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

[126] some order, and, in executing the commission, he was wounded in the foot, and compelled to leave the field. Thus I was deprived of his valuable assistance, and the regiment of that gallant bearing which he has exhibited on so many fields. Of the conduct of Captain Wallace, acting as field officer, I cannot speak too highly; he elicited the highest admiration, and is deserving of special mention. No braver man ever trod the field of battle. Captain Cuthbert's company had been deployed to the right of the creek early in the morning, and remained until after dark, doing execution in the ranks of the enemy. The exalted courage, enthusiasm, and chivalric daring of its commanding officer are always guarantees of its good success. Lieutenants Elliott and Fishburn, of this company, were wounded, gallantly discharging their duty. Captains Pulliam, Moore, Cunningham, Graham, and Lieutenants Maxwell, Brown, Perry, and Wallace, commanding companies, and their lieutenants, all acted with conspicuous bravery, and deserve my thanks for their hearty cooperation. It is useless to mention individual instances of courage; they are too numerous: suffice it to say, the regiment never acted with more coolness. Adjutant Sill was of every assistance to me, and exhibited great gallantry. Mr. B. Moses, of Company D, acting as orderly to me, bore himself well, but was disabled before reaching the wall, and compelled to retire. S. P. Boozer, of Company F, acting as same, coolly conveyed several orders to different parts of the regiment, and was wounded by my side. His demeanor was inspiriting. Captain Stack-house, while under my command, (which was until General Kershaw reached the stone wall and assumed command,) acted deliberately, and commanded his men with success and bravery. Number of officers and men carried into action, three hundred and fifty. Officers killed, none; men killed, six. Officers wounded, seven; men wounded, fifty-five. Total killed and wounded, sixty-two.

All of which is respectfully submitted,

Major: On the thirteenth instant, about nine o'clock A. M., Lawton's brigade, Colonel E. N. Atkinson commanding, was formed in line of battle in a wood about three fourths of a mile west of the railroad, nearly opposite Hamilton's Crossing, below Fredericksburg, Virginia, the right resting on the left of another brigade of Ewell's division, the Thirteenth Georgia, Colonel J. M. Smith commanding, being the extreme right, and successively towards the left the Sixtieth Georgia, (Colonel W. H. Stiles,) Sixty-first Georgia, (Colonel J. H. Lamar,) Thirty-eighth Georgia, (Captain William McLeod,) Thirty-first Georgia, (Colonel C. A. Evans,) and the Twenty-sixth Georgia, (Captain Grace,) being six regiments, numbering about two thousand rank and file. While thus resting in line the shells of the enemy fell upon the regiments on the right, wounding several, but was borne without flinching by men who, in many engagements, have proven themselves not deficient in courage or patriotism. About half past 1 o'clock the brigade was ordered forward, and all the regiments advanced at once, in line, except the Thirteenth Georgia. The failure of this regiment to move at the proper time is subject to the following explanation: While in line this regiment rested upon the slope of a hill intervening between it and the other regiments, which prevented Colonel Smith from observing, at the time, the forward movement of the brigade, and receiving no order to advance, our line passed out of sight before he was aware that he had been left behind. Receiving orders, communicated by yourself soon afterwards, he advanced to rejoin the brigade, but was too late to participate in the action. Subsequently, being ordered to join Colonel Hoke, commanding Trimble's brigade, he placed his regiment in a trench near the edge of the field, on Colonel Hoke's left, where he remained until Monday morning. In the mean time, the brigade moving forward about two hundred and fifty yards, Captain Grace, commanding the Twenty-sixth Georgia, on the left, encountered the enemy, being apprised of their proximity to him by a volley poured into his ranks, which for a moment checked his advance. But quickly recovering, the regiment delivered its fire, reloaded, and, advancing, drove the enemy before them through the woods. Having encountered the enemy so soon, they became for the time separated from the brigade, and on reaching the ditch which skirted the edge of the woods, they observed the remaining regiments far out on the plain. Here Captain Grace was directed to halt his command, and not advance into the open field. The remaining four regiments, consisting of the Sixtieth Georgia, (Colonel Stiles,) Sixty-first Georgia, (Colonel Lamar,) Thirty-eighth Georgia, (Captain McLeod,) and Thirty-first Georgia, (Colonel Evans,) pushing ahead, came upon the enemy in a minute of time after they were first encountered by Captain Grace, receiving their fire without producing scarcely a perceptible check, fired in return, and, with loud cheers, dashed forward. From this time the contest consisted of but a series of temporary halts made by the enemy, only to be driven away from their positions. At the railroad the enemy made their most determined resistance, and for a few minutes poured a heavy fire into our line. Seeing that a charge was the most effectual plan to dislodge them, the order was given, and so rapidly accomplished that many of the enemy were captured, and a few, in their attempts to get away, received the application of the bayonet. As an incident of the battle, I desire to state that one of the enemy, after surrendering, levelled his gun to fire at our passing line; but a bayonet thrust from the hands of Captain