service to me thus far in the action, fell at my side leading the column. He was shot through the thigh, though not dangerously.

On rising the hill First Lieutenant. T. O. Hynes, of Company K, had his left arm carried away by a cannon-ball. Immediately after I received a very severe shock and bruise by being thrown from my horse, which was frightened by the bursting of a bomb. Having recovered from my fall and secured my horse I hurried on to the action. I could not find my left wing, which, I afterward learned, behaved gallantly under command of Capt. W. M. Otterson, of Company H. I found a portion of the right wing joined with the Confederate Guards and a portion of the Eleventh Louisiana. We charged upon a line of the enemy and drove them from the field. We remained in this position for a considerable time, when General Anderson arrived with the Twentieth Louisiana and ordered the line forward.

At this moment I was wounded in the left arm by a Minie ball and retired. After having my wound dressed I immediately returned to the field in search of my command. I fell in with General Ruggles and reported myself to him. He invited me to remain with him, as the action was drawing to a close. The enemy having retired and left us in possession of the field, and being unable to find more than about fifty of my command, I, with my adjutant, who had received a slight wound, retired with this small force to the ambulance depot, to assist the wounded and remain during the night. Our wounded suffered greatly, having nothing to protect them from the rain, which fell in torrents a greater portion of the night. Many of them lay that night in pools of water two or three inches deep.

On the morning of the 7th I sent my adjutant on to form the regiment, or such portions of it as he could find, near the Big Spring. When I came up with my small command I found that my adjutant had joined some other brigade with what number he could find. I, with what few men I had, managed to gather together about 200 in all, composed of stragglers from different regiments, with the aid of Capt. D. W. Self, of Company B, who had now for the first time appeared upon the field, and some other officers, managed to form a line and keep it in place until ordered by General Ruggles to advance. The general at this instant rode in front of the lines, and, seizing the flag from the hands of the color-bearer, gallantly led them to the charge. In this charge he was assisted by Col. S. S. Heard. Captain Self, of Company B, fell severely wounded. Our forces now began to retire from the field.

The officers and soldiers under my command, so far as came under my observation, behaved with much gallantry. They went into action on the second day, however, with much less alacrity than on the day previous, which I attributed to the fatigue and exposure of the previous day and night.

With great respect, your obedient servant,

CHARLES JONES,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Comdg. Seventeenth Regiment Louisiana Vols.

Capt. W. G. BARTH,

Asst. Adj. Gen., C. S. Forces.

[Inclosure.]

HDQRS. SEVENTEENTH LOUISIANA VOLUNTEERS, April 15, 1862.

SIR: The reason why Capt. D. W. Self, Company B, did not appear on the field of battle at Shiloh until the morning of the 7th instant was