Sunday morning found us in the line assumed the night previous, and under the order of Major-General Stewart I moved my command by the right flank 500 or 600 yards and took position forward and on the right of General Brown's brigade; but in forming the line was compelled to retire the right to an angle of about 45° on account of the proximity of the enemy located to my right oblique. Caswell's battalion of sharpshooters, under command of Lieut. Joel Towers (Capt. Benjamin M. Turner having been dangerously wounded the evening before), was thrown forward and deployed at right angles with my right to guard against a repetition of the movement of the previous evening (to turn that flank, to which we were liable), there being at that time no force sufficiently near to intervene. Having assumed this line of battle, I had a temporary barricade of logs hastily constructed, which gave partial protection against the shower of grape, canister, and shell which continuously and most angrily saluted us. During the time we were subjected to this ordeal several men and officers were killed and wounded, yet no restiveness or other evidence of demoralization was manifested.

At about 9 a. m. the brigade of General Deshler was placed upon my right, prolonging the line and observing the same inclination to the rear. Soon thereafter I received notice that General Wood's brigade was in my front, and that the general movement would be a successive one, by brigade, commencing on the right, and was ordered by Major-General Stewart to follow up the movement of General Deshler. After waiting, under a severe and incessant fire of artillery, until about 11 a. m., I communicated to General Stewart that no movement on my right had taken place; that General Deshler had been killed, and desired to know if I should longer remain inactive. About this time there was firing in my front, and soon thereafter General Wood's command came back, passing over my line. I was then ordered by Major-General Stewart to advance and attack. My command received the order with a shout and moved upon the foe at a rapid gait. The battalion of sharpshooters was ordered to maintain its position at right angles to the line and check, if possible (if not, to delay), any movement in that direction, giving the earliest notice of the same. My right, as upon the evening previous, became hotly engaged almost the instant it assumed the offensive. It was subject to a most galling fire of grape and musketry from my right oblique and front, cutting down with great fatality the Twentieth Tennessee and Thirty-seventh Georgia at every step, until they drove the enemy behind his defenses, from which, without support either of artillery or infantry, they were unable to dislodge him. General Deshler's brigade not having advanced, I called on Major-General Cleburne, who was near my right and rear, for assistance: but he having none at his disposal which could be spared, I was compelled to retire that wing of my brigade or sacrifice it in uselessly fighting thrice its numbers, with the advantage of the hill and breastworks against it. I did so in good order and without indecent haste, and aligned it first in front and then placed it in rear of our flimsy defenses. My left (the Fiftyeighth Alabama and Fifteenth and Thirty-seventh Tennessee, the latter under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Frayser, Colonel Tyler. having been wounded), being farther from the enemy's line than my right, did not so soon become engaged, neither at this time subject to so severe a cross-fire, proceeded steadily on and drove the enemy behind his works, which had been constructed the night previous 25 R R-VOL XXX, PT II

on the very spot we had driven him from, and maintained their position with a dogged tenacity until the Twentieth Tennessee and Thirty-seventh Georgia were put in position behind the barricade and the battalion of sharpshooters drawn in. The artillery of the enemy had ceased to play upon us, except at slow intervals, and a part of their (Tyler's and Jones') commands having already returned, I dispatched Lieutenant Blanchard, of my staff, to ascertain their situation, who reported that he met them returning with the balance of their commands in good order. I placed them in position and

awaited orders.

I am unable to give as accurate an account of my left as of my right, for the reason that the right became first engaged, and the commanders of the three right battalions having been wounded the evening previous, devolving the commands on junior officers, I felt that my personal services were most needed there, which prevented my witnessing so as to give in detail the incidents connected with that portion of the field. I found, however, their dead in the breastworks of the enemy, which is the highest evidence that can be afforded of what they did.

In this fight my command lost 30 per cent. killed and wounded, in addition to the heavy loss of the evening before.

After a short respite Major-General Stewart ordered my command (which still held its position in the front line) to the left, where it would be more secure from the artillery missiles of the enemy on my right. Here we remained until about 5 p. m., when I was ordered to form in rear of General Clayton and join him in taking the batteries and breastworks on our right, from which we had suffered so heavily during the day. I changed front forward on my right battalion, and, together with General Clayton's brigade, soon ran over the fortifications, driving the enemy in confusion and capturing a number of prisoners. In this charge Captain Tankesley commanded the Fifteenth and Thirty-seventh Tennessee, Lieutenant-Colonel Frayser having been wounded. The Eufaula Light Artillery, Captain Oliver, had kept close to my infantry, notwithstanding the obstruction of a dense wood, took position inside the fortifications, and opened a rapid and destructive fire upon the retreating foe until the curtain of night closed upon the scene. I claim for this battery the honor of opening on Friday evening and closing on Sunday evening the battle of Chickamauga.

