No. 382.

Report of Colonel R. C. Tyler, Fifteenth Tennessee Infantry, commanding Fifteenth and Thirty-seventh Tennessee Infantry.

HDQRS. 15TH AND 37TH REGTS. TENN. VOLS., BATE'S BRIGADE,
Camp near Chattanooga, Tenn., October 1, 1863.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken in the recent battle of Chickamauga, of the 18th, 19th, and 20th ultimo, by the Fifteenth and Thirty-seventh Tennessee Volunteers:

On the evening of the 18th, were ordered into line of battle on left of brigade near [Alexander's] Bridge, on Chickamauga Creek, the enemy firing heavily at the time with artillery and small-arms, which continued for several minutes, when we removed to a position more advanced and maintained it through the night.

Early on the morning of the 19th, we crossed to the west side of Chickamauga at [Thedford's] Ford, and immediately formed in line of battle in rear of Generals Brown and Clayton, on left of brigade. Orders were at once given to advance. We were moving in line of battle by the flank and at a rest until nearly 1 p.m., when a direct advance upon the enemy was ordered by our division. Brown was soon engaged, Clayton followed, and soon after 1 o'clock our brigade was engaged with the enemy. The first fire delivered by my command on the enemy was within 300 or 400 yards of the road leading to Chattanooga, running parallel with our line of battle. The firing here was for a short time spirited and obstinate, until the enemy gave back from my immediate front and my command ceased their fire. At this point I lost some valuable men killed and wounded. On ceasing to fire I ordered my men to lie down.

At this juncture, a detachment of the Fourth Alabama Infantry, having become lost from their command, joined me, forming on my left. They numbered about 40 or 50 men. While arranging them in line the brigade advanced without my knowledge,and from this time forward my command was isolated from the brigade to which we belonged. Immediately on learning that our brigade had moved (not knowing in what direction), I ordered an advance directly to the front. Having moved some 50 yards, a heavy volley of musketry was poured in upon us from a position occupied by the enemy on the Chattanooga road not more than 250 or 300 yards in my immediate front. I ordered three times three for Old Tennessee and a charge, both of which were responded to with alacrity. We charged them from the hill in utter confusion and fired several volleys upon them as they retired to a skirt of woods some 200 yards farther on and a little to my right. Artillery now opened upon us from the woods, and presuming my brigade was somewhere to the right and in the same woods, immediately formed and advanced in double-quick across the open space until we reached the woods and learned the exact position of the battery above mentioned. I immediately determined to capture or drive it from its position. Advancing in almost a run, and with the yells of demons, we soon captured four pieces of fine artillery, the horses all having been removed or killed. In their haste to leave the position one piece, being charged, was left trailed upon us and not fired.

My loss in wounded in both charges was not more than 60 or 65