ble, but their advance was slow, as they were compelled to pass through an open field against a line of battle of the enemy strongly posted behind a fence. The advance, however, was steady, and the enemy's line began to give way as we advanced within 40 or 50 yards of the fence. Up to this time the enemy had fired rapidly, but as it was already getting dark they overshot us, only killing 5 of my men and wounding about 20, which was a small number considering their great advantage. After they had left the fence many of them continued to fire from behind trees, but my line continued to advance and fire until they had gained the fence.

About this time Captain Semple came up with his battery, and Lieutenant-Colonel Charlton reported to me, from the left of the regiment, that our left was overlapping the right of the Forty-fifth Alabama, and at the same time Major Hawkins, of the sharpshooters, reported to me that the left of Polk's brigade was pressing into his battalion, both insisting upon an order to cease firing; that we would do more harm to our friends than to our enemies. I immediately commanded to cease firing, and Captain Semple opened his battery into the woods in our front. I discovered that our whole line, so far as I could see, was so deranged that it ought to have been regulated before we advanced farther. About this time Lieutenant-General Hill rode up and directed me to await further order from General Cleburne.

At this fence my regiment captured about 30 prisoners, mostly of the Fifth Kentucky (Federal) Infantry, who said they had been ordered by their colonel to hold that fence at all hazards, and that he made a desperate effort to rally them when then broke. By orders from Major-General Cleburne the line was then moved forward about 300 yards into the woods and established for the night. I deployed Captain Reynold's company (the right company of my regiment), and posted them about 300 yards in front, to stand for the night. By permission from Brigadier-General Wood, I doubled the line with a company form Hawkins' battalion of sharpshooters.

The next morning, between 9 and 10 o'clock, the whole division moved forward in the same order of the evening before, one company of Hawkins' sharpshooters being deployed in my front as skirmishers, the balance of the battalion between my right and Brigadier-General Polk's left. I was again ordered to dress on Polk's brigade.

When the march commenced, I found my right crowded by Polk's left, and by direction from Brigadier-General Wood I gave way to the left. I soon discovered that the arrangement and advance of the line was irregular, and that Polk's brigade was moving with great rapidity and gaining on me to the right. I then began to incline to the right as rapidly as I could to keep a good line, but before I could join on to the left of Polk's brigade, as I desired to do, my skirmishers were hotly engaged with the enemy. I could not then unite with Polk's left without falling back and moving to the right and leaving my own brigade. My attention then being entirely called to the front, I lost sight of Polk's brigade, and pressed my skirmishers on as far as possible. When they reached the top of a ridge 230 yards from the enemy's breastworks, they took position behind trees and kept up a regular fire until the whole line had moved up to their position. The firing was heavy from the enemy's breastworks, and my whole line was soon engaged. A battery could be seen from my right wing, and the smoke from the enemy's guns