My brigade went into the fight with muskets in the hands of onethird of the men, but after the first charge Saturday evening every man was supplied with a good Enfield rifle and ammunition to suit, which was used with effect on their original owners the next day. The dead and wounded of the enemy over which we passed in driving them back on Saturday and Sunday give an earnest of the telling effect produced upon them in both days' fight. Besides arming itself with Enfield rifles, a detail from my command, under supervision of my ordnance officer, James E. Rice, gathered upon the field and conveyed to the ordnance train about 2,000 efficient guns. The pieces captured by Colonel Tyler and those in which Colonel Jones participated in the capture were taken to the rear and turned over to proper officers.

My command entered the fight Friday evening with 1,055 guns and 30 provost guard and a fair complement of officers, out of which number it lost 7 officers and 59 men killed and 541 wounded, 61 of whom were officers; making a total of 607. It is seen that every field officer in the brigade excepting three were wounded.

For further particulars allow me to respectfully refer to the reports of the commanders of battalions and battery, which are herewith transmitted.

I cannot close this report without noticing the distinguished services rendered, unworthy as the tribute may be, by my field officersColonels Tyler, Smith, Rudler, and Jones; Lieutenant-Colonels Smith, Inzer, and Frayser, and Majors Caswell, Wall, Kendrick, Shy, and Thornton-to each of whom is due the highest meed of praise. It would be invidious to make distinctions where each has played his part so well.

Colonels Rudler and Smith and Major Caswell were painfully, the last two seriously, wounded at the head of their respective commands early in the engagement of Saturday, and compelled to retire from the field, thus devolving the command of the Twentieth Tennessee on Major Shy, the Thirty-seventh Georgia on LieutenantColonel Smith, and battalion of sharpshooters on Lieutenant Towers, each of whom did his duty gallantly and nobly throughout the conflict.

Colonel Tyler, Lieutenant-Colonels Inzer and Frayser, Majors Wall, Kendrick, and Thornton were wounded, from which they suffered considerably (the last-named officer prostrated by the explosion of a shell), still remained at the post of duty, bearing themselves with distinguished gallantry.

To each of my staff-Major Winchester (who, notwithstanding his leg was badly hurt from the fall of his horse when shot Friday evening, continued in the field until the close of the fight), Lieutenants Blanchard and Bate-I am indebted for his hearty co-operation and prompt execution of my orders, notwithstanding each was unhorsed by shots from the enemy. Also to James E. Rice, brigade ordnance officer, am I indebted for the prompt discharge of his duties. But to none are my thanks more signally due or more cordially awarded than to my gallant young adjutant, Capt. W. C. Yancey, who, while cheering and encouraging my right wing in its desperate charge on Sunday, received a fearful wound, shattering his foot and compelling him to retire from the field.

I take pleasure, also, in adding my testimony, humble as it may be, to the hearty co-operation of the two gallant brigades of Stewart's division (Generals Clayton's and Brown's) in every charge in which it was the fortune of my command to engage.

Major-General Stewart will accept my thanks, as a soldier's tribute, for his polite and genial bearing and personal assistance in the thickest of the fight, the time when I felt I much needed it.

While I recount the services of the living I cannot pass unremembered the heroic dead-the cypress must be interwoven with the laurel. The bloody field attested the sacrifice of many a noble spirit in the fierce struggle, the private soldier vying with the officer in deeds of high daring and distinguished courage. While the "River of Death" shall float its sluggish current to the beautiful Tennessee, and the night wind chant its solemn dirges over their soldier graves, their names, enshrined in the hearts of their countrymen, will be held in grateful remembrance as the champions and defenders of their country who had sealed their devotion with their blood on one of the most glorious battle-fields of our revolution.

I am, major, most respectfully, your obedient servant,
WM. B. BATE,
Brigadier-General.

Maj. R. A. HATCHER, Assistant Adjutant-General.

[Inclosure.]

Command.

Tabular statement of the number of officers and men carried into the battle of Chickamauga by the regiments of Bate's brigade on each day of the fight.

September 18. September 19. September 20.

FRONT OF CHATTANOOGA, TENN., October 7, 1863.

