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

This postscript is meant more for information than as a portion of my report.

I am, Major, very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

On the evening of the nineteenth of September, at about five o'clock P. M., Major-General Hindman assumed command of the division on the west bank of the Chickamauga, not long after we had crossed to that side, and while the division was being put in position for the impending battle. I resumed the command of my brigade, which had been relinquished on the seventeenth, at Lafayette, Georgia, for the purpose of relieving Major-General Hindman, who was too unwell to exercise the command of his division. On taking command of my brigade, I took position in line from two to three hundred yards in rear of Deas' left, and Manigault's right, as the reserve brigade of Hindman's division. We bivouacked on the field for the night, and received orders to take up and continue the attack ordered to be made on the right at day-light on the morning of the twentieth of September. The attack on our right was not made, however, until between ten and eleven o'clock on the morning of the twentieth, when it was promptly taken up by Deas and Manigault in my front, and the whole division moved confidently on the enemy's first line. Deas swept everything before him, without halting, or even checking up, in his advance to and over the enemy's first line of breastworks. Manigault was checked, and diverged to the left, unmasking my two left regiments. The whole brigade was moved steadily forward, gradually closing the space between it and Deas' line, until the ascent of a range of wooded hills was reached, where the enemy, by reason of his advantageous position for both infantry and artillery, had brought Deas momentarily to a stand. Three pieces of his artillery, strongly posted about two-thirds of the way up the hill and supported by infantry, were causing Deas' left regiment to waver, when I ordered an advance. The command was most gallantly responded to, the artillery captured, the heights carried, and the enemy so badly routed as to be unable to make any real stand again upon that part of the field. I continued in pursuit, however, for half a mile or more, when, finding my lines imperfect by reason of some being able to follow faster than others, I rode to those in advance and soon succeeded in halting them until the line could be perfected. Here Colonel Coltart, of Deas' brigade, with a portion of his (Fiftieth Alabama) regiment, and another colonel, of some other command, whose name I have forgotten, with a few men, reported to me, having lost their proper commands. Before the new alignment had been completed, a staff officer from General Hindman recalled me from further pursuit, on account of a flank fire which had been opened by the enemy, with artillery and small arms, on my rear and left regiments — the Forty-first and Ninth Mississippi, Colonel Tucker and Major Lyman commanding, respectively.

After re-forming, the command was marched back, by General Hindman's order, in the direction from which they had advanced, a distance of about a half or three-quarters of a mile, then changed direction to the right over an open field, towards a position where Kershaw was reported to be heavily pressed.

My brigade reached this position about three in the afternoon and was ordered to form line on Kershaw's left, to support him in an attack upon a wooded hill in his front, where the enemy was strongly posted. In taking position it was found that the command of Brigadier-General Bushrod Johnson was in line on the extreme left, with not sufficient interval between his right and Kershaw's left for my whole command. The interval, however, was filled, and the over-plus held in reserve. The attack was soon made by the whole line. It was stubbornly resisted from a very strong position just behind the crest of the hill. A portion of two of my regiments gained the crest of the hill and planted colors there; but the position was a hot one, and some breaking to the rear on the left caused the whole to give way for a time. The troops were rallied on the slope of the hill, lines re-formed, and all in readiness to resume the attack, when the enemy advanced his line immediately in my front, down the hill, with some impetuosity. The line was instantly ordered forward to meet this charge, and the command quickly responded to. The enemy was met by a volley and a charge which did much execution, his line broken, and his troops fled in some confusion; but as there was no corresponding forward movement by the brigades on my right and left, and as the hill near the crest was very difficult to ascend, he had time either to re-form or to bring up a second line before we reached the top of the hill, and another repulse was the consequence. Troops never rallied more promptly, and without confusion or clamor. On taking position near the foot of the hill it was found necessary to distribute ammunition, and, while this was being done, Colonel Kelly came up with his brigade, and moved forward to the assault. The Seventh Mississippi, Colonel Bishop commanding, of my brigade, having some ammunition in the cartridge-boxes, was ordered in with Colonel Kelly, to strengthen his command as much as possible. Soon after, two Florida regiments,