The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-05-05
The First Battalion HiIlard's Legion
 At Chicamauga.
Mrs. Charles N. Maxwell,
 Secretary, U. D. c.

The Alabama (Hilliard's) Region was assigned to Gracie's brigade about May, 1863. Being subordinate oh1- eer (Adjutant of the First Battalion of the Legion) I was not immediately associated with General Oracle. There was an Adjutant General (so called) of the Legion who made the reports of the Legion directly to the General This statement, together with tho fact that I was transferred from the Legion to other duty In February. 1864. will enable you to see why my "reminiscences of the General are so few.
 . Very soon after we were placed In his brigade, we discovered that he was the ablest General We had ever been under. He was a magnificent specimen of a man, who elicited un- bounded admiration. He was su- perb drill officer, whose commanding personnel on the field of practice was surpassed only by his gallant conduct on the field of battle where his man hood shone out in all its splendor. He had regular brigade drills when we were not in the march. His brigade was soon put In fine condition. It was considered one of the best drill ed brigades in the Western army.
 In August, 1863. we began retiring from East Tennessee into North Geor- gia preparatory to the battle of Chic amauga. For lack of time, will pass over the details of the first days fight and of the. forenoon of the second day. though we were almost constantly within range of buzzing bullets. and crashing cannon balls, and were never out of sight of dead and dying men, both in blue and gray. We were nov ing forward all the time.
 I will speak only of the closing scenes of the second day, as they fell under my own observation. On Sum day afternoon, September. goth. 1863, between { and o'clock, we were or dered to attack Snodgrass' Hill. I think ours was the sixth and last assault made on that hill. When wo reached the top of the hill opposite to Snodgrass' Hill, and about 250 or 800 yards from 1t, we were greeted by furious fire from the top of Snodgrass' Hill from behind breastworks about two logs high. Our men returned the fire with equal fury.
 The smoke soon became so dense that 1t was not easy to see far ahead. And the roar of musketry was one long continuous sound, mingled with the boom of canon, the chatter of canister and the bursting of shells. Our line did not waver nor fall back at any point: but 1t did not move for ward as fast as it should. Out Lieu tenant Col (HoIt) had his leg broken in the first volley and was carried to the rear. Soon after glancing ball struck my right ankle and Ho paralyz- ed it that 1t failed to bear my weight. But on finding that 1t was not brok- en, I forgot all about 1t till the battle was over. Our Major (Troy) was ab- sent on sick furlough. All of our captains except Huguley and. perhaps one other, were soon wounded and out of the fight. For sometime I receiv- ed no orders Srom any superior off cer I knew We ought to go forward out of the slaughter pen in which we were being butchered every minute.
 T did my best to get the men to go forward at a double quick. But in the midst of such deafening roar 1t waA impossible to make commands under stood further than a few feet No courier. no adjutant brought any or- ders After some time l saw General Oracle himself coming along tho line. I ran to him and asked him what or ders he wished me to carry. He EaLd. For Gods sake have the men go for ward then ran from one end of our line to the other and repeated the order of the general. When I had done this, I went in front of our line and waved the men to hasten forward up the hill. At this point l was struck by a second minnie ball on the upper
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