[CHAP. XLIII.

when it was ascertained that our lines to the left of our position had been broken, and that the enemy was approaching us from the position occupied by our troops, when I was ordered by Brigadier-General Walthall to form at right angles to our original position on Missionary Ridge with the Twenty-ninth and Thirtieth Mississippi Regiment, which I did, and met and checked the enemy until after dark, when we were withdraw to Chickamauga Station.

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

W. F. BRANTLY,

Colonel Twenty-ninth Mississippi Regiment.

Captain E. T. SYKES,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 226.

Report of Major James M. Johnson, Thirtieth Mississippi Infantry.

HDQRS. THIRTIETH REGIMENT MISSISSIPPI VOLUNTEERS,
Near Dalton, Ga., December 4, 1863.

CAPTAIN: In obedience to circular orders from brigade headquarters, dated December 2, I have the honor to submit the following report of the part this command took in the late engagement on November 24 and 25:

On the morning of November 24, pursuant to instructions received from the brigadier-general commanding I placed my command under arms an hour before day.

About 9 a.m., the firing on the picket line becoming general, at the request of the officer in command of the pickets, I sent two companies of my command (Companies D and I, under the immediate command of Lieutenant W. T. Loggins, Company C) to re-enforce his line. Instructions had been received by me the evening previous from the brigadier-general to do this whenever called upon. About this time the picket line on the left being forced to retire slowly, the remainder of my regiment, under orders from the brigadier-general, was deployed as skirmishers to support this line. The enemy advanced in heavy force to within 150 yards of my line before my men fired, and were checked for two or three moments by the rapidity and certainty of the fire delivered by the command. So soon as they discovered my line to be only a line of skirmishers they advanced and drove the regiment back precipitately on the Twenty-ninth Mississippi, which formed to the right and in rear of my position. The assailing column of the enemy which attacked my line could not have been less than a brigade, as I distinguished several stand of colors. Owing to the rugged nature of the ground, the length of my line, and the tenacity with which my men contested the advance of the enemy-holding their ground until they were within 30 yards of them in some places-many officers and men of my command were captured. A sufficient length of time did not elapse for the rallying of the remnant of my command until after it was driven beyond the Craven house, for it hardly passed the position of the Twenty-ninth Mississippi when that regiment was forced back by the overwhelming force brought against it. As soon as the remnant of my command was brought together, it, with the balance