[Indorsements.]

Respectfully forwarded.

General carlin was called upon for a report of the part taken by his brigade in the late action. He has seen fit to introduce a number of uncalled-for and out-of-place insinuations and reflections upon myself and staff are concerned, are false representations throughout, and the undersigned is constrained to believe they were introduced from motives of malice. Good taste or the good of the service certainly did not authorize their insertion in a report of this kind.

With these remands this report is respectfully submitted to me superiors for their consideration.

JEF. C. DAVIS.

Brigadier-General, Commanding Division.

HEADQUARTERS TWENTIETH ARMY CORPS,
October 4, 1863.

This report id respectfully forwarded.

I am sorry such feeling exists between General Carlin and his division commander. I respectfully recommend that General Carlin be transferred to some other command.

A. McD., McCOOK,

Major-General, Commanding.

Numbers 93.

Report of Captain Chester K. Knight, Twenty-first Illinois Infantry.

HDQRS. TWENTY-FIRST REGIMENT ILLINOIS VOLUNTEERS,
Chattanooga, Tenn., September 27, 1863.

CAPTAIN: In accordance with orders received from brigade headquarters, First Division, Twentieth Army Corps, I have the honor to report that on the morning of the 19th instant, this regiment, in command of Colonel Alexander, moved from where it bivouacked near the McLemore road in the direction of Crawfish Spring, and [had] passed said spring about 3 miles, when Colonel Alexander received orders to double-quick forward in the direction of where heavy firing was heard, which was a distance of about three-quarters of a mile, where the regiment was formed in line of battle, and immediately moved to the front, a distance of about 200 yards, where the enemy was engaged in great fury. The fire was continued about twenty minutes, when the troops on our left gave way, and Colonel Alexander ordered the regiment to retire about 100 yards, which was done in good order, when the temporary confusion which had existed on our left flank was quickly restored, and we again advanced in the face of a galling fire, about 100 yards in advance of our former line, and held the position for about half an hour, when the regiment on our left again retired, and the enemy following rapidly poured a deadly fire upon our left, and Colonel Alexander ordered the regiment to retire to a position near an open field, which was the ground upon which we first formed, where we were relieved by a brigade from General Sheridan's division, which was quickly repulsed, when we retired beyond the field and remained about half an hour, and