Respectfully submitted.

GEORGE W. WINCHESTER,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

W. B. BATE, Brigadier-General.

No. 378.

Report of Col. Bushrod Jones, Fifty-eighth Alabama Infantry.

HDQRS. FIFTY-EIGHTH ALABAMA REGIMENT,

Near Chattanooga, Tenn., September 29, 1863.

MAJOR: In obedience to General Orders, No. -, I respectfully submit the following report of the action of my command in the skirmish on the 18th instant and in the battle of Chickamauga on the 19th and 20th instant :

About 3 p. m. on the 18th instant, the regiment met the advance of the enemy near Pea Vine Creek and was very heavily shelled for an hour or more, but the enemy were too distant for the use of smallarms. One man (Tom Mize, of Company A, in the infirmary corps) killed was the only loss sustained. The bearing of both officers and men was entirely satisfactory.

The next morning about 9 o'clock, after having crossed the Chickamauga and moved forward in line of battle a mile or more, we were again shelled by the enemy about an hour. R. J. Turner, assistant surgeon, was seriously stunned and shocked by the explosion of a shell and slightly wounded in the head by splinters. He was borne insensible from the field, but has since recovered and returned to duty.

The battle had already opened on the right, and the roar of smallarms was almost incessant, varied by rapid peals of artillery. We were moved with the brigade by the right flank about a mile, and at 1 p. m. were in position in supporting distance of the brigade on the front line, then actively engaged with the enemy. For two hours we were under a very heavy fire of grape and shells. Several men were wounded, none killed.

At 3 p. m. we were ordered forward to relieve the brigade, then

retiring, and in a few moments the fire of small-arms was brisk and active. My command was the third battalion of the brigade in line of battle, and stationary during the first half hour of the firing; the battle-field, an open, woody country. The enemy advanced to within 200 or 300 yards, but could not be plainly seen on account of the smoke, trees, &c. After the firing had been continued about thirty [minutes] Clayton's brigade was moving forward to engage the enemy and to our support. The noise of battle was so great I could not hear any command; but thinking it an opportune moment for a charge, and seeing some of the brigade on my right move forward, I advanced to the front of my command and ordered a forward movement. The men and officers promptly and gallantly obeyed the command. The movement began at the moment when the Thirty-sixth Alabama Regiment (Colonel Woodruff commanding) was in the act of passing over my command in the charge, and the two regiments, commingled, charged in a run with loud and enthusiastic cheers. The enemy gave way and fled in confusion. We pursued them through the woods about a mile. I halted the regiment a short distance before reaching the field in front, after repeated unsuccessful efforts, on account of the impetuosity of the men. I ordered the halt, thinking farther pursuit fruitless and hazardous, as we had already gone far in advance of the general line of battle, and were exposed to an enfilade fire of grape from the right. The officers of the left wing not hearing the command "halt," on account of the noise and excitement, continued the pursuit several hundred yards farther, capturing 20 or 30 prisoners and passing a battery of three guns that had been abandoned by the enemy. The officers to whom I refer are Lieutenant Hinton, commanding Company A; Lieutenant Mills, commanding Company K, and Captains Lee, Holland, and Crenshaw, and their subordinates. They are entitled to a share of the honor of capturing this battery; but not the exclusive honor, as portions of the Thirty-sixth and Thirty-eighth Alabama Regiments, and perhaps others, assisted in its capture. Having halted the regiment and formed line, I waited about a half hour for the return of those who had gone ahead of the line and for support on the right and left. But believing the enemy were again advancing, I retired slowly and in good order about a quarter of a mile, where I found General Clayton and General Bate reforming their respective brigades. I reported to General Bate what I had done and he replied, "You have done right; I take off my hat to your regiment. The engagement of my command with the enemy began at 3 p. m. and lasted until nearly 5.

Lieutenant-Colonel Inzer behaved with conspicuous gallantry during the engagement, and rendered much valuable aid, by words and example, in causing the men to charge with enthusiasm and in reforming the regiment.

Major Thornton's bearing was cool and gallant. He received a wound in the ankle early in the action, which temporarily disabled him, preventing him from participating in the charge; but he found a loose artillery horse, mounted, and soon rejoined the regiment.

Adjt. R. T. Harris, who had been wounded in several battles, received a severe flesh wound in the thigh early in the fight, while standing bravely at his post inciting and encouraging the men.

I commend the conduct and bearing of both officers and men as deserving the highest praise. I saw none who failed to do his whole duty.