Captain Goodspeed and his brave officers and men have still more endeared themselves to the brigade. I have the more to pay my compliments to Captain Goodspeed, as during the most of the time, and during the most trying circumstances, I could give him very little advice, partly on account of the formation of the ground, partly on account of the character of the battle, the enemy charging on us alternately from all directions of the compass; several times charging from several sides at the same time. My adjutant, Captain Carl Schmitt, deported himself, as in all former engagements and battles, so actively and skillfully, that he took a great deal of my labor on his shoulders. So did Lieutenant Butler aide-de-camp, who was wounded on the first day and missed after the last attack. I sincerely hope that he is only prisoner, and that his valuable services will be preserved to his country. Lieutenant Green, inspector; Lieutenant Blame, engineer, distinguished themselves, as on all previous engagements, by their judgment and cool bravery. For the names of the other officers I must refer to the regimental and battery reports. Orderly G. Hirshheurser distinguished himself greatly, and fell, wounded, in the enemy's hands.

Looking back on the manner this brigade and so many others have done their duty, I cannot repress a regret to see our best troops melt away to a mere nothing. My brigade now numbers scarcely 800 rifles, instead of 3,500. Why have not the old regiments been filled up, instead of forming new ones? Then the new men would have got a good school, instead of being intrusted to new and inexperienced officers; then the new troops would have been veterans in a short time. Now the veterans day by day die out.

Annexed please find summary of losses.*

A. WILLICH,

Brigadier-General of volunteers.

Lieutenant SMITH,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Second Division.

Numbers 103

Report of Major William D. Williams, Eighty-ninth Illinois Infantry.

HDQRS. 89TH ILL. INF., 1ST Brigadier 2nd DIV., 20TH A. C.,
In the Trenches, Chattanooga, Tenn., September 25, 1863.

SIR: In compliance with orders received this day, I present a brief outline of the operations of the Eighty-ninth Regiment Illinois Infantry Volunteers since breaking up camp in Tullahoma, Tenn.:

On the 16th of August, 1863.,the Eighty-ninth Regiment received orders to march at 4 p.m. We started at the appointed time under the command of Lieutenant Colonel D. J. Hall (Colonel C. T. Hotchkiss, 5 line officers, and 10 sergeants being absent on special recruiting service). The regiment in company with the brigade marched all night, passing through Winchester and Salem, and thence by easy marches over the mountains to Bellefonte, Ala. The regiment and brigade encamped at Bellefonte six days awaiting orders.

On the morning of August 30 we broke up camp, and proceeded up the Tennessee River road to a point opposite Stevenson, Ala.

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*Embodied in revised statement, p. 174.

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