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

[440] obeyed, and the advance continued about one hundred and fifty yards, when the enemy opened fire upon my left centre. The brigade returned the fire, which soon became general. A charge being ordered, the troops responded with great intrepidity, driving the enemy before them from a half to three quarters of a mile, captured three pieces of artillery, which were immediately sent to the rear; also, a large number of knapsacks, from which the enemy had been driven.

At this point the enemy, being heavily reinforced and having the advantage of breast-works, checked the advance of the brigade and stubbornly held their ground.

Seeing troops on the left retiring, I sent to inquire the meaning of it, and was informed that it was part of Brigadier-General Preston Smith's brigade, which had been pressed back by superior numbers, thus leaving my flank entirely exposed. Soon after, my left fell back, under the false .impression that a retreat had been ordered, but were immediately. rallied and reformed, and promptly retook their original position. Learning that the enemy were endeavoring to turn my right, which was not protected by any infantry force, and the left being exposed and nearly out of ammunition, I sent a staff officer to request Brigadier-General Maney, whose brigade was in reserve, to come to my relief. The contest had now lasted for about two hours, and had been unusually severe. My battery, commanded by Captain John Scoggin, had moved up with the line and done good service. Brigadier-General Maney's brigade moved forward gallantly, and, upon being relieved by him, I ordered my brigade to retire; which was done slowly and in good order. While moving to the rear the horses of one piece and one caisson were disabled, and consequently that piece and caisson fell into the hands of the enemy, but were subsequently recovered. Line of battle was formed, again, in the position occupied before the advance and on the right of Turner's battery. My battery was so posted as to have a cross fire in front of Turner's battery. The enemy's advance upon us was checked at this point.

A little before dark Major-General Cleburne, having formed a line on my right, making an obtuse angle with mine, commenced a forward movement, and about the same time an order was received from Major-General Cheatham to move up my brigade also, which was promptly done.

The fire of small arms immediately became severe. The left of my brigade, thinking, in the darkening twilight, that Major-General Cleburne's line was in their front, became a little confused by the suddenness and severity of the fire, but were soon brought up, and the whole line advanced about six hundred yards. Here the firing abruptly ceased, and, it being now quite dark and the impression still prevailing that our friends were in front, Major W. D. C. Lloyd, my volunteer Aid-de-Camp, and Lieutenant S. S. Harris, acting Inspector-General of my brigade, rode forward to ascertain the facts, when Major Lloyd rode into the enemy's lines and was captured.

My brigade had moved in Major-General Cleburne's line, with Brigadier-General Deshler's brigade on its left. About nine o'clock at night, in order to allow Brigadier-General Deshler to close upon his own division, I ordered my brigade to retire to its original position, where it remained until morning.

On Sunday morning, the twentieth instant, in pursuance of orders from Major-General Cheatham, I moved by the left flank about half a mile and took position as a reserve in the rear of Brigadier-General Maney's brigade. Remaining there until about eleven o'clock A. M., I moved, by order, back to my original position. Here an order was received from General Bragg, through Major Falconer, Assistant Adjutant-General, to move at once with my brigade to the right and front and report to Lieutenant-General Hill. I moved promptly by. the right flank and sent Captain Merino, my Assistant Adjutant-General, and Lieutenant Harris, to find Lieutenant-General Hill. They returned reporting their search unsuccessful. At this point Lieutenant-General Polk ordered me to take position on the right of Brigadier-General Polk and to move forward at once. Deeming it proper, in pursuance of the order of the commanding General, to report to Lieutenant-General Hill for orders, I moved still further by the right flank and to the right of Brigadier-General Polk's brigade, and sent again to Lieutenant-General Hill, who directed that my brigade should take position on Brigadier-General Liddell's left and fill up a gap between that brigade and Major-General Cleburne's right. A staff officer of Lieutenant-General Hill having indicated the position my brigade was to take, it was moved forward some one hundred and fifty yards, when the commanding officer of my sharpshooters reported skirmishers of the enemy in heavy force on my left and opposite the gap on Major-General Cleburne's right, which my brigade was insufficient to fill. I directed two additional companies to be deployed as skirmishers, with orders to the five companies, consisting of my battalion of sharpshooters and these two companies, to dislodge the enemy. After considerable skirmishing, Major Whitely, of my battalion of sharpshooters, reported that he could not dislodge the enemy; that they were in strong force, and supported by a line of battle and a battery.

I immediately reported these facts to Lieutenant-General Hill, and that if I advanced, the gap not being filled up, my left flank would be exposed to an enfilading fire. He sent me an order, nevertheless, to form on Brigadier-General Liddell's left and move forward with his line. This order was promptly executed. The brigade, with the battery in the centre, moved forward in splendid style about one hundred yards, when the enemy opened a galling fire from the front