CAMP NEAR CHATTANOOGA, TENN.,
October 5, 1863.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by the Sixth and Seventh Arkansas Regiments (consolidated). Col. D. A. Gillespie commanding, in the battle of the 19th and 20th instant:

On the morning of the 19th, at 11 o'clock, the command was ordered to advance, and moving forward in the line of battle (with skirmishers deployed in front of and on the left flank of the regiment, this being the left regiment of the brigade) about 1 mile, when we found the enemy in line lying down awaiting our attack. He did not reply to the fire of our skirmishers, but awaited until the line came up, when he poured in a very heavy fire, which was returned by the regiment and immediately followed by a charge which drove the enemy in confusion, leaving his artillery in position in front of the regiment, when a desperate fight ensued with their second line, which lasted for some twenty minutes, when their cavalry and infantry flanked us on the left and compelled us to fall back to a point about half a mile in rear of the position, where the brigade was reformed and moved on the extreme right of the line occupied by our forces.

At about 2 p.m. we again advanced. While moving to the front the regiment was thrown somewhat in confusion by a section of artillery, which had been unlimbered in ranks, but recovered from this readily; moved on about 100 paces to the front, where it was halted and received a very heavy fire from the enemy's artillery and infantry from the left oblique, where the enemy was in position (as was afterward ascertained) behind log breastworks, the troops on our left having been compelled to fall back on account of the murderous fire poured into them by the enemy. We were charged by him, coming almost directly down upon the left flank of the regiment, when it gave way and took position in rear of the hill over which we had advanced, where we lay all night, and next morning were moved to the left near the point at which we met the enemy the preceding morning, and immediately moved back to the right. At about 12 m. engaged the enemy for the third time, when we drove him back to his breastworks, but, owing to the heavy loss sustained and the want of support to our left, we were unable to drive him any farther. While in front of and about 100 yards distant from his breastworks, the enemy threw a very heavy column of infantry upon our left flank and compelled us to retire.

At about 3.30 p.m. we again advanced, with Jackson's brigade on our left, which felt the enemy first and halted to fire upon him; continued to [move] forward until we reached the Will's Valley and Chattanooga road, where we found two batteries of the enemy in position on our left, supported by a heavy infantry force, which poured a most murderous fire of canister and grape down our line, and soon as I saw the regiment thus exposed to an enfilading fire of artillery and infantry, and entirely without support on the left, I withdrew my command to a point about 400 yards to the rear, and afterward moved forward to the road, where we remained until we left the field.

PETER SNYDER,
Lieut. Col., Comdg. Sixth and Seventh Arkansas Regiments.

Col. D.C. GOVAN,
Commanding First Arkansas Brigade.

HEADQUARTERS LIDDELL'S BRIGADE,
Missionary Ridge, October 6, 1863.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by this brigade in the recent battle of Chickamauga, on September 19 and 20:

On September 18, about 2 p.m., I, with General Walthall's brigade forming a reserve division, commanded by Brigadier-General Liddell, in Walker's corps, arrived in front of Alexander's Bridge, on West Chickamauga Creek. I was ordered to move forward, supporting General Walthall's brigade in an attack to gain possession of the bridge, then held by the enemy. Walthall's brigade, moving forward, soon engaged the enemy, who occupied a dense thicket on the south side of the creek, near the bridge. After firing several volleys he hastily retreated, leaving us in possession of the bridge, which was, however, rendered useless, the planks having been removed. The brigade was not actively engaged excepting the skirmishers, who were thrown forward on General Walthall's left to the creek, sustaining a loss of 1 killed and 5 wounded. Moving down the creek 1 ½ miles, I crossed at Byram's Ford and bivouacked about 1 mile from the ford.

Early on the morning of the 19th, I moved in a southwesterly direction and halted in a position nearly opposite Alexander's Bridge. While here awaiting orders it was ascertained that a heavy column of the enemy was moving around to turn our right flank. Wilson's and Ector's brigades were already engaged and were being heavily pressed. About 12 m. I was ordered to move forward to their support, Walthall's brigade being on my right, forming a line of battle facing northward. Moving forward about one-quarter of a mile I engaged the enemy, and succeeded by a charge in driving him from his position, capturing his artillery and 300 or 400 prisoners. Pursuing this advantage, I encountered his second line, which was also routed after a hotly contested fight, again leaving his artillery in our possession. I had previously been cautioned by General Liddell to look well to my left flank, as a force of the enemy were reported advancing in that direction. I accordingly instructed Colonel Gillespie, commanding the left regiment of the brigade, to protect his left by throwing skirmishers well on his flank, and in case of being attacked from that direction to change his front so as to meet the attack.

