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

[592] outflank Cheatham, he lapped around him on both right and left, and although his advance was met with heroic firmness, yet being so greatly outnumbered, he was compelled to fall back. This was not accomplished, however, until fearful sacrifices had been experienced, and no help was seen to be at hand. His line was maintained until the enemy, by a rapid flank movement on his left, had pushed close upon the battery of the gallant Captain Carness, and slain most of its horses and men. The heavy loss in horses rendered it impossible to withdraw the guns, and they were therefore abandoned to the enemy. The division of Major-General Cleburn, of Lieutenant-General Hill's corps, which had held Lee and Gordon's Mills during the day, now came to Cheatham's support. It moved to the attack with its usual energy, and rolled back the tide of battle which was pressing with such weight on Cheatham's right. The fire with which it opened was terrific, and soon afforded relief to Cheatham, who, with the elasticity which belongs to that veteran division, resumed immediately the forward movement, uniting with Cleburn, and pressing the retiring lines of the enemy. This fight was continued until night, and it was just before the close that the gallant officer, Brigadier-General Preston Smith, with one or more of his Aids-de-Camp, fell under one of the volleys of the enemy's musketry.

The division of Major-General Hood and the corps of Major-General Buckner were prominently engaged in the operations of the day, and bore themselves most gallantly.

At the close of the day's work, the General Commanding issued an order, dividing the forces of his army into two wings.

The right wing was placed under Lieutenant-General Polk, and the left under Lieutenant-General Longstreet. The former was composed of Lieutenant-General Hill's corps, of two divisions, Major-General Cleburn's and Major-General Breckinridge's; of the division of Major-General Cheatham, of Lieutenant-General Polk's corps, and the division of Major-General W. H. T. Walker.

The left was composed of the divisions of Major-General Stewart, Brigadier-Generals Preston and Bushrod Johnson, of Major-General Buckner's corps; Major-General Hindman, of Lieutenant-General Polk's corps, and Benning's, Lane's, and Robertson's brigades, of Hood's division, and Kershaw's and Humphries's brigade, of McLaw's division, of his own (lieutenant-General Longstreets') corps.

The front line of the right wing consisted of three divisions — Breckinridge and Cleburn, of Hill's corps, and Cheatham, of Polk's corps — which were posted from right to left in the order named. Major-General Walker was here in reserve.

The left wing was composed of Major-General Stewart's division on the right, with Hood's on the left. On Hood's left was Hindman's division of Lieutenant-General Polk's corps, with Preston's division of Buckner's corps on the extreme left.

Orders were given to the Lieutenant-General commanding the right wing to attack at daylight next morning. These orders were immediately issued by him to his subordinate commanders, but, owing to circumstances beyond his control, the attack was not made until nine o'clock. Prior to giving the order to move forward to the attack, General Polk discovered that, owing to the want of precaution on the part of the proper authority in the formation of the general line of battle, a portion of the line of the left wing had been formed in front of his line, a portion amounting to a whole division, and that had the order to make the attack at daylight been obeyed, this division, from its position, must inevitably have been slaughtered. It was saved by an order to halt Cheatham's division, and by orders to the left of Cleburn, advising it of its whereabouts.

The battle then opened by a forward movement of Breckinridge, followed and accompanied by Cleburn. The enemy had, during the night, thrown up breastworks of heavy timber, cut down from the forest, behind which he had intrenched himself. These lay chiefly in Cleburn's front. He moved directly upon them, while Breckinridge swung round to flank them. The assault was a desperate one. General Polk being informed by General Hill that the enemy was threatening his right flank. Polk ordered Walker immediately to move to the right and form an echelon upon Breckinridge, overlapping his right. It was then ascertained that no enemy was there. But the forward movement of the front line had resulted in a severe conflict, desperately contested, which drove the enemy around on the extreme left a mile or more across the Chattanooga road. In this conflict those gallant officers, Brigadier-Generals Deshler and Helm were killed, and Brigadier-General Daniel Adams was severely wounded and taken prisoner. Heavy reenforcements being sent from the enemy's right to support his left, he was enabled to regain a portion of the ground he had lost. Cleburn's division, which had encountered the enemy behind his breastworks, after a firm onset and most gallant assault, was driven back with heavy loss. This veteran division returned slowly and in good order to a position just beyond the range of the guns in the enemy's works, which they occupied and held, Information of this fact having been communicated by General Sill to General Polk, the latter ordered Cheatham to replace Cleburn in the general line, and while this movement was being effected, another message from General Hill was received by General Polk, informing him that his right was again threatened, and he wanted support. General Polk examined the position of Cleburn, and finding he could hold it if he could not advance, moved Cheatham rapidly by the right flank to the extreme right to meet the reported movement of the