woods, from which position they had heavy batteries playing upon our line. After a contest lasting about half an hour, we repulsed the front line, driving it back upon the second, which also gave way upon our approach, after a short struggle. Here I lost sight of Brigadier-General Johnson's left, and continued to move straight forward against the enemy, with General McCown still on my left. We continued the pursuit, constantly skirmishing, until we reached a house, which was afterward found to be a hospital, where we re-engaged and drove back the enemy's second line of defense. My battery was here pushed forward within 60 yards of the hospital, and fired upon the retreating foe, now crossing the Wilkinson turnpike. My men continued the pursuit across the turnpike, when they were halted to wait for ammunition, to obtain which I dispatched Lieutenant [J. L.] Bostick, my aide-de-camp, to General McCown, who was near a house some 300 yards to the left of the hospital, with his command. Meanwhile my own ammunition arrived and supplied me.

In passing the hospital in advance, I was called upon by the Yankee officers to protect them, as there were a great many prisoners and wounded men in and around it and among the numerous tents in the inclosure. I left one man in charge of it, and told him to proclaim it as under my protection, and then passed on with my brigade. I refused taking any prisoners, as I did not wish to be delayed in my forward movement, or to lose the men necessary to guard them, but ordered prisoners reporting to me to remain there or move to the rear and proclaim themselves as my prisoners. I do not know what became of them afterward, though I think they were subsequently taken by General Johnson's brigade. It was at this point, in rear of the hospital, that the Federal General Sill was killed by the Second Arkansas Regiment [Infantry], while being engaged with the enemy at the hospital, Colonel Govan ordering his men to fire at officers on horses near the building. I forgot to mention that in the first engagement [Lieutenant]-Colonel [Thomas B.] Tanner, Twenty-second Indiana Regiment, was left wounded on the field and became a prisoner.

The brigade being now supplied with ammunition, after having crossed the Wilkinson turnpike, was rapidly pushed forward through the woods a quarter of a mile or more, and coming up with the enemy on the edge of a field, which opened in view of a church, in some open woods on Overall's Creek, some 500 yards distant on our left, and engaged him, driving him in confusion over the crest of a hill beyond. Finding myself alone at this point, with no support on my right or left, I halted my command in the woods near the fence, and threw forward a line of skirmishers to reconnoiter and develop the enemy, not then visible from our position. Lieutenants J. M. Dulin and [J. L.] Bostick, of my staff, who had gone forward with the skirmishers, immediately returned and reported the enemy in line of battle in the valley of Overall's Creek, some 400 or 500 yards distant from the crest of the hill. I at once ordered forward my battery to the crest of the hill, and directed it to fire upon him, as I was in good supporting distance with the brigade. This was done with decided effect, resulting in turning the enemy back and driving him from view behind the railroad embankment. The turnpike road at this time was filled with trains of wagons moving in the direction of Nashville, which the Texas cavalry charged, and I ordered the battery to fire upon that part of the train to the right of the cavalry, which caused the train to break in confusion and seek shelter behind the embankment of the railroad. While this change of route by the enemy was taking place, I continued firing as long as any of the train and enemy appeared in view.