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

[384] with four guns, Cobb, with two, and the remainder of Helm's brigade, were moved across Glass's Ford to ascertain the position of the enemy, while the two rifled pieces of Slocomb's battery, under Lieutenant Vaught, took position on a bluff upon the east side of the stream. An artillery engagement ensued, much to our advantage, until the enemy, who occupied the better position, brought forward a number of heavy guns and showed the greater weight of metal. While the engagement was progressing, I received an order from Lieutenant-General Hill to withdraw my command, if it could be done without too great peril, and take position about three miles south of Lee and Gordon's Mill, on the road leading from Chattanooga to Lafayette, and so as to cover the approach to that road from Glass's Mill and the ford above, leaving a regiment and section of artillery to observe those crossings.

The movement was made in good order, Colonel Dilworth, with the First and Third (consolidated) Florida and a section of Cobb's battery, being left in observation. Our casualties, which fell upon Slocomb, Cobb, and Helm, were twenty-two killed and wounded. The loss of the enemy in killed alone, as shown by an examination of the ground after the twentieth, was nearly equal to the sum of our casualties. Although the enemy was in considerable strength at the fords above referred to, the result showed that it was a covering force to columns passing down the valley to unite with the centre and left of his army. Soon after taking up the new position, I was ordered to relieve Brigadier-General Patton Anderson's division, which was facing the enemy opposite Lee and Gordon's Mill. The troops marched rapidly, yet it was late in the afternoon before this movement was completed. The division was hardly in position when I received an order from the General commanding the army to move to the right, cross the Chickamauga at a point further down, and occupy a position to be indicated. The division crossed at Alexander's Bridge, and arriving, between ten and eleven o'clock at night, at a field about a mile and a half in the rear of the right of our line of battle, bivouacked there by order of Lieutenant-General Polk. Remaining some time at Lieutenant-General Polk's camp-fire, I left there two hours before daylight (the twentieth) to place my command in position. During the night General Polk informed me that I was to prolong the line of battle upon the right of Major-General Cleburne. Conducted by Major--------, of his staff, and Lieutenant Reid, Aidde-Camp to General Hill, my division reached Cleburne's right a little after daybreak. Upon the re-adjustment of his line, I formed on his right, and became the extreme right of the general line of battle. Helm was on the left of my line, Stovall in the centre, and Adams on the right, the last extending across a country road leading from Reed's Bridge and striking the Chattanooga road at a place called Glenn's Farm. The country was wooded, with small openings, and the ground unknown to me. Our skirmishers, a few hundred yards in advance, confronted those of the enemy. Our line was supposed to be parallel to the Chattanooga road.

Soon after sunrise, I received a note from Lieutenant General Polk directing me to advance, and about the same time Major-General Cleburne, who happened to be with me, received one of the same tenor. Lieutenant-General Hill having arrived, the notes were placed in his hands. By his order, the movement was delayed for the troops to get their rations, and on other accounts.

Dilworth, who had been relieved by a cavalry force late the preceding evening and who had marched all night, now arrrived and took his place in line.

At half past 9 A. M., by order of Lieutenant-General Hill, I moved my division forward in search of the enemy. At the distance of seven hundred yards we came upon him in force, and the battle was opened by Helm's brigade with great fury. The Second and Ninth Kentucky, with three companies of the Forty-first Alabama, encountered the left of a line of breastworks before reaching the Chattanooga road, and, though assailing them with great courage, were compelled to pause. From some cause, the line on my left had not advanced simultaneously with my division, and in consequence, from the form of the enemy's works, these brave troops were, in addition to the fire in front, subjected to a severe enfilading fire from the left. Twice they renewed the assault with the utmost resolution, but were too weak to storm the position. The rest of Helm's brigade, in whose front there were no woods, after a short, but sharp engagement, routed a line of the enemy, pursued it across the Chattanooga road, and captured a section of artillery posted in the centre of the road. This portion of the brigade was now brought under a heavy front and enfilading fire, and, being separated from its left and without support, I ordered Colonel Joseph H. Lewis, of the Sixth Kentucky, who succeeded to the command upon the fall of General Helm, to withdraw the troops some two hundred yards to the rear, to reunite the brigade and change his front slightly, to meet the new order of things by throwing forward his right and retiring his left. The movement was made without panic or confusion.

This was one of the bloodiest encounters of the day. Here General Helm, ever ready for action, and endeared to his command by his many virtues, received a mortal wound, while in the heroic discharge of his duty. Colonel Hewitt, of the Second Kentucky, was killed, acting gallantly, at the head of his regiment. Captain Maderia, Captain Rogers, and Captain Leedman, of the Second; Captain Daniel, of the Ninth Kentucky, and many other officers and men, met their deaths before the enemy's work's; while Colonel Nuckols, of the Fourth Kentucky, Colonel Caldwell, of the Ninth, and many more officers and men, were wounded.