do for me, " and ran back to his company, found a gun, and fought through the fight. The conduct of Sergeant Courtney through the entire fight was such, in my opinion, as to entitle him to promotion for gallantry and noble bearing on the field. Ever in the van, he was constantly an example for the emulation of his comrades. Private J. W. Freeman, Company F, deserted his company on Sunday morning, and is now a deserter, against whom charges will be preferred. The following is a recapitulation of loss: Killed, 9; wounded, 156. Total, 165. Respectfully submitted. ED. C. COOK, Colonel, Comdg. Thirty-second Tennessee Regiment. Capt. H. J. CHENEY, Assistant Adjutant-General Brown's Brigade. No. 374. Report of Col. Anderson Searcy, Forty-fifth Tennessee Infantry. HDQRS. FORTY-FIFTH TENNESSEE REGIMENT, September 29, 1863. CAPTAIN: I respectfully report the following as the action of my regiment in the engagements of September 19 and 20: My regiment formed the center of the right wing of Brown's brigade, composed of five regiments. On Saturday, the 19th, when the order to advance upon the enemy was given, my regiment moved forward in good order; very soon met the enemy, and were evidently driving him back steadily under a heavy fire of musketry and artillery, when suddenly a perfect shower of grape and canister enfiladed our line from the enemy on our right, the regiment on my right (the Eighteenth Tennessee) having given way, which allowed him to almost gain our rear. My regiment at this time captured a battery which the enemy had been compelled to abandon, but owing to the concentrated fire from the right and front, we were unable to hold our position; but after retiring a short distance, with the assistance of some of my officers I succeeded in rallying the men and was again ready for the fight. The enemy failed to follow us or to attempt to retake the battery. Just at this time Brigadier-General Bate came up with his brigade and relieved us, and immediately occupied the ground that we had driven the enemy from. This closed our operations on Saturday, the 19th. On Sunday, when the order to advance was given, the regiment moved forward in good order but rather too fast; it seemed to be impossible to restrain the men. When we had advanced something near 400 yards, to within about 50 yards of the enemy's lines, under a very heavy fire, I was surprised to find again an enemy on the right and rear of our lines. The grape and canister coming from that direction was not at all agreeable. The regiment on my right (Eighteenth Tennessee) began to fall back, as on the preceding day, being again more exposed. The right wing of my regiment began immediately to fall back in some little disorder, but was soon rallied, when the whole line retired. During this action my regiment passed a battery of the enemy, but on retiring failed to bring it off the field, although no enemy, as on the preceding day, attempted to retake the guns. Our loss in killed was not so heavy on the 20th as the 19th, but the loss in wounded was much heavier. Accompanying this you will find a list* of the killed, wounded, and missing in the two engagements. I am, captain, with respect, your most obedient servant, Capt. H. J. CHENEY, Assistant Adjutant-General, Brown's Brigade. No. 375. Report of Capt. W. P. Simpson, Twenty-third Tennessee Battalion. HEADQUARTERS NEWMAN'S BATTALION, October 6, 1863. CAPTAIN: Newman's battalion, commanded by Col. Tazewell W. Newman, went into the late actions of September 19 and 20 numbering 155 officers and men, of which there were 13 commissioned officers, 132 non-commissioned and privates, and 10 belonging to the infirmary corps. The brigade formed line of battle on the north bank of the Chickamauga early in the morning of the 19th in reserve to General Clayton's brigade. The day was spent in maneuvers until 1 p. m., when our line was ordered to the support of General Clayton, who was hotly engaged with the enemy. While halted in his rear, the battalion lost 2 men killed and 6 wounded by the fire directed upon his line. Colonel Newman, being wounded at this time, turned over to me the command of the battalion, which I retained throughout the whole engagement.. Being ordered to advance upon the enemy, we did so with spirit and alacrity, driving him before us for a distance of 600 yards, and losing 1 man killed and 18 wounded. Being obliged to fall back in order to obtain a supply of ammunition and having procured it, we reformed on our original position and advanced to the extremity of the battle-ground, which we held during the night. On the morning of the 20th, we advanced upon the enemy through a storm of grape, canister, and shell, driving him beyond the Chattanooga road, at which point I reformed my command and fell back to our first position in the morning. We were afterward ordered to the support of a battalion of artillery, where