duty. Immediately after the return of the said company to the trenches General Buckner's division, which occupied the right of the whole line of our defense, was arranged in order of battle for the general engagement which ensued. The Third Tennessee Regiment occupied the fourth position from the right, and five companies were deployed in the rifle pits, and five held in reserve, commanded by myself, with orders to sustain the companies deployed in the pits, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel T. M. Gordon, and to support Porter's artillery on my right, as circumstances might require.

Such was the position held by the Third Tennessee Regiment until the morning of February 15. At about 4 o'clock of said morning the Third Tennessee Regiment was ordered to be put in motion and march days' rations, with whatever lease could be conveniently carried. This order was immediately executed, and the regiment marched out beyond to the right of Dover, where it was halted and ordered to deploy as skirmishers in the rifle pits and to the left of the Fourteenth Mississippi and Eighteenth Tennessee. At about 8.30 or 9 o'clock in the morning the Fourteenth Mississippi and the Third Tennessee were ordered by Colonel Brown (General Buckner also being present) to attack one of the enemy's batteries, located some 300 or 400 yards in front of our trenches, and from their position firing heavily upon us. This battery was supported by several regiments of infantry. We succeeded, after a hot contest of about three-quarters of an hour, in driving the enemy back, and occupied their position until ordered back to the trenches by Major Casseday, of General Buckner's staff.

The Third, Eighteenth, and Thirty-second Tennessee Regiments were ordered across the trenches to attack another one of the enemy's batteries, supported by a heavy column of infantry, located on or near the Wynn's Ferry road, and much farther from our works. The Third Tennessee was on the left, the Eighteenth in the center, and the Thirty-second on the right, in the arrangement for this attack. The trenches were soon crossed and the battalions formed in double column and marched in the direction of the battery. When in about 150 yards of it, it opened upon us with grape an canister and seconded by the infantry. Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon, being in command of the Third Regiment, ordered it to lie down; in a few seconds he was wounded, and some unfortunate order being given just at that time, which the regiment took for retreat, they thereupon did retreat some 100 or 150 yards, when they were rallied by Colonel Brown and reformed in line of battle.

General Buckner being present, and discovering the enemy had also fallen back, ordered me, as next in command to Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon (he having retired from the field), to take the Third Tennessee Regiment back to the trenches, which order I obeyed.

On arriving in the trenches I met with General Pillow, who ordered me, after ascertaining I was in command, to take the Third Tennessee Regiment back to the position we had occupied on the right wing and the one we had left at about 4 o'clock in the morning. I immediately formed the regiment and executed the order.

A few minutes after reaching our original position an attack was made upon Colonel Hanson, the Second Kentucky Regiment's trenches, by the enemy in strong force. Colonel Hanson, not having more than one or two companies in position, fell back upon the Eighteenth Tennessee (Colonel Palmer), and I was ordered to bring up the Third Tennessee to support the Second Kentucky and Eighteenth Tennessee Regiments,