About the time, or just previous to engaging the third line, a heavy column of the enemy moved on my left flank. The left regiment, according to my instructions, changed front so as to meet it, while the other regiments of the brigade engaged him in front. The overwhelming force which attacked my left flank and had gained my rear forced me to retire, which movement I executed by the flank in order to prevent the capture of a portion of the brigade, and reformed my line in rear of General Cheatham's division, then moving into position. It was afterward ascertained that we had engaged the whole of General Thomas' (Federal) corps. The two lines which I had driven back in confusion were composed in part of the Fifth, Fourteenth, Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Twenty-first Regiments Regulars, U.S. Army. Four hundred men and some officers belonging to these regiments were captured and safely sent to the rear, together with three Parrott guns, composing a part of Loomis' battery, designated as Company H, Fifth Artillery,(*) U.S. Army, which were sent to the rear under charge of 3 men, belonging to the First Louisiana Regiment and delivered to Major Palmer, chief of artillery, Walker's corps. One piece, a James rifled gun, captured by the Second and Fifteenth Arkansas Regiments, was carried to the rear by hand by men belonging to that regiment and delivered to Lieutenant Shannon, commanding Swett's battery. The other pieces from which the enemy had been driven (the horses attached to them being either killed or disabled) we were compelled to leave behind when we retired. This engagement lasted nearly two hours.

In the fight many gallant officers and privates were killed and wounded. Among the first was Col. L. Featherston, commanding Fifth and Thirteenth Arkansas Regiments, who fell mortally wounded while gallantly leading his regiment, and Lieutenant-Colonel Baucum, commanding Eighth Arkansas and First Louisiana Regiments, severely wounded while carrying the colors at the head of his regiment.

Late in the evening I was ordered to the extreme right on the prolongation of the line occupied by General Cheatham, facing westward, with Walthall's brigade on my left. Moving forward. I ascertained that there was no considerable force of the enemy in my front, the firing indicating him to be in the immediate front of General Walthall in force. My left regiment (the Sixth and Seventh Arkansas) gave way and moved about 200 yards to the rear, being, as they informed me, enfiladed and fired into. While in this position one of our own batteries in rear fired over my lines and slightly wounded several of my men. The fire from the battery continuing, I moved a short distance to the rear and by the left flank and formed on Walthall's right, in which position we remained during the night. I was informed by several officers that there was a battery immediately in front of the last position occupied, which the enemy had abandoned, and which I might have had conveyed to the rear if I had ascertained the fact sooner.

On the morning of the 20th, about 9 o'clock, I was ordered to take a position on the extreme right, supporting Major-General Breckinridge's division. About noon I was ordered to advance, making a slight change of direction to the left. While executing this movement I was ordered by one of Lieutenant-General Polk's staff officers to the assistance of Gist's brigade, who was heavily pressed by the enemy. The officer could only give roe general direction as to where General Gist's brigade was engaged. Encountering no enemy in my front, I commenced changing direction to the left, so as to meet the enemy, who had opened fire upon me from the edge of the woods immediately on my left flank. This movement, difficult at all times, was executed across an open field in an exposed position, and under a heavy fire of musketry. The brigade pressed gallantly forward and succeeded in driving the enemy from his position in the woods. Continuing this circular movement to the left, the left regiment pressed up to an angle of the enemy's fortifications, while the right continued to press the enemy across an open field until I had reached a position forming an acute angle with our original direction, and almost immediately in rear of a line of the enemy's strongest breastworks. Gist's brigade, which I had not succeeded in finding, had fallen back about the time I had engaged the enemy. I was thus completely isolated from our line. I would here state that Wal-thall's brigade had previously been sent to another part of the field. The enemy being massed in heavy force behind his breastworks and perceiving the interval between my left and our line, made a vigorous attack upon my left and succeeded, by enfilading and overlapping it, in breaking it, and thus while the right was driving the enemy, it was in danger of being captured. This was only obviated by the greatest efforts on the part of the regimental commanders, who, after they had succeeded in halting their commands, moved by the right flank and by a circuitous route succeeded in rejoining the command. I immediately reformed the line, and was placed in position in the front line on the left of General Walthall's brigade.

