Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 10.
Frank Moore, Ed.

Two pieces of artillery of Wiggin's battery having broken down several times, were finally abandoned on account of our utter inability to bring them further. The officers deserve great credit for carrying them so far in their disabled condition. One of the limbers of White's battery blew up, which caused it also to be abandoned. Two of the pieces were howitzers, and the other was an iron gun which had been condemned at every inspection for the last-year.

During the trip we captured in action sixteen hundred prisoners, and killed and wounded as many of their cavalry as would cover our entire loss.

A full report of the casualties in my command during the battle, and during the trip through Middle Tennessee, will be found in the annexed tabular statement.

A considerable amount of the property captured on the trip was brought across the river.

The result of the operations of the cavalry under my command during the battle of Chickamauga were, first, guarding the left flank of the army for a distance of ninety miles, during and for twenty days preceding the battle of Chickamauga, during which time it continually observed and skirmished with the enemy, repelling and developing all his diversions. During the battle, with the available force (which near exceeded two thousand men) not on other duty, such as guarding the flanks, we fought the enemy vigorously and successfully, killing and wounding large numbers, and capturing two thousand prisoners, one hundred wagons and teams, a large amount of other property, and eighteen stand of colors, all of which were turned over to the proper authorities.

To Generals Wharton and Martin, commanding divisions, and Colonels Wheeler, Morgan, Crews and Harrison, commanding brigades, I tender my thanks for their zeal, energy, and gallantry during the engagement. To General Davidson and Colonel Hodge, who commanded the troops which joined me on the expedition across the Tennessee River, I tender my thanks for their good conduct, and that of their troops during their advance upon McMinnville, and to General Martin and Colonel Avery for their gallant assistance in the capture and destruction of the wagon train, and to General Martin and his command particularly for their good conduct at Farmington, and their laborious work in destroying the bridges on the railroad. General Wharton and his command behaved throughout with their accustomed gallantry.

I tender my thanks to the following members of my staff for their gallantry and good conduct, viz.,:

Colonel King, Majors Burford, Jenkins, Hume, and Hill; Captains Turner, Powell, Wade, Flush, and Kennedy, and Lieutenants Pointer, Wailes, Nichol and Hatch.

To Major Hume, particularly, am I indebted for his gallantry during the fight at Farmington, where he was wounded, and to Lieutenant Pointer, my Aid, for his gallantry during a cavalry charge, when he dashed upon the enemy's color-bearer, shot him, and then turned and brought the colors back to his command.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

I have not yet made a decided stand.

Respectfully,

Respectfully,

About two o'clock P. M., on Friday, the eighteenth of September, I was ordered by Major-General Walker to take Alexander's Bridge, across the Chickamauga. The reconnoissance I made was a very hasty and imperfect one, and, relying chiefly upon the information obtained from General Pegram, I instructed Brigadier-General Walthall, of my division, to make an attack upon the enemy in possession of the bridge. This was promptly executed, and in three-quarters of an hour we had it in possession. The force in our front consisted of Wilder's mounted infantry, from whom were captured a half dozen or more breech-loading rifles. Our loss was one hundred and five in killed and wounded, and. I can only account for this disproportion from the efficiency of this new weapon, our attack having been made through thick woods and cedar under-brush, rendering the artillery of the enemy that was used on the