first ravine beyond the field, dashed over the ridge beyond and into the hollow between it and the battery hill. The brigade advanced with splendid courage, but was met by a destructive fire of the enemy form the cover of their field-works on the hill. The Second Alabama Battalion stormed the hill and entered the entrenchments. Here an obstinate and bloody combat ensued. Brigadier-General Gracie, while bravely leading him men, had his horse shot under him. Lieutenant-Colonel Fulkerson, commanding the Sixty-third Tennessee; Lieutenant-Colonel Jolly, of the Forty-third Alabama; Lieutenant-Colonel Holt, of the First Alabama Battalion, and Lieutenant-Colonel Hall, of the the Second Alabama Battalion, were severely wounded while gallantly leading their respective commands in the assault on the hill. Many brave officers and men here fell.

The brigade carried into action 2,003 and men, and in the space of an hour lost 698 killed and wounded. The Second Alabama Battalion, out of 239, lost 169 killed and wounded. In the action its color was pierced eighty-three places, and was afterward, by request, presented to His Excellency the President, who promoted the brave standard bearer (Robert Y. Hiett) for conspicuous courage.

George W. Norris, of Captain Wise's company, of Hall's battalion, fell at the foot of the enemy's flag-staff, and was buried at the spot where he had so nobly died.

Gracie's brigade advanced between 4 and 5 o'clock, and Kelly moved about ten minutes afterward, to assail the second hill on the ridge, 300 or 400 yards west of the battery hill. I ordered him to change direction obliquely to the right, which was promptly done, and in a few minutes the brigade had passed beyond the troops halted on the left of Kershaw's brigade in the ravine and engaged the enemy on the ridge 300 or 400 yards beyond. There a desperate combat ensued, the hostile forces being not more than 30 or 40 yards apart. Kelly gained the hill after a bloody struggle and the enemy vainly sought to dislodge him from it. Justa s I first formed Kelly into action, I met Major-General Hindman and staff on the summit of the hill near Dyer's field. The general, though suffering from a contusion on the neck from a fragment of shell, remained in the saddle. He informed me of the state of affairs and assured me of my opportune arrival, and authorized me to post a battery of his on a point of the field, so as to guard against and cover any repulse of my troops or any adverse event. This was done by me, though I did not learn the name of the officer commanding the battery.

When the fire on Gracie and Kelly was fully developed, its great volume and extent assured me that support was indispensable. At once I dispatched Captains Blackburn, Preston, and Lieutenant Johnston, of my staff, with orders to bring Trigg's brigade forward rapidly, and to inform Major-General Buckner, at Brotherton's of my situation and the urgent necessity of the order. Shortly after, Captain Harvey E. Jones, assistant adjutant-general of Gracie's brigade, rode up and informed me that Gracie had gained the hill, but could not hold it without re-enforcements. I instructed him to inform General Gracie that the hill must be held at all hazards, and that I would send Colonel Trigg to his support in a few minutes. Soon after Colonel Kelly sent me word, by Lieutenant McDaniel, that he could not hold the hill without succor, and I gave him a similar response. This was about the period of the heaviest fire, and I rode