Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 7.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[370] two brigades in the army. But one colonel was left in command in Govan's brigade. Colonel Featherston, of the Fifth Arkansas, fell in the first engagement while gallantly taking a battery; Lieutenant-Colonel Baucum, of the Eighth Arkansas, and Colonel Gillespie, of the Seventh, were both wounded. Ten company officers out of twelve, in the First Louisiana and Eighth Arkansas, consolidated, were killed and wounded. In the two brigades one thousand and six hundred men and officers were killed and wounded in five desperate engagements. Eight field officers out of ten were killed and wounded in Walthall's brigade, and Colonel J. J. Scales, of the Thirtieth Mississippi, captured. In the Twenty-fourth Mississippi, Lieutenant-Colonel R. P. Mackelvaine and Major W. C. Staples were wounded; also, Lieutenant-Colonel A. J. Jones, of the Twenty-seventh ; Lieutenant-Colonel L. B. Morgan, of the Twenty-ninth ; Major J. M. Johnson, of the Thirtieth; Major W. G. Pegram, and Captain Fowler, afterward commanding Thirty-fourth Mississippi. Lieutenant-Colonel H. A. Reynolds, Thirty-fourth Mississippi, was killed. Colonel Brantley, of Twenty-ninth, and Colonel Campbell, Twenty-seventh, were the only officers uninjured. Whole loss, seven hundred and eighty-one killed, wounded, and missing.

The Louisiana, Kentucky, and Alabama troops were also conspicuous for their gallantry. Sergeant J. C. McDevitt, the color-bearer of Gibson's regiment, Adams's brigade, was mortally wounded in both legs with canister. The brave Major Loudon Butler, of the Nineteenth Louisiana, was killed at the head of his regiment, and Lieutenant-Colonel R. W. Turner, of same regiment, was wounded, also Captain E. P. Guilliet, of General Adams's staff. Colonel Daniel Gober and Major C. H. Moore, of Sixteenth and Twenty-fifth Louisiana; Colonel L. Von Zinken and Captain E. M. Dubroca, of Thirteenth and Twentieth Louisiana; Captain John W. Labouisse, A. I. G.; Major J. C. Kimball, Thirty-second Alabama, and Lieutenants S. L. Ware and Scott Yerger, were distinguished for their gallantry and bravery. Major James Wilson, A. A. G.; Captains Cabell, Breckinridge, Clay, Coleman, and Maston, of General Breckinridge's staff, also won additional distinction. The brave and chivalrous Colonel Hewitt, of the Second Kentucky, and Lieutenant-Colonel Inge, of the Eighteenth Alabama, were killed.

Bate's brigade, of Stewart's division, retook a gun and confederate flag which had been captured by the enemy the evening before. General Bate had two horses shot under him, suffering considerably from the fall of the last. General Brown was struck in the breast by a spent ball, which shocked him severely, and General Clayton was struck with a fragment of shell on the side. Bate's brigade lost six hundred and eight, out of one thousand and eighty-five, including sixty-seven officers. Every staff-officer had his horse shot under him. Colonel R. C. Tyler, of the Fifteenth and Thirty-seventh Tennessee, lost one hundred and twenty out of two hundred and two men. All the field-officers were wounded, six company officers were killed, and two color-bearers were shot down. During the evening of the twentieth, this gallant regiment became disconnected from Bate's brigade, and fought independently, capturing, with a portion of the Fourth Alabama, a fine battery, the men of the regiment managing the guns and carrying them to the rear, the horses being all killed. During the night after the battle, Preston's division captured two regiments, being part of a small force which held its position on our left. Major J. Stoddard Johnson, A. A. G.; Major T. H. Clay, Inspector-General; Major A. C. Gibson, Chief of Ordnance, and Major T. K. Porter, Chief of Artillery, of General Buckner's staff, were distinguished for the gallant service which they rendered on the field.

On Monday, twenty-first, Forrest and Wheeler pursued the enemy, who did not stop until they reached Chattanooga., the former keeping up a running fire and capturing a number of prisoners. Wheeler also destroyed a wagon train and captured one hundred prisoners. Major John Taylor, of the First Louisiana cavalry, went within five miles of Chattanooga, and captured the splendid colors of the Thirtieth Indiana, with one hundred prisoners. Our whole army moved forward on Tuesday, and formed in front of Missionary Ridge, taking possession of Lookout Mountain, and securing the river road toward Bridgeport. It is stated that the enemy had already crossed a portion of his army over the river, but finding he was not pursued, returned. There is hardly a doubt, however, that if our troops could have pursued him that night, we would have at least occupied Chattanooga, as the enemy was most precipitous in his flight, leaving his hospitals, wounded and dead alike, abandoned, on the banks of the “River of death!”