moved in a single line, and by the left flank, to position in rear of General Beatty's brigade, on General Baird's left, my regiment in advance, and scarcely had I reached General Beatty's right before the enemy, now engaging his brigade in front and flank, sent into my ranks a galling fire, under which we had to advance the length of the battalion and to form, and we had but just formed when the enemy appeared well around our left flank, and the brigade at the works in our front as promptly disappeared leaving the works in the hands of the enemy and our men in a slaughter pen. The other regiments had formed in my rear. To enable me to change front obliquely to the left and to avoid the useless sacrifice of my men, I ordered my command to retire. In our rear was a dense growth of brush, around which I was compelled to ride, and by the time I had done so, something more than half of my regiment-but as I then thought all of it-thrown into confusion by passing these obstacles, had passed on to the woods beyond. I gathered them up, soon reformed them (another officer added some men thereto), and then I left them in charge of my adjutant near some troops that seemed to be a part of General Negley's command, and rode back to report to Colonel Grose.

In the meantime, his brigade had so changed its position that I could not find, and I hastened back to my men, determined to take them into the fight whenever I should see a good opportunity, of which there seemed to be no scarcity, and found when I had returned that they had been ordered to Chattanooga to guard a train, the order coming, as I was informed, through Major-General Negley. Left without a command, I co-operated with several gentleman of the staffs of Major-General Palmer and Colonel Grose, in getting together such portions of our division as had been separated from their commands, and with them assisted in getting off two pieces of artillery that otherwise would have been lost. Our party being entirely cut off from the division, upon consultation, we concluded to follow that portion of the army with which we then were to Rossville, which place we reached at dusk and found General Negley in position. Here I found that portion of my command and portions of the other regiments of our brigade, which had been sent in at the same time, and at about 10 o'clock I had the pleasure of joining the rest of the brigade. Captain Ervin, with a portion of the regiment that passed to the left of the brushwood when we fell back in the morning, stopped with the Thirty-sixth Indiana, and deserves much credit for the manner in which he conducted himself during the day.

I herewith inclose a list of the casualties* of the Eighty-fourth Illinois. I have to regret the loss of Captain Thomas D. Adams, a brave Christian gentleman and an efficient officer. My command lost 13 killed, 83 wounded, and 9 missing. All of the missing I am satisfied are in the hands of the enemy.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

L. H. WATERS,

Colonel, Commanding Eighty-fourth Illinois Volunteers.

Lieutenant BOICE,

Actg. Asst. Adjt. General, Third Brigade.

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*Embodied in revised statement, p.176.

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