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

[452] on the field, before he fell, and would, if he were living, have been here mentioned with high distinction. Lieutenant-Colonel Hoole was an officer of much merit, but has been prevented by protracted illness from attaining that distinction he might have achieved with his gallant regiment. He was much beloved for his personal qualities, and his loss will be deeply deplored by his comrades. For particular mention of other brave spirits who have fallen, I respectfully refer to the accompanying reports of regimental commanders. My pride and satisfaction with the conduct of my entire brigade, in the engagement, could not be more complete. Officers and men, each acted as if impressed with the feeling that the destinies of the country depended upon his own faithful, earnest, and intelligent discharge of duty. I shall not attempt to particularize.

The only member of my staff with me during the whole day was Captain C. R. Holmes, A. A. G. To him, as on all previous occasions of this character, I am greatly indebted for the most valuable and gallant services. He represented me on the right wing of my brigade. I detailed Second Lieutenant H. L. Tarley to act as Aid-de-Camp, and cannot too highly commend his gallantry, activity, and efficiency, under the most trying circumstances. As an evidence of my apppreciation, I detailed him to accompany the captured flags to Richmond. Lieutenant W. M. Dwight, A. A. and I. G., joined me in the afternoon and aided me with his usual efficiency.

In the absence of horses for myself and staff, I detailed one man from each regiment as orderlies to communicate with the command. All of them rendered efficient service, and two, M. F. Milan, Company A, Third South Carolina regiment, and Rawlins Rivers, Company I, Second South Carolina regiment, were killed in the discharge of that duty. Rivers had attracted my notice by gallant and intelligent services in the same position at the battle of Fredericksburg.

I have the honor to be,

Very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

Captain: It was not until one o'clock on Friday night, the eighteenth instant, that my brigade succeeded in crossing Shaelan Ford, on the Chickamauga River, the road having been blocked up by the wagons and artillery trains of the brigades and divisions which preceded us on the march. We bivouacked on the west side of the river that night, prepared to follow our division on the next day's march. The ordnance train of the division not having succeeded in crossing Friday night, I was directed by special order from division headquarters to remain with the train, holding my brigade as a guard until it had crossed, and then to rejoin the division. I immediately detached the Thirtieth Georgia regiment, and sent it to the ford as a guard to that portion of the train that had not crossed, and to furnish fatigue parties to help forward disabled or stalled wagons, having first reconnoitred the position and thrown out two companies on each road leading to the ford to guard against surprise by the enemy. About nine o'clock A. M., the whole train had crossed and was put in motion, with the Twenty-fifth Georgia and a section of the battery ahead as an advance guard and the rest of the brigade in rear. In this order we had marched about two miles from the ford, to the intersection of the road from Alexander's Bridge with the road to Lee and Gordon's Mill, when I received, from one of General Forrest's staff, an order from division headquarters, directing me to go with General Forrest and obey his orders. The train was thereupon sent forward alone, and the brigade filed to the right on the Alexander's Bridge road, conducted by the staff officer who had brought me the order. One company, however, of the Thirtieth Georgia regiment, which had been thrown out as skirmishers from the ford, had not yet overtaken the regiment, and did not until the fight was over, but fell in on the left of General Ector's brigade, and behaved gallantly, as 1 am informed, during the engagement of that day. This was Company B, Captain Hitch. Riding forward with General Forrest, he informed me that the enemy, in considerable force, were engaging his cavalry to the right and front of my position, and he directed me to select a position and form line of battle on the left of the road. I formed my line on the ridge of the long hill which, from the north-east, overlooks and commands the plain where our first encounter with the enemy took place, posting the artillery by sections on the most elevated positions and opposite to the intervals between regiments. We had not remained in this position long when an order from General Forrest informed me that the enemy were pressing him sorely in front, and directed me to move upon his left. This order was promptly executed, the brigade moving off by the right flank, and filing up the Alexander's Bridge road about three-eighths of a mile, was formed forward into line. The line was scarcely formed when firing commenced on the left. The order was given to move forward at once, and the line stepped off with the enthusiasm of high hope and patriotic determination, and the precision and accuracy which only disciplined and instructed troops can attain. The enemy's skirmishers were encountered at once and driven in on their first line, which opened upon us a terrific fire. Steadily the line moved forward and poured into the enemy's rank a well-directed fire, which very soon caused his line to break and fly from the field in confusion, leaving dead and wounded covering the field over which we marched. The command still pressed forward on the retreating foe, and soon encountered a second line