Alabama Regiment was sent out as skirmishers on the right, with orders to advance on the enemy's flank. on seeing this movement a battery was turned on them for the rest of the day. About sunset, the action appearing to be general in front, by your orders the Twenty-first Georgia and Twenty-first north Carolina Regiments were ordered to advance, and gained the clump of woods in the valley 400 yards from the battery on the Federal left, followed by the Fifteenth Alabama. I here determined to charge the battery, but Latimer's shot and shell, directed against it, was falling thick in the open space over which we had to pass, and I sent back Lieutenant McKim to direct him to cease his fire on this battery that we might charge it. While Lieutenant McKim was gone I sent two companies of skirmishers up the road, who deployed to the right along a fence and opened fire on the battery; soon after which the brigade advanced to capture it, but found on reaching the top of the hill that the guns had been moved off a few minutes before. It is to be regretted that the short delay in making the charge, caused by our own fire, enabled the enemy to get off his guns. The battery and troops in its support were, however, driven off by the advance of the brigade, and thus the left of the Federal force completely turned.

At dark we had possession of the ground occupied by the Federal left, and soon after took possession of and removed some ambulances and ammunition wagons abandoned by the enemy, the remainder of which were removed the next day. The Seventh Brigade, with the army, followed the enemy 1 mile or more from the field, and bivouacked for the night on their former camp ground.

Subjoined is a list of the killed and wounded. The small loss sustained by the brigade was in consequence of the positions selected throughout the day, which screened the men most of the time from the view of the enemy, even while advancing upon their battery on their left. Latimer's battery as also protected from loss under a several hour's incessant fire from three batteries of the enemy by the judicious position in which it was placed by you, preventing entirely the enemy's shot from the effects of ricochet shot.

Command. Killed. Wounded. Total.

15th Alabama Regiment 1 7 8

21st Georgia Regiment ....... 3 3

21st North Carolina Regiment ....... 2 2

Courtney Artillery ....... 5 5

Grand total 1 17 18

The only officers included in the above are the following: Twenty-first Georgia Regiment, Third Lieutenant John F. Irvin, Company I, wounded; Courtney Artillery, First Lieutenant R. H. Vaughan wounded.

Respectfully,

I. R. TRIMBLE,

Brigadier-General.

Major General R. S. EWELL,

Commanding Third Division.