Hardee's corps up the trenches to the right until it halted, but stated that the right of my brigade would rest but a short distance beyond the Pace's Ferry road. Instead of halting with my right a short distance beyond the Pace's Ferry road, my entire brigade was thrown at least one mile beyond the road. I was informed that we would advance upon the enemy and fight a battle; that the troops on my right, extending to the end of the line, would advance in echelon by division, beginning on the right and obliging to the left as they advanced, so as to attack the enemy on his left flank. General Cheatham's division, of Hardee's corps, was on my immediate right. I was directed to oblique to the left as I advanced. Brigadier-General Scott's brigade was on my left and marched on a line with me. Brigadier General John Adams' brigade being on picket on the Chattahoochee River, did not come up until late in the evening. About 3 p. m. I moved forward from the trenches, General Cheatham's division, on my right, having preceded me some 200 or 300 yards. Owing to the dense forest, rugged ground, and abatis in front of our works, I moved by the right of companies to the front until I reached our line of skirmishers. My brigade was formed as follows: The First Mississippi Battalion Sharpshooters, commanded by Major J. M. Stigler, with one or two additional companies, was deployed in front of the brigade as skirmishers; the Thirty-third Mississippi Regiment, commanded by Colonel J. L. Drake, was on the right; next, on its left, was the Third Mississippi Regiment, commanded by Colonel T. A. Mellon; next the Twenty-second Mississippi Regiment, commanded by Major M. A. Oatis; next the Thirty-first Mississippi Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel J. W. Drane, and next the Fortieth Mississippi Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel George P. Wallace, which formed the extreme left of the brigade.

Having reached our line of skirmishers, and being in sight of the enemy, my brigade was at once formed in line of battle for the attack. It was formed in an old field some 400 yards wide and half a mile long. On the edge of the field, about 300 yards in my front, was a tortuous creek; just beyond the creek was a narrow strip of woodland running from the west to the center of my brigade. Some 150 or 200 yards east of the terminus of this strip of woods the woodland commenced again, and continued as far as I could see to the east, north, and south. Beyond this strip of woods in my front was a large field, about the center of which there seemed to be a continuous elevated ridge. This ridge was occupied by the enemy. The strip of woodland in my front, extending from the west to the center of my brigade, also formed a ridge nearly as high as that occupied by the enemy. The ground on my right seemed to be elevated, but was so thickly covered with timber that I could not form a correct idea of it, judging it at a distance. Between the strip of timber in my front and the timber on the right of my brigade was an open space of about 150 yards, which furnished a fine view of the enemy's position, and enabled him to see my brigade, formed in line of battle 600 or 700 yards in his front.

Having formed my line of battle, I discovered the left of General Cheatham's division on my right-not in advance of, but on a line with, me. I waited several minutes for it to advance 200 or 300 yards to the front, in accordance with the order of battle. He moved first farther to the right, throwing the left of his division in

56 R R-VOL XXXVIII PT III