Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 16.djvu/383

 The Battle of Chickamauf/<t. 377

The Battle of Chickamauga, igth and 2oth of September, 1863.

Report of Action of the Third South Carolina Regiment in the Battle of the Chickamauga.

HEADQUARTERS THIRD SOUTH CAROLINA REGIMENT, Near Chattanooga, Tennessee, October loth, f86j.

Captain C. R. HOLMES, A. A. G. :

CAPTAIN, I have the honor, in obedience with circular of the yth instant from brigade headquarters, to submit the following report of the recent operations of my command. The train convey- ing my regiment and James's battalion reached Greenwood Mills, on the Western and Atlantic railroad, about 2 o'clock P. M. on Friday, the 1 8th September ultimo, when I reported to Brigadier-General Kershaw, who had preceded me, and who ordered me into camp with that portion of the brigade which had already arrived at that point. Early the next morning we marched under General Kershaw's command to the neighborhood of Ringgold, where we remained in line of battle to guard a gap in the mountains until a short time after dark, when we took up the line of march for the Chickamauga. After a fatiguing and remarkably dusty march we reached the. river, and crossed it at Alexander's bridge, and bivouacked on the left of the road, near three hundred yards from the bridge, about i o'clock at night. About 9 A. M. the next morning (Sunday) we were put on the march and moved towards the left of our guard line of battle. After going about a quarter of a mile, we were massed in columns of regiments and rested in reserve for about an hour, when we were advanced by the flank a short distance, and thrown in line of battle about two or three hundred yards behind and parallel to a line of breastworks in the woods, and running, I judge, nearly north and south. The engagement had by this time fairly opened in our front, and we immediately advanced towards the firing, in a westerly direc- tion, crossing (what I understood was) the Lafayette road just to the left of a small house on the left of the road as you approach Chatta- nooga, and thence through the woods in front, until we reached the fence on the edge of a large corn and stubble field. Here we met a portion of General Hood's division returning in disorder under a feeble fire from the enemy, who seemed to be forming in front, and on a line nearly perpendicular to our line of battle. By order from General Kershaw I changed front forward on my first company, and the other battalions conforming to the manosuvre of mine as the