arrest the enemy, but at this time confusion prevailed over everything. Arriving at the woods in front of Colonel Overton's I formed a line, as again directed by Lieutenant-General Lee, and moving back half a mile farther Major-General Clayton reformed his division, and we continued the retreat until we reached Hollow Tree Gap, where we bivouacked.

Early the next morning I was sent as a reserve near the hotel, 600 yards in rear of the gap. While there, in accordance with an order from division headquarters, I sent Colonel S. E. Hunter, with the greater part of the Fourth and Thirtieth Louisiana Volunteers, and my inspector-general to report to Major-General Clayton. He was placed on picket in a gap in rear of the division, by order of Lieutenant-General Lee, and while being posted there I moved the balance of my brigade to attack the enemy, who was approaching the road between us and Franklin. I drove him back very easily, and was moving to the road again, when I was informed by a staff officer of Lieutenant-General Lee (Lieutenant Farish) that Colonel Hunter and his detachment had been captured. I was again placed in position in an earth-work 1,000 yards from Harpeth River, and before my instructions reached me our cavalry stampeded. The enemy, 5,000 strong, charged in three columns, with squadrons covering the intervening ground and connecting them--one in front, one in rear upon the left flank, and one in rear upon the right flank. I found a section of artillery upon the road and a part of a regiment of infantry under Colonel Hunley. I had the section to open upon the enemy, but it had no effect except to increase the speed of his flanking columns, and made no impression upon that one advancing directly upon our front. After firing ten rounds, with no better effect, I ordered the officer (I do not know his name) to move his pieces to the rear. I also directed Lieutenant-Colonel Lindsay, commanding Sixteenth Louisiana Volunteers, upon my extreme right, to deploy his regiment as skirmishers in retreat, and Colonel Campbell and Major Flournoy, with the First, Thirteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth (in all, about 250 muskets), to move to the rear and to fight as they went. I also directed Colonel Hunley to deploy his men as skirmishers. The cavalry of the enemy charged all around us. Colonel Campbell broke up, by a well-delivered fire, the column charging down the road, and thus gave time to the section of artillery to cross the river. The enemy came up within less than 100 yards of the section and fired his revolvers at those about it. My command fought its way to the river, entirely surrounded, with a loss of 10 killed, 25 wounded, and 5 captured. We continued to make dispositions against this cavalry, under orders of Major-General Clayton, without being engaged, until near sunset, when he again charged, coming from the left, and wheeled into and down the road just where my left flank rested upon it. I immediately changed front upon the left regiment, and ordered Colonel Henderson (Forty-second Georgia), temporarily in charge of Stovall's brigade, upon my right, to face by the rear rank and wheel to the right, so as to cover the road. A few well-directed volleys cut the charging column, and a part of two regiments continued down the road, while the rest fell back into the woods. Major-General Clayton, coming from the front, where he had gone to superintend the advance of Holtzclaw's brigade, then came up and made dispositions which resulted in the defeat of this body of cavalry, the killing of many, and the capture of colors and prisoners. My command was not again engaged.

I trust my officers and men behaved themselves, under all circumstances, in a way to entitle them to the confidence of my superior officers.