Numbers 10. Report of Lieutenant Colonel William W. Wier, First Confederate Veterans.

HDQRS. FIRST REGIMENT CONFEDERATE VETERANS,
December 30, 1864.

MAJOR: I have the honor respectfully to report my movement since leaving Mobile, under the following order:

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF THE GULF,
Mobile, Ala., December 15, 1864.

Colonel W. W. WIER:

The major-general directs you assume command of the troops now under orders for Corinth, Miss. O'Neal's regiment and either you battalion or Metts' will move this afternoon at 4 o'clock.

Very respectfully, colonel, your obedient servant,

GEO. G. GARNER,

Chief of Staff.

King's battery going on board the train when I received the order, I placed O'Neal's regiment and Mett's battalion on board, leaving my regiment at the station, to move next day (Sunday) at 4 p. m., at which time, I was informed, transportation would be provided for them. Owing to the character of the troops I thought it advisable to go part of the way with the first train. I reached Enterprise about 4 a. m. Monday. The troops all being quiet and orderly, I placed Lieutenant-Colonel Burke, commanding O'Neal's regiment, in command of the whole, and remained over to bring up my own command, as I was fearful that many of them would stop off the train. The greater portion of them having homes or friends near the line of railroad, and being mixed troops from almost every regiment in the Tennessee army, they required close watching. The train having my regiment aboard reached Enterprise at 4 a. m. Tuesday morning, two hours behind schedule time. We reached Meridian about 6.30 a. m. Major-General Gardner came aboard, and I immediately reported to him. The train being heavily loaded caused many delays, and when we reached Macon the conductor had lost his schedule time and had to wait until freight schedule (4.30 p. m.). We left Macon about 5 p. m. and arrived at West Point about 10 o'clock get some information of the enemy.

About 11.30 o'clock I received an order to get my command aboard as soon as they had something to east and move up the road and report to the senior officer at Egypt. As soon as possible I had my ammunition and command on the cars, waited some few minutes for steam, and moved up the road about 2 a. m. At Prairie Station the conductor called on me for a detail to bail water for the locomotive. I immediately furnished the detail, and went in person and superintended the works, which was a very slow process, having only three small buckets and the water to draw from a deep cistern. I ordered up fresh details to keep the buckets constantly moving, but with all the dispatch used it was 7 o'clock before the engineer thought we had sufficient water to last him, and not endanger the train. We then moved up as rapidly as possible. About two miles below Egypt we met the train from above, having on board King's battery. They reported the enemy in full pursuit, and that they had to leave part of their train behind; also, that General Gholson with his entire command were captured. I immediately moved up the railroad at a double-quick to an eminence about half a mile in front. When I gained this position the enemy were formed and moving down upon me, my skirmishers already firing on