On Sunday morning, the 6th instant, at daybreak, the three brigades composing my division occupied the position in line of battle in double column at half distance, which had been, under the orders of the previous day, indicated, extending from the Bark road on the right toward Owl Creek on the left, a distance of some 2 miles. Major-General Hardee's advance, extending from the Bark road a short distance toward my left, constituted the first line.

About sunrise I sent orders to the commanders of brigades to advance with deploying intervals, taking the First as the brigade of direction.

Soon afterward, receiving orders from Major-General Bragg, I directed Colonel R. L. Gibson's First Brigade to march by the right flank across the Bark road and then advance in support of the first line, as previously ordered. I then made dispositions as rapidly as possible to insure conformity on the part of the other brigades of my division with this change of plan. The commander of the Third Brigade, Colonel Preston Pond, had been already directed to throw one regiment of infantry and a section of Captain Ketchum's guns into position on the Owl Creek road and prevent the enemy turning our left flank. Four companies of cavalry, under Captains T. F. Jenkins, commanding, A. Tomlinson, J. J. Cox, and J. Robins, covered our right and left flank.

Returning from a rapid supervision along the line, when approaching the Bark road the enemy opened fire from point to point in rapid succession, driving back some troops of the first line. The Washington Artillery, under Captain Hodgson, was then brought forward, and two howitzers and two rifled guns, commanded by Lieutenant Slocomb, with two guns under Captain Shoup, were put in position on the crest of a ridge near an almost impenetrable boggy thicket ranging along our front, and opened a destructive fire in response to the enemy's batteries, then sweeping our lines at short range. I also sent orders to Brigadier-General Anderson to advance rapidly with his Second Brigade, and as soon as he came up I directed a charge against the enemy, in which some of the Sixth Mississippi and Second Tennessee joined. At the same time I directed other troops to move rapidly by the right to turn the enemy's position beyond the swamp and that the field artillery follow as soon as masked by the movement of the infantry. Under these movements, vigorously executed, after a spirited contest, the enemy's whole line gave way, and our advance took possession of the camp and batteries against which the charge was made.

I then sent orders to Colonel Pond to advance rapidly the Third Brigade, swinging to the right, meeting the development of the enemy's line of fire, sweeping the camps on the left, and to prevent surprise on his left flank.

Subsequently I sent orders to Colonel Looney's (Thirty-eighth Tennessee) regiment and the section of Ketchum's battery, then on the Owl Creek road, to conform to these movements.

In the mean time the First Brigade (Gibson's) united with Brigadier-General Hindman's advance, after having driven the enemy from their camp on our right, engaged in repeated charges against the enemy's new line, now held on the margin of an open field swept by his fire.

The enemy's camps on our left being apparently cleared I endeavored to concentrate force on his right flank in this new position, and directed Captain Hodgson's battery into action there. The fire of this battery and a charge from the Second Brigade put the enemy to flight. Even after having been driven back from this position the enemy rallied and disputed the ground with remarkable tenacity for some two or three