we remained until night, exposed to a severe fire of shot and shell. My loss on the 20th was 1 killed and 23 wounded. The battalion, which had never before been in action, behaved with the greatest courage and intrepidity, fighting side by side with veteran regiments on the right and left, and having their colors twice shot from the hands of the color bearer, Wallace. Capt. H. J. CHENEY, W. P. SIMPSON, Captain, Commanding Battalion. Assistant Adjutant-General, Brown's Brigade. *Not found. No. 376. Reports of Lieut. R. W. Anderson, Dawson's (Georgia) Battery. HEADQUARTERS DAWSON'S BATTERY, MAJOR: I have the honor to make the following report of the action that my battery took in the recent engagement: On the morning of the 18th, I was ordered to report to my brigade commander (Brig. Gen. J. C. Brown) and to maneuver with the brigade. The brigade being in reserve, we took no part in the fight until the following day, when the brigade moved to the front and soon entered a charge, I, according to orders, following close in its rear, but owing to the density of the forest, I found it impossible to keep up with the brigade, and by order of General Stewart, I moved to the right of the brigade and took position, where I remained until near night, when I received orders to move up and take position with the brigade in the front line. I there remained until morning, when the brigade moved a little to the right, and I took a position (by order) on a hill immediately in front of the brigade, with orders to remain until the enemy's position was carried, as there was no position for artillery between the enemy and the position that I occupied. I here remained all the morning under a heavy fire of the enemy's artillery and musketry, not returning the fire, being so ordered by General Brown, who thought best not to bring on an artillery duel at that point. About noon the brigade made a charge upon the enemy's batteries and support in front, which they found so fortified and the fire so intense they were necessarily compelled to retire. During this charge I was exposed to a most destructive fire, and had 1 lieutenant killed, 1 lieutenant, 1 sergeant, 1 corporal, and 3 men wounded, and 15 horses killed, from which cause I retired a short distance to the rear (pulling two pieces off the field by hand), for the purpose of refitting my battery for service, which I soon did, and reported to Colonel Cook, who was then in command of the brigade. Colonel Cook gave me orders to remain where I was; if not receiving orders before 5 o'clock, to retire to the creek and there water and feed, as the horses had had nothing to eat or drink for two days. The enemy retreated that night, and I was not again called into action. I carried into the fight 3 officers, 5 sergeants, 7 corporals, 1 musician, and 53 privates. I am, major, respectfully, your obedient servant, Maj. J. W. ELDRIDGE, Chief of Artillery, Stewart's Division. HEADQUARTERS DAWSON'S BATTERY, October 17, 1863. CAPTAIN: I have the honor to make the following report: On Saturday, September 19, I saw General Brown's brigade charge and capture three brass guns (6-pounders, I think), but as to whether smooth-bore or rifled I cannot state positively. I had two of the guns run to the rear about 150 yards by my cannoneers; could take them no farther. I know of no other guns captured. I am, captain, your obedient servant, Capt. PUT. Darden, R. W. ANDERSON, Lieutenant, Commanding Battery. Acting Chief of Artillery. No. 377. Report of Brig. Gen. William B. Bate, C. S. Army, commanding brigade. HDQRS. BATE'S BRIGADE, STEWART'S DIVISION, In Front of Chattanooga, October 9, 1863. MAJOR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the participation had by my brigade in the late three days' battle of the Chickamauga, comprising the 18th, 19th, and 20th ultimo : Having been ordered to advance, take possession, and hold Thedford's Ford, but not to bring on a general engagement unless indispensable to the accomplishment of these objects, I moved my command at once at a double-quick and occupied a wooded eminence commanding it, and placed my battery (the Eufaula Light Artillery) on a cleared hill to the front and left, which overlooked the enemy and within a few hundred yards of his position. The attack, in which the Fourth Georgia Battalion Sharpshooters (Major Caswell) and my artillery alone were engaged, was brisk and spirited. In the meantime, however, the entire brigade was subjected to a severe shelling from the enemy just above Alexander's Bridge and across the Chickamauga, by which 1 man was killed and 5 or 6 wounded. After a few well-directed shots from my battery, which Captain Oliver placed promptly in position, the enemy gave way. This was the opening fight of the battle of the Chickamauga. We bivouacked near the camp of the enemy commanding the two fords-Thedford's and the Bend Ford-where