Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 13.djvu/385

 384 ' Southern Historical Society Papers.

REPORT OF GENERAL J. B ROBERTSON.

HEADQUARTERS TEXAS BRIGADE, IN THE FIELD NEAR CHATTANOOGA,

October 4th, 1863. Captain L. R. TERRILL,

Acting Adjutant- Genera I Hood' s Division :

CAPTAIN, I have the honor to respectfully submit my report of the part taken by my brigade in the action of the igth and 2Oth September. My duties in the field have precluded me from sub- mitting my report at an earlier period Alter having remained in line of battle from daybreak until near three o'clock P. M., I was ordered to take position on the left of Colonel Sheffield, command- ing Law's brigade (General Law being in command of the division). This placed me on the extreme left of our line. On receiving the order to advance and attack the enemy, I was directed to keep closed on Law's brigade. I had not advanced more than two hundred yards until the enemy was reported appearing on my left and en- dangering my left flank. Colonel Manning, commanding Third Arkansas, my left regiment, was ordered to change front with two companies, and meet them, I believing at the moment that it was a small force sent to make a diversion by threatening my flank. Be- fore these dispositions were completed, my line had passed the crest of the hill, and I discovered the enemy in heavy force on my left, and they opened a heavy fire upon me. I sent a staff officer to in- form General Law of it. He sent me orders to change front and meet them. This made it necessary for me to change my front forward on left battalion, which was done promptly under a heavy fire. To do this I had necessarily to detach my brigade from Gen- eral Law's. I sent a courier to inform him of the change. My line steadily advanced, the enemy stubbornly contesting every inch of ground until I reached the fence that divides the two fields on the crest of the hill. The thick woods through which my two right regi- ments, Fourth and Fifth Texas, advanced, prevented me from know- ing what was on my right, and I was advancing in a direction that separated me from the left of Law's brigade, thus leaving a consider- able space uncovered and exposing my right flank. I determined to hold this, if possible, until I could be reinforced. As soon as we reached the hill and drove the enemy from it, he opened upon us with grape and canister from two batteries, both of which raked the