The Second Kentucky (Colonel Hanson's) was first, and my regiment second, on the right. I deployed Companies A, B, and G (Captains Rushing, Joyner, and McWhirter) in the rifle pits immediately in my front, placing them in command of Major S. W. Davis. The other companies were formed in double column, first in rear of the former, in charge of myself and Lieutenant Colonel A. G. Carden, with orders from General Buckner to sustain the line covered by my deployment; to support Porter's artillery on my left or re-enforce Colonel Hanson on my right, as circumstances might require. Such was the position held by me until the morning of February 15. I had occasion, however, on the 13th to dispatch Companies E and K (Captains Lowe and Bandy) to re-enforce Colonel Hanson, upon whom the enemy was opening a considerable fire; but after a very spirited engagement the attack was reserve (Captains Webb's, Wood's, Putman's, Butler's, and St. John's companies) to re-enforce that right, where it was expected the enemy would on that day make a desperate attack simultaneously with a fire on the fort from their gunboats; but owing probably to a failure of success of the latter, no further than the general fire was made upon us at that time.

On Saturday morning, February 15, at about 2.30 or 3 o'clock, I received orders from brigade headquarters to put my whole command in motion and to march in the direction of our left wing, with knapsacks, haversacks provided with three days' rations, and whatever else men and officers could carry, sending all my wagons, except enough for the transportation of ordnance stores, across Cumberland. River. I proceeded immediately to execute this order, and marched out beyond and to the right of Dover, where I was ordered to halt and take position in a general line of battle on the right of the Third Tennessee Regiment. Very soon afterwards the Fourteenth Mississippi and Third Tennessee were ordered by Colonel Brown (General Buckner also being present) to attack one of the enemy's batteries just in our front, and about 300 yards beyond the trenches, which from its position was firing heavily upon us. This battery was supported by several regiments of infantry, which, in connection with it turned a terrible fire on the two regiments just named, against which they fought gallantly and bravely, thus making a severe engagement, which continued for some considerable time, when I was ordered across the trenches to their support, and reached there just about the time the enemy abandoned their position and yielded the ground. Under the order of Major Casseday I returned to my former position, in connection with the other two regiments, in the general line of battle. The Third, Thirty-second, and eighteenth Tennessee were then ordered across the trenches to attack another one of the enemy's batteries located on or near the Wynn's Ferry road, and much farther beyond our works. Colonel Cook's regiment was on the right, my own in the center, and Colonel Brown's on the left, in the arrangement for this attack. The trenches were soon crossed, the battalions formed in double column, and we marched on to the supposed position of the battery, Colonel Cook being in advance of my regiment, with skirmishers in his front. We found some, I may say much, embarrassment in having insufficient information in regard to the enemy's location, as we could only judge in reference to that by the smoke and reports of pieces lately heard and seen in that direction. We found also very considerable difficulty in marching in the requisite order, owing to the timber and denseness of the undergrowth, on which the snow was thickly depositing and melting somewhat rapidly.