Cheatham and myself to explain the location of our commands and the nature of the ground in our respective fronts. On the latter point General Cheatham and myself materially differed. General Hardee, as I understood, accepted General Chathan's explanation of the ground, and ordered me to charge the position of McNair's brigade. I told General Hardee that either he did not understand General Cheatham or I did not understand his order. I then requested General Hardee either to locate the brigade himself or to order General Cheatham to accurately point out the ground. General Cheatham was direct by General Hardee to comply with my request. I was thus particular because I felt satisfied that an attempt to locate the brigade as I understood General Hardee to direct, would brigade on a night engagement, for which I would be held responsible. General Cheatham, by General Hardee's order, went with me and pointed out the position the brigade was to occupy, the right resting at a pile of rails near Mrs. Smith's house, on the Triune road. Inclosed you will a copy of a note from General Cheatham, with accompanying map, marked C, in which he says:

I was directed by General Hardee to point out to you the position for General McNair's brigade, which I did just before dark on Tuesday evening, placing his right, resting on the Triune road, in a live with Colonel Loomis' brigade, which was in the front line of Polk's corps. You requested that General Hardee would indicate the position for McNair,which I agreed to do at General Hardee's request.

That McNair's brigade was placed as ordered I refer to the following evidence: General McNair's report, the inclosed copies of communications from Generals McNair and Ector and Captain [C. B.] Kilgore, marked, respectively, D, E, and F, and the map accompanying General Cheatham's communication, marked C. General McNair's report contains the following paragraph:

In obedience to orders received from division headquarters - p.m. December 30, 1862, I formed my brigade in line of battle on the ground designated at the time.

The ground designated was that pointed out to me by General Cheathams. There seems to be a blank in McNair's report as to the hour at which he received this order. I find it so, at least, in the copy before me, the original having been forwarded; but his communication, marked D, fills up the deficiency in his report. In that communication, as you will observe, he says, in reply to and inquiry from me:

On the evening of December 30, about sundown, your ordered me to move my brigade about 200 yards in advance of the line of battle the occupied by me, and in advance of a strip of woods that extended immediately in front of my original line, which order was executed and a new line of battle formed a little after dark.

This statement of General McNair is supported by the letter of General Ector, marked E, and that of Captain Kilgore, marked F.

Now, by reference to the map furnished by General Cheatham, and which you will find with his letter, marked C, you will see McNair's original position - the thicketor woods in front

thereof-and the new line for his occupation pointed out by General Cheatham by the direction of General Hardee, and then (in connection with this map), by reference to General McNair's report, together with his letter and the letters of Ector and Kilgore, you will see that I moved McNair forward precisely as ordered, and placed him on the ground designated by General Cheatham by the direction of General Hardee, and it will further appear from the papers referred to that this movements was made early on the night of December 30, 1862, and not delayed until next morning, as I am charged with doing.

As I fully executed the order to move both McNair and Rains, and as