. Among these may be named Colonel J. B. Palmer, severely wounded; Colonel John M. Lillard, mortally wounded; Lieutenant-Colonel Butler, slightly wounded; Major Joyner and Major Taz. W. Newman, severely wounded, besides many line officers whose services were almost indispensable to their commands.

Soon after passing the dense undergrowth mentioned above, we killed the horses and drove the gunners from five field pieces, three upon the right and two in the center. The command passed them, but the men were not permitted to fall out of ranks to remove them. Lieutenant Anderson, of Dawson's battery, removed three of them (6-pounder rifled brass pieces) to the rear, and the other two were removed by persons unknown. In addition to this, the Thirty-second Tennessee, on the center, just before being withdrawn and while a little beyond the crest of the ridge, drove the enemy from two other field pieces and silenced their fire, but did not reach them, while the left (Twenty-sixth Tennessee) drove him from a battery of the second line, but was retired before reaching it.

In this action Carnes' field battery of light artillery, of Wright's brigade, which had an hour or two previous been captured by the enemy, was retaken by my command.

Brigadier-General Bate relieved me about-p.m., and I rapidly reformed and replenished my ammunition in his rear, and when ready again to move forward a staff officer announced that the enemy had penetrated between Bate's left and Johnson's right, and that his skirmishers were moving upon my flank. I immediately changed the direction of my line at a double-quick, first sending forward a strong line of skirmishers. But finding that the enemy had either retreated, or that the alarm was a false one, I reported the fact to the major-general commanding, and in obedience to his orders moved again to the front, and passing the commands of Bate and Clayton formed in line beyond their left flank almost upon the precise ground to which I had previously pursued the enemy. Having placed my artillery in position under the personal supervision of Major-General Stewart, and protected my front with skirmishers, I was directed to remain and hold the position during the night. The enemy was about 250 or 300 yards distant in my front, but did not advance, and save an occasional shot on the picket line and a few shells about nightfall, there was no firing during that night.

Soon after daylight on Sunday morning (the 20th), in obedience to orders from the major-general commanding, I moved by the right flank 500 paces, inclining a little to the rear, so as to keep the crest of the ridge. In a few moments the skirmishers encountered a sharp fire from the enemy and were rapidly driven in on the right, 6 or 8 of them being shot down. They were immediately re-enforced and pushed cautiously forward, under such shelter as the ground and timber afforded, to a distance of 150 yards; but so near was the enemy that they could not be advanced farther without provoking an