Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 07.djvu/174

166 they were accustomed to serve. Cobb's battery, from the nature of the ground, could not participate to its accustomed extent; yet, as opportunity offered, it displayed its accustomed gallantry. The excellent battery of Captain Mebane, for the same reason, was able to take little part in the action.

The afternoon was waning and the enemy still obstinately confronted us in his entrenchments.

I received permission from Lieutenant-General Hill to make another charge. A line of troops on my right and covering a part of my front advanced at the same time. A portion of these troops obliqued to the right and my line passed through the rest, who seemed to be out of ammunition; so that after moving a few hundred yards the enemy alone was in my front. The division advanced with intrepidity under a severe fire and dashed over the left of the entrenchments. In passing them I saw on my left the right of Major-General Cleburne, whose brave division stormed the centre.

Several hundred of the enemy ran through our lines to the rear, the rest were pursued several hundred yards and beyond the Chattanooga road; of these some were killed, and a good many taken prisoners, but most of them escaped through the darkness. It was now night; pursuit was stopped by order of Lieutenant-General Hill, and throwing out pickets, I bivouacked in line near the road.

The prisoners taken by my command, of whom there was a considerable number, were allowed to go to the rear, since details could not be spared for them, and it was known they would be gathered up there.

The division captured nine pieces of artillery. I am aware that it is usually the whole army, not a part of it, that takes guns from the enemy, and that often the troops who obtain possession of them owe their good fortune quite as much to fire from the right and left as to their own efforts. Yet I think it due to my command that in regard to six at least of these guns such considerations do not apply, and that they were taken without assistance from any other troops.

My total casualties, as shown by official reports, twelve hundred and forty, of which number one hundred and sixty-six (166) were killed, nine hundred and nine (909) wounded, and one hundred and sixty-five (165) missing.

To Brigadier-General Stovall, to Colonel Lewis, who succeeded to the command of Helm's brigade, and to Colonel R. L. Gibson, who