I crossed my command next morning at an early hour, and formed line of battle in rear of Brigadier-Generals Brown's and Clayton's brigades, the whole under command of Major-General Stewart. We moved in this order, bearing to the right through a corn-field and woodland, nearly 2 miles, at which point we were halted for some hours. Here my artillery was put forward to develop the enemy's position, which it did, drawing shell and round shot upon our lines, wounding 3 or 4 of my men. We were moved hence by the right flank near to a point where heavy volleys of musketry were heard, and thence by the left flank in line of battle some 300 or 400 yards, and halted in the same relative position we had occupied during the earlier part of the day, mine being the rear line of battle. At 3 p. m. Brigadier-General Clayton's and Brown's brigades successively engaged the enemy. In about thirty minutes I was ordered by Major-General Stewart to advance, General Clayton having withdrawn and Brown also passed to the rear. My line of battle was organized by placing Caswell's battalion of sharpshooters (Fourth Georgia) on the right, and in succession from that wing were the Twentieth Tennessee, Col. T. B. Smith; Thirty-seventh Georgia, Col. A. F. Rudler; Fifty-eighth Alabama, Col. Bushrod Jones, and Fifteenth and Thirty-seventh Tennessee, Col. R. C. Tyler, constituting the supporting line. I had thrown out no skirmishers. The whole command moved forward with spirit and zeal, engaging the enemy hotly before it had proceeded 200 yards, his lines extending in front and to the right and left of us. A battery in front of my extreme right played constantly and with terrible effect upon that wing until my right pressed within less than 50 paces of it, when it was rapidly removed to prevent capture. Another revealed its hydrahead immediately in rear of this, supported by a second line, hurling its death-dealing missiles more destructively, if possible, upon our still advancing but already thinned ranks. Having driven the first line back upon its support, a fresh battery and infantry were brought to play upon my right, which, by its advanced position had become subject to an enfilade fire, and gave way, but not until Major Caswell, Colonel Smith, and Colonel Rudler, the three officers commanding, respectively, the three right battalions, were wounded, and at least 25 per cent. of their numbers killed and wounded. When the right gave way the enemy sought to follow it up, and pressed his sharpshooters beyond the right flank, who, finding it well aligned and in the attitude of resistance, precipitated themselves back and out of reach. The men were easily rallied and promptly reformed a short distance in the rear of the point to which they had advanced. In this dash the enemy captured one of my pieces and one of my couriers. It needed, however, but a moment to retake the piece, which was handsomely done. In this contest my right retook the battle-flag of the Fifty-first Tennessee Regiment, General Wright's brigade, which but a moment before had been wrested from them by superior numbers and flank movements of the enemy. I was rejoiced to deprive him of his trophy so recently won, and to return it to its gallant owners hallowed, as it is, by its baptism in the blood of Shiloh, Perryville, and Murfreesborough. My left in the meantime, composed of the Fifty-eighth Alabama, Colonel Jones, and the Fifteenth and Thirty-seventh Tennessee Regiments (consolidated), Colonel Tyler, not being so much harassed by the enfilade fire from the right, pressed steadily forward in fine order, driving the enemy, who contested every inch of ground with dogged and persistent obstinacy until forced beyond the Chattanooga road and several hundred yards back into the woods, thus deranging his compact lines and breaking his center. In this charge Colonel Tyler captured three guns, and Colonel Jones participated with the Thirty-eighth [Thirty-sixth] Alabama (Colonel Woodruff) in the capture of three, for particulars of which I refer to their reports. It being nearly night, and having advanced so far beyond the enemy's lines as to make them liable to a flank movement, they returned from farther pursuit to the point on the battle-field to which I had ordered the Eufaula Light Artillery, and where General Clayton and I were reforming our shattered commands, Colonel Tyler bringing with him his captured guns, and Colonel Jones in such fine order as to elicit my public commendation. Owing to a movement of the enemy to our right, the front of General Clayton's command was changed by Major-General Stewart to meet an expected attack from that source, and my line was left fronting the Chattanooga road. General Brown's command subsequently intervened. Thus we bivouacked for the night upon the field of carnage enveloped by the smoke of battle and surrounded by the dead of friend and foe. |