part of the action of the 19th. Private Beecher assumed the command, the men instinctively obeying his orders; his intrepidity, coolness, and excellent judgment kept the company together, and stamped him as worthy of command. Sergeant Friday, the colorbearer, stands out a hero, and has no superior for the position he holds. But space admonishes me to close.

Appended please find exhibit marked A, which attests the severity of the actions of the 19th and 20th of September, 1863. and which exhibits the casualties* of the Eighty-ninth Illinois Infantry. The missing are undoubtedly killed, wounded, or prisoners.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

W. D. WILLIAMS,

Major, Comdg. Eighty-ninth Regiment Illinois Infantry.

Captain CARL SCHMITT,

Assistant Adjutant-General, First Brigade.

Numbers 104.

Report of Lieutenant-Colonel Frank Erdelmeyer, Thirty-second Indiana Infantry.

HDQRS. THIRTY-SECOND REGIMENT INDIANA VOLS.

Chattanooga, Tenn., September 27, 1863.

GENERAL: I have the honor to report to you the part which the Thirty-second Indiana Volunteers took in the battle of Chickamauga Creek.

The regiment marched at the head of the brigade on Saturday, the 19th instant, from the right wing of the army toward its left wing; reached the scene of action at 10 a.m. The regiment advanced with skirmishers in the front and soon was wholly engaged. Our right flank being exposed by our advanced position, could not proceed any farther until the evil was remedied. We then, in connection with the other regiments of your brigade, charged the enemy and drove him from his position, taking 2 pieces of artillery and 3 caissons and many prisoners; also recaptured the men's baggage of the Thirty-third Ohio Regiment. Having been relieved by the second line of brigade, we remained quiet until nightfall, when our line was fiercely attacked and repulsed. We slowly fell back, keeping a well-directed fire upon the enemy. Night having come on, we ceased firing and slowly returned from the field to the bivouac of the division. Our loss on this day was heavy, especially in wounded, of which 4 were commissioned officers.

On the morning of the 20th of September the regiment, with the brigade, was in reserve position, and was ordered to engage the could do no more than stand at ease and repulse on e attack which was made against it, most of the time nothing but a few sharpshooters being in our front. As the enemy's attack upon the left wing of the army was becoming desperate, the Thirty-second Indiana marched to the support. We formed a line toward the left flank of the original line of battle, and, in connection with collections of men from different regiments, charged on the advancing lines of the enemy, and drove them under continual fire over a mile.

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*Nominal list omitted; see revised statement, p. 174.

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