Lieutenant-Colonel Tillman, of the Forty-first Tennessee Regiment, came up and informed me that the enemy was moving down the road, and that he would soon be in our rear. I told him that he was certainly mistaken; that there was a connected line on my left, and had over come up there, and they had left, and he did not know where they had gone to. I then called to von and gave you the information, and in company with Colonel Keeble and

Lieutenant-Colonel Tillman we started back to the road to satisfy ourselves as to the correctness of the report.

When we had gone about half way we discovered a line of troops moving by the flank (left flank) in the direction of the left wing of my regiment. Before we could determine who they were the commands "halt," "front," were given by the commander of the leading regiment, and they immediately discharged a volley at our men. A general stampede of our men ensued. So sudden and unexpected was the attack from our rear that every man seemed to act for himself, regardless of orders. I was too far from my regiment to give any directions or render any assistance at the time. Major Davis was lying down behind the left of the regiment, but gave no commands of any kind. Doubtless he thought it was folly to attempt to do anything when the enemy was within 30 yards of him and in his rear. Some of the company officers ordered their men to face about and fire. A number of the men fired on the enemy. Some of them fired two or three rounds before they got out of reach.

Immediately after the discharge of the first volley from the enemy I turned to look at the fate of my regiment. I saw that a number of the men were making their way out in the only direction by which they could possibly escape, and I saw at once that if I could get back to the line at all, the men who were left there would be prisoners before I could reach them. All of my regiment that escaped moved by the right flank about 200 yards, and then filed to the rear and came out at the right of the brigade. In crossing the road as I fell back I was able to see the position and strength of the enemy. He had come down the road by the flank to a point about opposite the left company of my regiment, and then filed left, and about two regiments had changed direction when they commenced firing. There were two regiments still in the road.

It is proper for me to state here that immediately on my left and running back to the road the bushes were very thick, which accounts slipping in there undiscovered by me or any of my officers or men. When the brigade fell back into the wood, I soon had the remnant of my regiment formed and in their proper position, where we bivouacked for the night.

I entered the fight this day with 26 officers and 221 men; had 1 officer killed and 3 officers and 20 men wounded; missing, 11 officers and 60 men. Lieutenant Scruggs, of Company G, was dangerously wounded and captured, but was recaptured the next day. Others who were captured may have been wounded, by Lieutenant Scruggs could give me no information about them, as he was insensible for some time after he was wounded. My regiment took some 5 or 6 prisoners this day.

Sunday, September 20.-About 10 o'clock this morning the enemy's skirmishers advanced on our line. Owing to the nature of the ground

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