turned very cold and misty. After daylight-several hours after-I received the following communication from General Longstreet:

HEADQUARTERS, November 28, 1863.

Major-General McLAWS:

GENERAL: I wish you would double your pickets and reserves and advance and occupy the line now occupied by the enemy's pickets,and at the same time make your arrangements to assault as soon as the weather lights up enough for our artillery to play upon the enemy's position. The assault will be made after ten minutes' brisk play of our batteries.

With respect,
JAMES LONGSTREET,

Lieutenant-General.

P. S.-General Jenkins is ordered to advance his picket line in the same way, and advance to the assault following your movement. General Johnson's two brigades will be ready to support you and General Jenkins.

There was such a fog or mist over the country that the enemy's works could not be seen from my lines. The assault was therefore delayed, waiting for the fog to clear away, as shown by General Longstreet's order. The time was so short from the reception of the order to its contemplated execution that I had no time or opportunity to give definite or detailed instructions upon any point. I had, therefore, but to give general orders only, and to rely upon those which I had suggested to the brigade commanders on the 22nd, when I discussed with them the probabilities or chances of success in making an assault in compliance with General Longstreet's wishes, as expressed in his letter to me of the 21st, hereinbefore recorded.

General Longstreet came to my headquarters, at Armstrong's house, on the morning of the 28th, before his written order above quoted could be carried out, and on account of the dense fog, which still enveloped the enemy's works and our own lines, ordered that the assault be delayed until, I think, 2 p.m. of that same day. General (then Colonel) E. P. Alexander, in consultation with me, then arranged the following programme for the part his artillery was to take in the assault and how I should regard its fire as signals for the skirmishers or sharpshooters and columns of attack to move, viz:

Colonel Alexander will commence with his mortars, and then his batteries will fire slowly all along the line, which will be kept up for twenty minutes, and then will fire rapidly for ten minutes. When the mortars open it will be a signal for the pickets to be doubled and to get ready for an advance, and when the slow firing of the batteries all along the line commences the rifle-pits, will be taken and occupied by our pickets and sharpshooters and the main line will take position for the assault, and when the rapid firing commences all along the line the assault will be made.

I gave or sent these instructions to the brigade commanders, and having assembled those who were to engage in the assault, discussed the subject with them.

The following orders were given for the assault:

1. A regiment from Humphrey's (Mississippi) brigade and one from Wofford's (Georgia) brigade should be selected to lead in the assault. Wofford's regiment to lead the column composed of Wofford's brigade assaulting from the left, and Humphrey's regiment the column assaulting from the right, composed of two regiments of Humphreys' brigade and three of Bryan's following close on Humphreys as a reserve.

2. The brigades to be formed for the assault in columns of regiments.

3. The assault to be made with fixed bayonets and without firing a gun.

4. Should be made against the northwest angle of Fort Loudon.