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

[433] who led their respective commands with skill and judgment. Also, to Captain Weaver, who succeeded to the command of the Sixtieth North Carolina after its Colonel was disabled. Captain J. P. C. Whitehead, my Assistant Adjutant-General; Lieutenant A. J. Hanson, and Captain J. H. Hall (who was severely wounded in the shoulder), displayed great coolness and daring during the conflict, and to them I am much indebted for valuable services rendered; also, to Lieutenant A. Dunham, Ordnance Officer, for the promptness manifested in the discharge of the duties of his responsible office.

I have the honor to be, respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

I respectfully submit the following report of the part taken by my command in the battle of the nineteenth and twentieth instant, near Chickamauga Creek:

My brigade was composed of the Fourth Tennessee regiment, Colonel James A. McMurray commanding; the Sixth and Ninth Tennessee regiments (consolidated), Colonel George C. Porter commanding; the First and Twenty-seventh Tennessee regiments (consolidated), Colonel H. R. Field commanding; Maney's battalion sharpshooters, Major Frank Maney commanding, and a field battery of four twelve-pounder Napoleon guns, under the command of First Lieutenant William B. Turner.

My command crossed Chickamauga Creek at Hunt's Ford, on the morning of the nineteenth September, and, after proceeding in a northern direction about two miles by the flank, was formed in line of battle. I here met General Liddell's command, which was being re-formed, after having been, as I understood, severely engaged with superior numbers. Passing forward of this command towards the engagement then pending, and which seemed to have been taken up by brigades in advance of me, I was, after some inconsiderable halts, ordered to enter the action by relieving Jackson's brigade — my information, at the time, being that Strahl's brigage would be in line on my left. The position pointed out to me as the one at which I was to relieve Jackson's command, was a ridge well wooded, where the right half of my command rested; but from the centre to my left, the timber on the side of approach had been newly felled and presented some difficulty to easy passage in line. In extension to my left, there was an open corn field — a narrow strip of woodland intervening. My line commenced engaging instantly on reaching the top of the ridge described, and in a few moments afterwards I was informed by a messenger from General Forrest that there was nothing on the right but his cavalry, and that he was unable to sustain himself against the strong force of the enemy which was pressing him. Strahl's brigade was not at this moment in line with me on the left, it having, as I afterwards learned, become earlier engaged and fallen back to re-form. My own line numbered less than one thousand guns. My battery was just in rear of my centre, but the ground was not favorable to its advantageous engagement. About three hundred yards in my rear there was a hill-top in open woods — a most favorable position in many particulars for a battery. Lieutenant Turner was ordered to leave one piece in position, to be used in any emergency which might arise, and retire the remaining three to this hill-top, and there take position and await further orders. Some moments after this I heard a battery open in rear of the right of my line, and hastening to it I found that Forrest had been forced in on my right. General Forrest, in person, was with the battery, which was firing obliquely to the front and right, and, as I thought, too much in range with two companies of my right regiment, which had been thrown out as flankers to this part of my line. General Forrest was apprised of this fact and requested to oblique his guns more to the right, which he did and continued firing, as he informed me the enemy was certainly approaching in force from that direction. The firing was now constant along my entire front, and the enemy's indicated that his line extended far beyond my left. Forrest's battery was some protection to my right flank, and my single Napoleon, while it could not fire with any effect over the ridge in front, was in position to rake the open field to the left and rear of my line, and to this extent prevented the enemy's coming behind us, unless it should first be driven off by sharpshooters, lodged on the ridge-top, under cover of the woods between my line and the field. The action increased in fury, especially on the left, and I was soon convinced that my command was greatly overmatched in numbers. A staff officer was sent with this information to the division General, and another to my left and rear in search of General Strahl, with the request for him to move up in line with me on the left. Passing myself to the ridge-top to the left of my line, I discovered the enemy but a short distance from my left, advancing by the flank boldly, and evidently with the purpose of passing through this skirt of woods at right angles with my line, and thus gain my rear and centre of my left flank. The emergency was critical, and, being without a staff officer I hastened in person to General Strahl, who I found had received my message and was aligning for an advance. To avoid delay, I asked him to move forward a single regiment to hold the interval between my left and the open field, and he ordered his right regiment, Colonel Walker's, and perhaps another, to advance immediately. This force made a gallant drive forward, and the enemy gave way before them. I had, about this time, received the order to fall back and form behind