contest, in which Major Claybrooke, while gallantly pressing forward, received his death wound.

Our line of battle, composed of the Twentieth Tennessee and Thirty-seventh Georgia Regiments, extended at right angles across the main road leading from Fairfield to Hoover's Gap, its left resting on the east bank of Garrison's Fork. This line, with skirmishers well advanced, was moved froward until the enemy was driven back near a mile from where we first met him into Hoover's Gap. One section of the Eufaula Light Artillery, under command of Lieutenant [William Henry] Woods, was in the mean time placed in position on an eminence on my right just previously occupied by the enemy's advance. This section (3-inch rifles) opened briskly and with such telling effect as to prevent the enemy's farther advance in that direction. It, in conjunction with our advanced skirmishers, completely commanded the exit from the gap going east.

Having thus checked his advance on the Manchester pike, and learning that the mount men who had been near Robertson's mill had returned to the gap before we arrived in sight of the same, believing my right and rear free from attack, I ordered, through a staff officer, Colonel Tyler to bring his command up Garrison's Fork to the position we then occupied, and Colonel Jones to bring his to my left. Finding the enemy in force, and knowing he could without obstruction turn my left and gain a series of hills which commanded our then line of battle, and then relieve the Manchester pike, I at once moved Caswell's battalion of sharpshooters (which had just arrived), the Twentieth Tennessee, and the remaining section of the Eufaula Light Artillery, under command of Lieutenant [W. J.] McKenzie, to the left and across Garrison's Fork; ordered them to advance and drive the enemy before he should get a lodgment on the hills. My suspicion as to his probable movement was correct. He was advancing in force to gain the hills and turn our left. He was met with such spirit and resolution by these little commands, each playing its part most handsomely, that he gave way under their fierce attack until pressed back upon his second line. The engagement here became general and sanguinary.

Finding no disposition on the part of the foe to press my right to regain the ground from which he had been driven and relieve the Manchester pike, I ordered Colonel [A. F.] Rudler, with the Thirty-seventh Georgia Regiment, to move his command across the creek up the steep acclivity of its left bank, form line parallel to the same, and given an enfilading fire to the force then heavily engaging my left. The order was obeyed with alacrity and in good style. The enemy, anticipating the move, met it with a line of battle fronting the woods which skirted the bank of the creek. A bloody engagement here ensued with great odds against us, and after a futile but most persistent and gallant effort to dislodge him, Colonel Rudler properly withdrew his command under cover of the bank. At this juncture every gun and piece in that portion of my command which had arrived on the field was engaged in a spirited and deadly contest.

In this position we fought for nearly an hour, when, by his excess of numbers, the enemy turned our already extended left flank, giving an enfilading fire to the Twentieth Tennessee. It recoiled from the shock, was rallied, and formed in good time on a fence running a short distance from and perpendicular to our line of battle. Caswell's battalion of sharpshooters still held the eight of the woods from which the enemy had been driven. Seeing, by his vastly superior force, that he could again turn my left without resistance, as every gun and piece of mine present were engaged, and Tyler and Jones not yet possibly within