crossing Pea Vine Creek some 600 yards from our first position into and over a corn-field, where these regiments were drawn up in line of battle. The enemy had taken his position in the corn-field opposite, running to a high ridge near the junction of the Graysville and La Fayette, Ringgold and Chattanooga roads. A section of the First Missouri Battery (Bledsoe's) having been placed in position on my left by General Johnson and Forrest, in rear of the Seventeenth Tennessee, the Forty-fourth was now brought to the right of the Twenty-fifth Tennessee Regiment. The firing from this battery drove the enemy from his position, and after shelling the woods in our front I again received an order to advance in line of battle.

My skirmishers were kept deployed at a distance of 200 yards, which distance they kept, passing over the ridge (a strong position) and forward to Reed's Bridge, across which the enemy had moved and taken position in the woods beyond. Before reaching the bridge (Reed's) the Seventeenth Tennessee was detached and sent by General Forrest to the left to attack a force of the Federal at their principal encampment. Before gaining this position, however, the enemy fled. The skirmishers of the Twenty-third Tennessee while approaching Reed's became engaged, and the Twenty-third Tennessee Regiment voluntarily pushed forward with a yell and drove the enemy from the brigade before it could be destroyed. Here the

Twenty-third Tennessee had 5 men wounded, 1 of whom (Private A. Melton, color bearer), when obliged to give up his colors, called upon his successor to carry them forward ahead of everything else.

Skirmishers were immediately sent over the bridge and deployed, followed by the Forty-fourth, Twenty-fifth, and Twenty-third Tennessee Regiments, which filed to the right some 300 or 400 yards through a corn-field. The enemy now opened a battery upon the bridge, one of its shells wounding Lieutenant Hastings, of the Seventeenth Tennessee, which regiment was returning to rejoin the brigade and crossed over the bridge under the enemy's fire of artillery. A section of First Missouri (Bledsoe's) Battery, of the reserve artillery, opened fire and drove the enemy's battery from its position.

The brigade moved forward in line of battle, changing direction to the right, and moved in line to Alexander's Bridge, where we were halted and remained for brigade on our left (Gregg's) to come up. Gregg's brigade moved forward, followed by Johnson's, [from] which, after marching some 600 yards, the Forty-fourth Tennessee was detached to guard our wagon train. Having marched some 2 1/2 miles by the flank, Gregg's brigade became engaged with the enemy. We changed front forward on left company, left battalion, and moved up on line with other troops on our left, and rested on our arms during the night, one-third of the men being required to be awake and skirmishers deployed in our front.

Saturday, September 19, early this morning a detail of intelligent men was made, five from each regiment, to reconnoiter the enemy's line. They reported to me about 10 a.m. the enemy's 1 1/4 miles distant and in our front. The Forty-fourth Tennessee took its position the right of the brigade, and the line of the brigade conformed to that of Gregg's on our left, and Robertson's on our right, which encompassed the top of a low ridge. The firing commenced on our right about 8 a.m., and continued along the until Cheatham became engaged.

About 1 p.m. the skirmishers of the Seventeenth Tennessee, as