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

[450] officers and five hundred and thirty-five men.

The individual cases of gallantry and daring among the officers and men were numerous, and where all behaved so well it is unneccessary to particularize. I cannot conclude this report without paying a tribute of admiration to the bearing and dauntless courage of Brigadier-General Kershaw and his brave Palmetto boys, who have so long and so often fought side by side with the Mississippi troops. The gallant and heroic daring with which they met the shock of battle, and irresistibly drove back the Federal hosts, merits the highest encomiums and lasting gratitude of the army and the country.

Very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

Major: I respectfully submit the following report of the operations of my own and Humphreys' brigade in the late battle of Chickamauga. The mention of the latter brigade is necessarily general, from the fact that General Humphreys' report did not pass through me, and, being on foot during the engagement, I could only assume a very general command. I respectfully refer to the report of General Humphreys for more particular information of his movements.

At midnight, on the eighteenth of September, the last of my brigade arrived at the terminus of the railroad near Catoosa Station, and next morning marched, under orders from the General commanding, to Ringgold, at which place the command united with that of Brigadier-General Humphreys. About nightfall orders were received from the Lieutenant-General commanding to join General Hood with the command. Conducted by Colonel Dillard, we moved at once across Alexander's Bridge over Chickamauga Creek, and bivouacked at one o'clock A. M., on the twentieth. At nine o'clock we were ordered by the Lieutenant-General commanding to a position in reserve to Hood's division, near the headquarters of the commanding General. About eleven o'clock I was ordered forward with the command to report to Major-General Hood. Arriving, I found his troops engaged in front, and a line of battle just going in. General Hood directed me to form line in his rear, with my centre resting on the spot where I found him, which I suppose was his centre. Forming line, Humphreys on my left, as rapidly as possible, under fire of the enemy, and in a thick wood, I moved as directed, to the front. I had been directed to occupy a line of breastworks; but, before reaching that point, a staff-officer of the Lieutenant-General commanding was sent to direct me to a point further in advance. I crossed the Lafayette road near a house, and, crossing the open ground, entered the woods beyond. and proceeded nearly to what I understood to be the Cove road. While passing through the last wood, Lieutenant-General Longstreet directed me to to look out for my right flank, and I had disposed of Colonel Hennagan's Eighth South Carolina, my right regiment, in such a manner as to cover me in that direction, as I supposed. Having reached the point last mentioned, the firing on my right became very heavy, and a portion of General Hood's division fell back along my line. I changed front almost perpendicularly to the right on Colonel Nance's Third South Carolina regiment, my left centre, which I had indicated as the directing batlion. This movement had just been accomplished, when an officer of Brigadier-General Law's staff informed me of the unfortunate loss of Major-General Hood, and suggested that, as senior Brigadier, I should assume the direction of the two brigades of that division on my right. General Bushrod Johnson was present and called for a comparison of rank, which seemed to satisfy him. Major Cunningham, Assistant Inspector-General, General Hood's staff, who had been sent by the General to conduct me, made the opportune suggestion that the Lieutenant-General commanding be informed. Relieved by this, I requested him to direct General Humphreys to move up and support me on my right, he having been thrown in my rear by my change of front. General Johnson had undertaken to advance a brigade on my left. The enemy occupied a skirt of wood on the far side of the field around Dyer's house; his right extending into the wood beyond the field, his left crossing the Cove road. His colors were ostentatiously displayed along the lines. The last of Hood's division engaged in my front had just retired, when I ordered the advance, directing Colonel Hennagan to extend to the right and engage the enemy in that direction until Humphreys' arrival, who was then in motion. The distance across the field was about eight hundred yards, with a fence intervening about one-quarter of the distance. As soon as we crossed the fence I ordered bayonets fixed, and moved at a double-quick, sending Lieutenant-Colonel Gaillard's Second South Carolina regiment, my extreme left, to gain the enemy's right flank. When within one hundred yards of the enemy they broke, and I opened fire upon them along the whole line, but pursued them rapidly over the first line of hills to the foot of the second, when I halted under a heavy fire of artillery on the heights, sheltering the men as much as possible, and there awaited the coming of Humphreys on my right. The Seventh South Carolina, Lieutenant-Colonel Bland, my right centre regiment, and the Fifteenth South Carolina, Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph F. Gist, had obliqued to the right. Colonel Hennagan had pursued the enemy so far to the right that, when Humphreys got up, he occupied the interval between the Fifteenth and Eighth regiments. Colonel