the Fifteenth being on the right to the right of the main road and in rear of Captain Parker's battery. After remaining here a few minutes the brigade was moved by the right flank about three-fourths of a mile. Here we were opposite the extreme left of the enemy. The Fifteenth, being fronted, was ordered to move forward. The Eighth was fronted and moved forward. Here I received orders from General Kershaw to advance on an eminence occupied by the enemy about 700 yards in front. In consequence of the right of the regiment having to move through a thick woods and diagonally over a fence we moved slowly for about 300 yards, and the regiment coming into the open field we advanced rapidly on the enemy, driving him from the position near the church. Here we halted and adjusted the line, and the Second and Fifteenth coming up, General Kershaw ordered me to join onto the Fifteenth, and after moving by the right flank about 300 yards were fronted and moved forward, and after advancing about 200 yards came upon the enemy under a heavy fire, driving them from the position. Darkness preventing farther advance, we encamped here for the night.

In this engagement the regiment lost 2 men killed and 20 wounded; most of the wounds were severe.

The regiment and brigade remained here until December 20, when we marched in the direction of the Holston River.

On the 21st we crossed the river, and on the 23d came to our present camp.

D. MCINTYRE, Captain, Commanding Eighth South Carolina Regiment.

Col. J. D. NANCE, Commanding Brigade.

No. 68.

་

Report of Capt. Stephen H. Sheldon, Fifteenth South Carolina

Infantry.

HDQRS. FIFTEENTH SOUTH CAROLINA REGIMENT,

Russellville, Tenn., January 9, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of this command from the time of its leaving Chattanooga until the arrival at this camp:

On the evening of November 4, 1863, pursuant to orders from brigade headquarters, the regiment took up the line of march with the brigade for Tyner's Station, on the East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad.

We arrived within the vicinity of the station on November 5, and on the 7th took the cars for Sweet Water, at which place we arrived on the 8th, and went into camp in the vicinity of the village.

On the 12th instant, moved with the brigade to Philadelphia, and on the 13th to the vicinity of Morganton, and on the night of the same day marched to Loudon.

On the 15th, crossed the Tennessee on the pontoon bridge and pursued after the enemy, who had retreated that morning some 7 miles, when we halted and remained until morning.

Next day came up with the enemy at Campbell's Station, when the brigade formed in line of battle. The regiment occupied its proper position in the line, and with one company thrown forward as skirmishers advanced with it. The enemy meantime fell back, and the

command after advancing 800 or 900 yards was ordered to halt. We were then marched by flank some half mile or farther in the direction the enemy had taken, when we were again formed in line of battle and ordered to advance on the position the enemy occupied when last seen before night came on, and which was distinguishable by the camp-fires they lighted and left burning. Upon reaching this point it was found the enemy had retreated. The troops were ordered to hait for the night, and Major Gist was also ordered to send six companies forward to picket the Knoxville road. Companies A, C, B, K, E, and H, under Capt. J. B. Davis, were ordered to perform this duty.

Resumed the pursuit early next morning, coming up with the enemy's rear guard some 5 miles from Knoxville. General Kershaw ordered Major Gist to move with his regiment, along with Colonel Henagan, who was ordered to make a détour to the right, and if possible get in the enemy's rear and attack him, while the rest of the brigade pressed him in front. Owing to the distance we had to go to get in the rear of the enemy, they were driven off by the troops that assailed them in front before we had arrived in the position desired to be occupied, and which would have cut off the enemy's retreat had we succeeded. The regiment then marched to rejoin the brigade, which it succeeded in doing shortly before the column was halted in sight of Fort Loudon.

On the 19th instant, when the brigade advanced on the enemy's position at Armstrong's house, the regiment occupied the extreme right next the Holston River. Owing to the nature of the ground in our front, when near our picket lines the regiment was marched by a flank along the river bank until the right reached the position occupied by Colonel Henagan on the picket line. Major Gist halted the regiment here and ordered the men to close up, and moving down the line to see that the order was promptly obeyed, he was shot by one of the enemy's sharpshooters concealed behind their breastworks in front, and instantly expired. The command then devolved upon Capt. J. B. Davis, the senior officer present. Just at this moment Lieutenant Doby, of General Kershaw's staff, gave Captain Davis orders to charge the hill in his front. The order was given and the hill carried with a rush, and with but little resistance from the enemy, who were posted behind the trees and in the houses about Armstrong's premises. The regiment continued to press on rapidly until ordered to halt and fall back to Armstrong's house, where we threw up a sort of breastwork of rails, to be used in case the enemy should attempt to regain the position.

