In a short time several pieces were placed in battery upon the crest of the hill and General Buckner ordered me to remain and support them. The shelling upon us was terrific and continued until night closed the conflict. By your order I advanced skirmishers about half a mile in front of my position and held the field until midnight, at which time we were withdrawn and retired to our original position.

My whole command, both officers and men, displayed great coolness and courage and obeyed every order with alacrity during the entire engagement. I sent out details and collected 150 stand of arms, which I had carried off the field and deposited at our encampment upon this side of the creek.

Below you will find a statement* of killed and wounded: Killed, 4; wounded, 19; Total, 23.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

A. S. MARKS,

Colonel, Commanding Seventeenth Tennessee Regiment.

Brigadier General B. R. JOHNSON,

Commanding Third Brigadier, Third Div., Army of the Mississippi.

Numbers 41.

Report of Lieutenant Colonel R. H. Keeble, Twenty-third Tennessee Infantry.

OCTOBER 12, 1862.

The following report of the action at Perryville on the 8th instant is respectfully submitted:

The Twenty-third Tennessee, having advanced under orders from its original position, took a new position in a field upon the brow of a hill, with orders to hold it at all hazards. At this place it remained about two hours under fire of the enemy's batteries, without however any casualties, until orders were given to unite with the brigade and advance upon the enemy. We accordingly did so, marching over rough ground and having several fences to pull down and climb. Having advanced down the hill and across the ravine we marched by the left flank into another field and orchard for the purpose of being unmasked by the Fifth Confederate, which had moved by the left flank in front of us. Being thus unmasked we again marched to the front, and here we received the first heavy fire from the enemy, who were concealed within an inclosure to our right and behind a stone wall. It was during this fire that Captain [W. A.] Ott, of Company H, fell mortally wounded. The regiment remained here for a while under shelter of the fence and stone wall until I ordered it to move forward to the next fence, to gain which it had to march across an open field under a heavy and galling fire from the enemy. Having gained the latter position we came upon the enemy, and now commenced a heavy and terrific fire on both sides, we engaging at the same time a regiment of the enemy in our front and another to our right behind a fence forming a right angle to the one occupied by us. The engagement lasted from one and a half to two hours, the enemy in the mean time having been twice beaten from the field. The enemy it seems had heavy reserves to bring upon the field as soon as one line would give way. Having driven the enemy from the field and exhausted our ammunition, acting in concert with

---------------

*Nominal list omitted.

---------------