only course to save even a part of the regiment was to retire. I gave the order to retreat, and fell back to the first cover, without regard to the preservation of the line. For the length of time exposed at this point the casualties were much greater than in any other engagement I had ever been in. Here again we could not see the enemy, and did not return his fire. The regiment was not again engaged during the day.

My loss in killed was 22, wounded 95.

The officers and men, with very few exceptions, behaved gallantly.

I am, captain, your obedient servant,

E. B. BREEDLOVE,

Colonel, Commanding Regiment.

Captain O. S. PALMER,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Wood's Brigade.

Numbers 282.

Report of col. M. P. Lowrey, Thirty-second Mississippi Infantry, commanding Thirty-second and Forty-fifth Mississippi Infantry

HDQRS. 32nd AND 45TH MISSISSIPPI REGIMENTS,
Near Chattanooga, Tenn., September 28, 1863.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part my regiment took in the battle of Chickamauga, on the 19th and 20th instant:

Mine was the right regiment of Wood's brigade. Hawkin's battalion of sharpshooters was immediately on my right and on the left of Polk's brigade, and the Forty-fifth Alabama immediately on my left. The line was thus formed, and so continued throughout the whole engagement.

Late in the evening of the 19th, I received orders to advance a line of skirmishers 300 yards to the front, and inform them that we had a line of battle and a line of skirmishers in their front. I immediately deployed Captain Williams' company, of the Forty-fifth Mississippi, which was my left company, and went myself and gave them their position, about 300 yards in front of my main line. About sunset I received notice from Brigadier-General Wood that the whole division would advance, and that the sharpshooters would dress on Polk's brigade, and I would dress on them, and that if I advance was accordingly made and I soon passed a line of our troops lying down. As I approached an open field in my front my skirmishers soon engaged the skirmishers of the enemy. I pushed my line of skirmishers forward as rapidly as possible, but their advance was slow, as the ground was hotly contested. My main line gained rapidly on the skirmishers, so that by the time the main line reached the first fence the skirmishers had not advanced more than 50 yards into the field, so hotly was their advance opposed. Just as my main line crossed the first fence they received a volley from the enemy's main line, which was behind the next fence, about 200 yards distant. My main line the commenced firing as the skirmishers in their front retired to their rear, and the whole line was soon engaged. I pushed my regiment forward as rapidly as possi-