The regiment lost in that affair its brave and intrepid commander, Maj. William M. Gist. Company K, of the regiment, which was on picket duty during the day, had 2 men killed and 4 wounded.

During the siege there were no other casualties in the command, and nothing occurred in which the regiment was engaged worthy of mention until the afternoon of December 4. The regiment was on picket that day.

Late in the afternoon the enemy advanced three companies against our right, where the line was weakest and least protected, evidently with a view to discover our number and strength. The companies on the right gave them good information by several well-directed volleys, which seemed to check their curiosity rather suddenly, and sent them back to their intrenchments with more haste than is prescribed by tactics for movements of the kind.

That night, at 11 o'clock, the regiment was withdrawn, under the direction of Lieutenant-Colonel Rutherford, of the Third South Carolina Regiment, in a most successful manner, and without arousing the suspicions of the enemy as to the nature of our movement. We then followed on after the brigade, which had preceded us several hours, and caught up with it next morning about 9 miles northeast of Knoxville. The regiment continued the marches along with the brigade until we arrived within 8 miles of Rogersville, where we halted and rested for several days.

On December 14, accompanied by the rest of the brigade, the command marched in the direction of Bean's Station. Finding the enemy at this place, measures were taken to attack, and, if possible. capture him. We occupied the extreme right, and after the brigade had been put in position along the slope of the Clinch Mountains we advanced upon the enemy at a charge and drove him back from his position. We were then moved farther to the right and again advanced, capturing a few prisoners and killing and wounding some few. Night coming on soon after, we were ordered by the general commanding brigade to halt, stack arms, and rest for the night.

The regiment had only 7 men wounded and none killed.

Remained in the vicinity of Bean's Station until the 20th, when we received orders to march with the brigade to Long's Ferry.

On the 21st, crossed the Holston, and on the 22d marched to this

camp.

During six weeks of severe campaigning, with many hardships and deprivations, this command has been particularly fortunate. Our whole losses since we left Chattanooga are as follows:

The command suffered during the marches for want of shoes and proper clothing, and oftentimes scarcity of rations. However, these sufferings were all borne with becoming fortitude by the brave and gallant men, of which this command is a part, composing this army. S. H. SHELDON,

Captain, Commanding Fifteenth South Carolina Regiment. Capt. C. R. HOLMES, Assistant Adjutant-General.

No. 69.

Report of Lieut. William C. Harris, Adjutant James' (South Carolina) battalion.

HEADQUARTERS JAMES' BATTALION,

Camp near Russellville, East Tenn., January 7, 1864. CAPTAIN: Synopsis of this command since leaving Chattanooga, Tenn.:

This battalion left Chattanooga, Tenn., on the night of November 4, 1863, and arrived at the railroad-East Tennessee and Atlanta, Tyner's Station-and there remained until the 5th instant, when it

took the train for Sweet Water on the 8th, and arrived at that place on the 9th and encamped until the 12th instant, when it again took up line of march for Philadelphia, encamping at the latter place for the night, resuming the march on the following day to Little Tennessee River.

On the night of the 13th, marched to Loudon, and there encamped until the 15th, and crossed the river at that place on pontoons, and marched again for Campbell's Station, where it arrived on the 16th, driving the enemy toward Knoxville.

On the 17th instant, we came in sight of the city of Knoxville; found the enemy well posted and strongly fortified.

On the 18th we had a skirmish fight with the enemy, driving him from his outposts, losing 1 man killed and 26 wounded. On the 18th we encamped or bivouacked near Armstrong's house, remaining comparatively quiet, with exception of intrenching ourselves from the fire of the enemy's Loudon fort.

On the night of the 28th, charged the enemy's rifle-pits, driving them from them, losing 3 men wounded; enemy's loss not known. Hearing the news of the discomfiture of our forces at Chattanooga, we left Knoxville on the night of December 4. We marched all night and resumed the march next morning, and continued the march toward Rutledge, where we arrived on the 6th, and encamped until the 8th, when we resumed the march in direction of Rogersville, passing Bean's Station and taking up camp 8 miles this side of Rogersville, where we remained until the 14th, and retraced our steps toward Bean's Station, and there coming up with the enemy, made an attack upon him and drove him from his position, losing 3 men. Enemy's loss not known.

