ward, and dismounted his regiment and ordered them forward. The enemy could be plainly seen forming his lines upon the streets of the town in our front. Stewart's skirmishers became engaged with the enemy's sharpshooters, posted behind the houses in his front. The line advanced and drove back the enemy's sharpshooters, took possession of an incomplete railroad embankment, and engaged the enemy. I had in the mean time ordered the Fourteenth Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel R. R. White commanding, to form mounted on the left of Stewart and advance with his line, and held the Twelfth Tennessee Regiment, Major G. W. Bennet commanding, in reserve. My skirmishers and dismounted men soon gained houses in the suburbs of the town. Rather heavy firing to my left, in the direction of Armistead's forces, continuing, and there appearing to be an enemy in force in my front, I moved the Fourteenth Regiment farther and farther to the left, and Colonel White's sharpshooters, under Captain Deberry, soon engaged the enemy's sharpshooters, posted in the houses of the town. I continued to swing the line to the left, advancing rapidly, driving the enemy from the houses back toward the center of the town, capturing some prisoners. In this manner I passed Armistead's front. The enemy having taken position in the houses around the square, Stewart advanced, being the left, and gained the body of houses near a church and forming a portion of the center of the town. White moved with his regiment, still mounted, around and crossing the main street leading east and west to the west of the court-house, passed to the north of the town and entered an alley running perpendicularly to the main street running west from town, and then dismounted and engaged the enemy's sharpshooters. This alley was about two blocks from the square. The enemy's skirmishers were posted in the houses on the northwest corner and north side of town. Stewart in the mean time had advanced and gain the houses about two blocks from the southeast corner of the square. My line was thus complete, running north and south very early parallel with the west side of the square.

In the mean time I had sent to order Major Bennett up with the Twelfth, directing him to move up and take position to the right of Stewart. The enemy had taken position in the brick court-house and jail, the doors and windows barricades with sacks of corn or sand. Bennett having come up and taken position near Stewart and close to the square, I informed the brigadier-general commanding that I intended to charge upon and endeavor to drive the enemy from his position. Colonel Armistead's brigade, under command of Colonel Ball (Colonel Armistead being wounded), was formed in my rear. The brigadier-general directed me to take charge of the operations against the court-house ad to order Colonel Ball to support my line with his brigade. I ordered my line forward and ordered a staff officer to bring up Colonel Ball's brigade. Being strangers to each other, and Colonel Ball being absent from his line reconnoitering the front, the staff officer could not find him in time to deliver the order, but ordered the line forward. The officers objected to moving the line without proper orders. The staff officer then went to General Pillow and asked for an officer of his own staff to accompany him to Colonel Ball with the order to advance. This wa done, but created some delay. My brigade during the delay had gone to the houses adjacent to the square, drove the Yankee sharpshooters from them, and captured some prisoners; but finding my-