we had to march by the right flank about half a mile, then by the left flank in line of battle, in order that the right of the brigade might cover the mouth of the lane before entering the field, unless, however, the colonel will deny we approached the hospital by this route, which no man on earth need to deny. Did you, sir, make such a movement as that? No, sir; you pushed your brigade upon the enemy in a run, as straight forward as the nature of the case would admit, without any perceptible change of speed or direction until your ammunition became exhausted. You know that if any change of direction had been made up to this time it was to the right, as you know that General Hardee came to our lines early in the morning, and ordered a general change of direction to the right, which was made by your brigade so far as to lap one or more of the regiments of General Johnson's brigade. This, however, was corrected before any general engagement took place. The brigade rested at the pike about three-quarters of an hour, when General Johnson's brigade moved up and formed on our right. I do not say the Seventeenth Tennessee Regiment had not arrived up to this time to the position referred to in Colonel Floyd's report.

With reference to the capture of the Federal hospital, I should dislike for it to amount to a question of veracity; but it seems strange to me that the hospital had been surrendered by the violent waving of a white flag, as Colonel Floyd states, a half hour before we arrived, and then our men were falling right and left from a fire coming from and about the hospital, and that we should drive a heavy column of the enemy through and from the field and yard, which he had passed half an hour before, and yet we were half an hour behind, according to Colonel Floyd's report. I would further add, that line repulsed from behind the fence, south of the hospital, which was in a position to enfilade General Johnson's brigade, was certainly much nearer the hospital than Colonel Floyd, as Colonel Keeble was on his left, and between the Seventeenth Tennessee and Second Arkansas Regiments. Colonel Keeble states that we were going to his left, which would certainly throw Colonel Floyd considerably to our right; also shows that we repulsed the enfilading line; at the same time proves that we preceded him to the hospital, or that he ran over and left a heavy column of the enemy at the fence, all of whom were man and men, well armed and unhurt, or that he passed considerably to the right of the hospital and left this line in his rear-which he did not do, for in his report he states he ordered the "forward" when his enfilading line gave way, and I know, and a just God at his bar will prove to Colonel Floyd and his officers that we were not half an hour or fifteen minutes getting to that hospital from the time we entered the skirt of wood. I further add, that after we halted some time at the hospital, behind the fence running west from the hospital, General Liddell ordered his men out of the yard, where the Federals were about 250 in number, into line, looking for a charge of the enemy's cavalry from our left, and, on entering the yard a short time after halting, three Confederate prisoners, who said they were captured the day previous, reported to me.

I hope no honor due the Seventeenth Tennessee Regiment will ever be seized by the Second Arkansas Regiment. We have confidently looked upon them as worthy and brave fellow-soldiers [which they deserve to be called] in the day of battle, and if they captured the Federal hospital referred to, or passed it half an hour before we did, that everything that is glorious be inscribed upon their banner, for they are insensible of danger and fearless of numbers, and noted for speed as well as cool courage, to have advanced their colors and general guides,