On the 20th, we left Bean's Station and crossed the Holston River at [Long's] Ferry on the 21st, and marched to Russellville on December 22, 1863, and at this place took up winter quarters. W. C. HARRIS,

Capt. C. R. HOLMES, Assistant Adjutant-General.

Adjutant.

No. 70.

Report of Lieut. Col. N. L. Hutchins, jr., Third Battalion Georgia
Sharpshooters, commanding Wofford's brigade.

CAMP NEAR RUSSELLVILLE, TENN.,
January 1, 1864.

MAJOR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of Wofford's brigade during the late campaign. In consequence of the changes that have occurred in brigade and regimental commanders it is necessarily imperfect:

The brigade was withdrawn from our lines at Chattanooga on the night of November 4 last, and on the 6th was transported by railroad from Tyner's Station to Sweet Water, where it remained in camp six days.

On the 12th it took up the line of march and moved by way of Philadelphia to a point on the Tennessee River about 6 miles above Loudon, where it arrived at 2 p. m. the 13th.

At 12 o'clock on the night of the 13th the march was resumed and the command arrived at Loudon at daybreak on the morning of the 14th. Here it remained until the 15th, when it crossed the Tennessee

River and pursued the line of march to a point near Lenoir's Station and bivouacked for the night.

On the 16th the march was continued to Campbell's Station, where the enemy had halted and made a stand. Disposition for battle was made and the line advanced, but the brigade did not become engaged, nor did the enemy's artillery, which kept up a sharp fire on the line as it advanced, do any serious injury.

That night the enemy retreated and next morning (the 17th) the pursuit was continued until we arrived in sight of the enemy's position and fortifications at Knoxville, when the brigade was moved to the left and took position near Crawford's house, where it remained with one battalion on picket until the 18th, when it was relieved by General Anderson's brigade, and then moved back and took its proper position in the line of the division.

Having advanced the picket line to the railroad, 600 to 800 yards from Fort Loudon, a rifle-pit was dug, by direction and under the superintendence of Colonel Ruff, 100 yards in front of the picket posts on the left, thus leaving its left partially exposed and unprotected; it was, therefore, used only for vedettes and sharpshooters. A sortie was made on this work on the morning of the 24th by a regiment of the enemy (the Second Michigan). Crossing the railroad far to the left it moved down, its right flank perpendicular to our picket line, thereby getting completely on the flank and in rear of the rifle-pit, and there being but few men on post made an easy capture of it. A portion of the Third Georgia Battalion Sharpshooters being on duty at this position, the remaining portion was moved up to its support and soon succeeded in driving the enemy from the works with a loss, as nearly as could be ascertained, of 50 or 60 killed, wounded, and prisoners, while the battalion's loss was 5 men wounded, 2 of them mortally. The pickets of General Law's brigade took a part in this affair.

During the night of the 28th of that month the Twenty-fourth Georgia Regiment, in co-operation with the pickets of other brigades, advanced the line to a position about 250 yards from the fort, capturing a few pickets.

On the morning of the 29th the brigade moved out under orders to assault the works. The battalion of sharpshooters having relieved the Twenty-fourth Georgia on picket, immediately the artillery opened fire on the fort. In accordance with orders advanced skirmishers to easy rifle range and kept up a rapid fire into the port holes, which effectually prevented the working of their guns by the enemy until the column of attack had advanced to the summit of the hill near to the fort.

The disposition for assault was column of regiments, and in the following order: First, Phillips Legion; second, Eighteenth Georgia Regiment; third, Sixteenth Georgia Regiment, and fourth, Cobb's Legion.

The advance was obstructed by fallen timber, tangled bushes, &c., but so soon as this was passed the column formed in good order and moved forward with a cheerfulness, confidence, and enthusiasm that promised success; but arrived at the fort the column encountered a ditch 4 to 6 feet deep, 8 to 10 feet wide, and extending along the length of the work to the rifle-pits on either side. The height of the parapet, estimating from the bottom of the ditch, was about 18 feet, and its exterior slope at an angle of 65 to 70 degrees, with a base line. The berme, very narrow, soon wore away, and it was with difficulty that a foothold could be obtained upon it; yet by assistance