No. 8.

Report of Colonel W. H. Bishop, Seventh Mississippi Infantry, of operations September 14.

CAVE CITY, September 15, 1862.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit to you the following report of the part taken in yesterday's engagement by this regiment:

About sunrise I received orders to follow after the right section of the battery which took position on a hill on the right of the Munfordville road. Here I received orders to take my position on the left of the Ninth Mississippi Regiment. This regiment had already passed the battery and entered a corn field beyond to the northeast, and before I could reach the position to which I was ordered I received another order to hold my regiment in reserve behind the Ninth and Twenty-ninth Regiments. This order was in a few minutes followed by another order to move forward and make the attack between the Ninth and Twenty-ninth. I ordered my regiment forward on the right of the Twenty-ninth, supposing the Ninth to be already on my right in advance, where I heard pretty brisk firing. I moved into a small corn field about 150 or 200 yards from the breastworks and on the left of their fort or stonghold. From this position I intended making a charge, but immediately after entering this field the firing in advance on my right almost entirely ceased, and no attack having been made by the Twenty-ninth on my left, I ordered my men to lie down, intending to confer with Colonel Walthal for an immediate and simultaneous charge, my own regiment being too small to charge alone. Almost instantly after this order the center of my regiment, which was imperfectly screened from observation, received a severe fire of grape, which killed 3 men and wounded 5 others. I immediately ordered the regiment back about 20 yards to the fence, behind they could be effectually screened and protected. Here a lieutenant, commanding a company of sharpshooters (whom I had previously mistaken for a portion of the Ninth), asked me for assistance to drive the enemy back on the right. I ordered three companies forward deployed as skirmishers. Shortly afterward, on being informed that these companies were exposed to a severe cross-fire from the right, I moved the regiment in that direction, and soon after with the Ninth and Twenty-ninth made an attack near the enemy's fort. This attack had progressed only a few minutes when I was ordered to fall back and attack a battery on the right and to our rear. While moving in that direction I received word that the battery was a Confederate battery. A flag of truce ended further aggressive movements.

I would remark that the heavy details for picket duty, the number left sick and unable to march from this place, besides infirmary details,&c., left me only about 123 effective men and 141 aggregate in the action. Of this number 4 were killed, 15 wounded, and 1 missing. The men generally were cool and acted with courage.

I am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. H. BISHOP,

Colonel, Commanding.

Captain W. A. GOODMAN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.