Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 13.djvu/398

 Battle of Chickamauga. ;;;7

sion, under Brigadier-General Law, which had come up during the night, leaving three brigades under my command. These two divi- sions were placed under the command of Major-General Hood.

Our line of battle was formed about 7 o'clock A. M., in a curve around the crest of an elevation in the woods, about one thousand yards east of the Chattanooga and Lee & Gordon's Mill road. My right brigade faced nearly west, and my left brigade about south- west. In my division, Johnson's brigade, commanded by Colonel John S. Fulton, of the Forty fourth Tennessee regiment, was placed on the right, Gregg's brigade on the left, and McNair's brigade in reserve, in rear of Gregg's brigade. Everett's battery was posted in position on the right of Johnson's brigade, and Bledsoe's First Missouri battery on the right of Gregg's brigade. Captain Culpep- per's three guns were held in reserve in rear of McNair's brigade. Law's division was posted on my right, and Preston's on my left, a little retired, so that the left of the Fifteenth Tennessee regiment, on the left of Gregg's brigade, was thrown back with a view to form a connection, which was never regularly made. The fighting com- menced on the right of our army, about half a mile northwest of the burnt house, near Alexander's bridge. The first gun was fired at half past seven A. M.

About 2 o'clock P. M. the enemy in my front advanced, and drove in my skirmishers. I ordered Bledsoe's and Everett's batteries to open fire, and Culpepper's battery was brought into action on the left of Gregg's brigade. These guns all fired in a direction bearing towards Vinyard's house, from which direction the attack seemed mainly to come. The right of Gregg's and the left of Johnson's brigades repulsed the attack in that vicinity, but the engagement still continued on the left of Gregg's brigade, where the left regiments were suffering severely. The Fifteenth Tennessee regiment lost twelve killed and forty-five wounded before it moved from its posi- tion. About half past two o'clock P. M., by direction of Major- General Hood, having instructed my artillery to move with the infantry, and to come into action whenever opportunity permitted, particularly cautioned my command to preserve its connections, to wheel slowly, and to touch to the right, I ordered the division to advance and engage the enemy. This movement did not extend to the division on my left. In front of Gregg's brigade the woods pre- sented a thick undergrowth, in which that brigade at once becoming hotly engaged, its progress was impeded, while Johnson's brigade advanced some six hundred yards belore the enemy opened fire upon