About 5 p.m. orders were received to advance. There was a considerable interval between me and Jackson's brigade next on my left, which fact was represented to General Liddell and by him communicated to General Walker. The movement commenced, I, in obedience to orders, conforming my movements to those of General Walthall, next on my right. I passed on, moving square to the front, two of the regiments passing through an open field, through which I had executed the change of direction to the left in the engagements last mentioned. The skirmishing in my front developed <ar51_260> no enemy. Just before reaching the Chattanooga and La Fayette road, Captain Stringfellow, First Louisiana Regiment, in command of the skirmishers, reported to me that he saw two of the enemy's batteries in position about 250 yards from my left flank on either side of the above-mentioned road, supported by a long line of infantry. Jackson's brigade, which was some distance to my left and rear, having engaged the enemy in his front, had halted, thus leaving my left entirely unprotected.

Upon examination I found the report of Captain Stringfellow to be correct, discovering the enemy to be in position as he represented. It was impossible from the disposition of the enemy's forces for me to extricate myself by changing my front. Reaching a position just across the road and on a line with General Walthall's left, I ordered the men to lie down. The enemy immediately opened fire from the two batteries on my left, also with small-arms, while two batteries, afterward ascertained to be on General Walthall's right, opened almost at the same time. Under this heavy and galling fire no other alternative was left but to withdraw the brigade as speedily as possible to save it from annihilation or capture.

The brigade retreated in considerable confusion, but was promptly rallied and reformed 300 or 400 yards in rear. Shortly thereafter I again advanced to a position near the house of Mr. McDonald, on the Chattanooga and La Fayette road, and some distance to the right of the position from which I had just been driven. Just about this time the enemy's lines gave way in every quarter and the battle was ended.

The loss in officers and privates was very heavy, being over 50 per cent of the number carried into the fight, a report(*) of which is herewith forwarded.

For instances of individual bravery and skill among company officers and privates, I refer you to reports of regimental commanders. Among the field officers Lieut. Cols. John E. Murray and R. F. Harvey, the former commanding the Fifth and Thirteenth Arkansas Regiments, the latter the Second and Fifteenth Arkansas Regiments, were particularly distinguished for their gallantry during the engagement, and by their coolness and skill on two occasions saved their regiments from capture. I strongly recommend the first (Lieutenant-Colonel Murray) to the favorable consideration of the President as one particularly distinguished for his skill and gallantry in the battle of Chickamauga.
To Lieutenant-Colonel Harvey, then commanding the Second and Fifteenth Regiments, an equal meed of praise is due, but, unfortunately for the service, this gallant officer died on the 30th instant, of disease contracted by overexertions on the field, lamented by all who knew him.

To Captain Fletcher, Company A, Thirteenth Arkansas Regiment, I am indebted for saving one piece of Swett's battery, which had several horses disabled, and but for his timely efforts would have fallen into the enemy's hands. He seized the colors of the Second and Fifteenth Arkansas Regiments and rallied enough men to drive back the enemy, whose skirmishers were within a short distance of the gun. Lieutenant Shannon, commanding Swett's battery, handled it with distinguished skill and gallantry, and most effectively whenever an opportunity offered.

The members of my staff--Lieut. J. G. Warfield, acting assistant inspector-general; Lieut. W. S. Sawrie, acting assistant adjutant-general, and Lieut. G. T. Snowden, aide-de-camp--rendered me efficient aid and were always at my command.

In conclusion, as an act of justice to the brigade which I had the honor to command, and with which I have been associated in all the hard-contested battles in the west, from Shiloh to this last memorable one, I beg leave to state that they never failed to drive the enemy in their front, and advanced each time with a single line unsupported, and with one or the other of my flanks unprotected, and that on no former occasion was their courage and endurance more severely tested, nor in any previous battle did they ever exhibit more determined bravery and gallantry.

I am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

D. C. GOVAN,
Colonel, Commanding Brigade.

Capt. G. A. WILLIAMS,
Assistant Adjutant-General.