promptly advanced to Pea Vine Creek, which offered some obstructions to regular movements, and caused some delay in crossing the troops. Captain McDonald, of the Seventeenth Tennessee Regiment, opened fire with his company upon the enemy's pickets about 180 yards west of the creek, and repulsed a charge of their reserve which was made down the road to the creek. Major Robertson placed some four pieces of artillery from his own command and a section of Everett's battery in position and opened upon the enemy, part of whom were dismounted, driving them back with a section of artillery which they had posted in good position. As soon as the command could cross the creek the line, preserving its formation, with Robertson's brigade supporting McNair's on the right. was pressed forward to the top of the hill, dislodging the enemy from a second position. The cavalry on the right kept up the skirmishing during the ascent. We found in front of the Seventeenth Tennessee Regiment 3 Yankess killed and 1 mortally wounded.

It was now ascertained that the enemy's force consisted of three or four regiments of mounted men. Pressing down the western declivity of this hill, the enemy were again found in position at Reed's Bridge, over which they had passed. The skirmishers of the

Twenty-third Tennessee Regiment becoming engaged, the whole regiment, supported by the brigade, charged with a shout and run, and drove off the Yankess before they could destroy the bridge. The Twenty-third Tennessee Regiment here had 5 men wounded. After our skirmishers and some of the regiments had passed, the enemy opened a battery on the bridge, which was silenced by a section of Bledsoe's artillery. Lieutenant Hastings, of the Seventeenth Tennessee Regiment, was wounded at the bridge by the enemy's artillery.

My command commenced crossing the Chickamauga about 3 p.m.

Major-General Hood having appeared in the column, I reported to him, and submitted to him my orders just before passing the bridge in person.

Having crossed the Chickamauga partly by the bridge and partly by the ford above the bridge, by 4 p.m., the command advanced to Jay's steam saw-mill, about 1 mile west of Reed's Bridge, where there are two roads leading to Alexander's Bridge. I ordered the formation to be preserved and the line of battle, extending across the

right-hand or western road, to move forward. General Hood, however, here took command, and directed one regiment of Gregg's brigade to be marched in line of battle, extending across the lefthand or eastern road,and the other regiments of the command to be moved in the rear along that road in column of companies. Marching in this order, we proceeded rapidly past a burning house near Alexander's Ford, penetrating between the enemy and the Chickamauga to a point nearly opposite their center, about 2 1/2 miles from the steam saw-mill and about 1 mile west of Dalton's Ford, when in the darkness of the evening the skirmishers at the head of the column became engaged, and Gregg's brigade was immediately deployed under a sharp fire, which wounded 3 men, 1 (first sergeant of Company D, Seventh Texas Regiment) mortally.

McNair's and Johnson's brigades were immediately deployed, facing south west and supporting Gregg's brigade. Robertson's brigade formed a line near the wagon train in rear, facing northwest, while the Forty-fourth Tennessee Regiment, of Johnson's brigade, remained as rear guard of the train. Our front line was now about 800 yards from Vineyard's house, on the road from Chattanooga to