Numbers 649.

Report of Colonel William F. Brantly, Twenty-ninth Mississippi Infantry, commanding Twenty-ninth and Thirtieth Mississippi Infantry, of operations May 7-20.

HEADQUARTERS 29TH AND 30TH MISSISSIPPI REGIMENTS,
In the Field, May 30, 1864.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by the command in the different actions that have occurred, commencing at Dalton, Ga., May 7, and ending May 20, 1864:

On the morning of the 7th instant I was ordered to place my command in position on the ridge to the left of Alt's Gap and to the right of Potato Hill, facing east, which was obeyed. The command remained in this position during the balance of the day and night, and until 2 o'clock on the evening of the 8th, when the brigade was ordered to move, right in front, to the left of my original position through the gap dividing Potato Hill and the ridge through which Alt's Gap is, to a church in front of Brigadier-General Brown's position, of Major-General Stevenson's division, and there to await orders. I remained in this position about two hours, when, information being received that they enemy were advancing down the Cleveland railroad in heavy force, and would soon reach the front of our original position, dispositions were immediately made to meet them by placing our brigade again on the ridge to the left of Alt's Gap. The enemy advanced a heavy line of skirmishers, passing to my left, but did not engage my pickets; nor was my command engaged during the evening or night of the 9th.

At 1 o'clock on the morning of the 10th I received orders from Brigadier-General Walthall to put my command under arms and be ready to move at a moment's notice. At 2.30 o'clock I was ordered to move by the right flank, following the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-seventh Mississippi in the direction of Dalton and Resaca, and at about 6 a.m. passed through Dalton, taking the Resaca road, which we traveled for about seven or eight miles, to where the Sugar Valley road intersects the Resaca road, where we halted. After remaining at this position about two hours I received orders from Brigadier-General Walthall to move my command, with the balance of the brigade, to the Western and Atlantic Railroad, and there take the cars for Dalton, which order was obeyed, and at 7 o'clock in the evening of the same day I placed my command in position at Alt's Gap.

At 2 o'clock in the morning of the 11th I received orders to move, with the balance of the brigade, through Alt's Gap to the position originally occupied by Brigadier-General Brown, but at that time occupied by Brigadier-General Govan's brigade, of Major-General Cleburne's division. Our brigade relieved Brigadier-General Govan's brigade, taking position on the right of Stevenson's division and facing north, in which position we remained until about 3 o'clock, attracting no attention from the enemy further than receiving a few shell from his artillery, posted to our left on the ridge called Rocky Face. That evening we moved to Dalton and bivouacked there for the night.