standing its ranks and those of our own little command were being fearfully thinned by the enemy's deadly fire. It was soon discovered that it was useless to remain where we were, and upon hearing Colonel Lowrey give the command to his regiment to rise up and about face, I repeated the same command to my company, and ordered it to conform to the movements of his regiment. Owing to the gallantry and coolness of Colonel Lowrey, his regiment fell back in fine order, and this inspired my own company (which was all of the battalion now, the other company being deployed as skirmishers) so that it fell back also in good order. The good order preserved under so hot sa fire was remarkable.

While we were upon the ridge many brave and gallant men were killed and wounded, and it gives me pain to state that it was here I lost a brave and gallant young brother, Second Lieutenant R. V. Coleman, of Company A, who fell pierced with four mortal wounds while nobly discharging his duty. I have the consultation to hope that his pure young spirit is happy with the God he delighted to serve while on earth. He is the second brother who has fallen with this command.

The men, with but few exceptions, behaved well and stood to their posts.

I would not make any invidious distinctions, but I would mention Third Sergt. R. L. Finley and Corporal Wallis, of Company B, as acting with peculiar bravery; also Sergeant Cunningham, of Company A, who fell discharging faithfully his duty as a soldier. The former, Sergeant Finley, is in every way worthy of promotion.

I regret to state that while we were falling back from our position the gallant commander of the battalion, Major A. T. Hawkins, while reluctantly moving back with my company and exhorting the men to keep good order, had his leg shot off with a cannon-ball. The service will lose for a time, if not permanently, a cool, brave, and useful officer.

After we fell back the command was not under fire any more until late in the evening, when Captain Steger's company was sent out in front of our lines and skirmished about an hour with the enemy. He lost no men, and night coming on, and the enemy having given way on all sides, the engagements ceased.

Respectfully,

DANIEL COLEMAN,

Captain, Commanding Sharpshooters.

Captain O. S. PALMER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 284.

Report of Lieutenant R. W. Goldthwaite, Semple's (Alabama) battery.

SEMPLE'S BATTERY,

October 8, 1863.

[CAPTAIN: ] On the afternoon of Saturday, September 19, Semple's battery was halted in the woods near the edge of a field to the left and rear of the divisions, where Calvert's battery was also halted by Major T. R. Hotchkiss, chief of artillery of the division. The divis-