not permit. Let the achievement and the list of casualties be their record. The regiment went into action with, enlisted men,317; commissioned officers, 17; aggregate,334, and suffered a loss of commissioned officers killed,1; wounded,9; enlisted men killed,23; wounded,166; total,189. Aggregate loss,199. Of the wounded an unusual number have since died.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

BENJ. F. HEGLER,

Captain, Commanding Fifteenth Indiana.

Lieutenant COX,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

No. 43.

Report of Lieutenant Colonel Elias Neff, Fortieth Indiana Infantry.

HEADQUARTERS FORTIETH INDIANA INFANTRY, Chattanooga, Tennessee, November 27, 1863.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report that, on the afternoon of Monday, November 23, my command being at that time on picket duty, having received an order to advance the line, I at once did so. The left of the line of skirmishers soon met those of the enemy, and after a brisk encounter drove them, with a loss to us of 1 man killed and 4 wounded. The line thus advanced was held by my command until midnight, when, being relieved, I moved it, under orders from General Wagner, farther to the left and formed it upon the right of the front of the brigade. This position, relative to the brigade, was retained during all subsequent operations.

During Tuesday all was quiet. Wednesday, about 1 p.m., an order to advance was received. A forward movement was made for a distance of nearly one-fourth of a mile, when a halt was ordered, and everything prepared for a rush upon the rifle-pits of the enemy, then about one-fourth of a mile in front.

At the word of command the men marched forward briskly, gradually increasing the pace to a run after emerging form the thicket that, up to this time, had screened the pits from sight. In a few moments the pits were in possession of the skirmishers, and the regiment occupied them soon after, losing 1 man killed in the movement. The men were with difficulty restrained from a farther advance at once, but those who had rushed on were recalled, and for then minutes all lay under the shelter of the parapet. Again came the order to move forward, and with alacrity it was obeyed. The distance quarter of a mile, and it was made at a run with but small loss, though under a severe fire. This position, owing to the steepness of the ridge and its peculiar formation, was comparatively safe. The men, taking advantage of any species of shelter the ground afforded, began the ascent.

Scarcely had this movement upon the ridge commenced when the order to fall back to the rifle-pits was received from General Wagner, through an aide, and given to the men. It was with the greatest reluctance, almost amounting to a refusal at first, that this order was obeyed, but the sense of duty prevailed, and they fell back, suffering very severely in the movement; but the shelter thus obtained was not long made us of. Again, under the proper order, the line advanced to its former position, again losing heavily in the movement.