Drs. Heustis and Pendleton, Chief Surgeon and Medical Inspector, were unremitting in attention to the wounded. Dr. Stanhope Breckinridge, Assistant Surgeon, accompanied my headquarters, and pursued his duties through the fire of Wednesday. Mr. Buckner and Mr. Zantzinger, of Kentucky, attached themselves to me for the occasion and were active and zealous.
Captain Blackburn, commanding my escort, ever cool and vigilant, rendered essential service, and made several bold reconnoisances.
Charles Choutard of the escort, acting as my orderly on Wednesday, displayed much gallantry and intelligence.
The army retired before daybreak on the morning of the 4th of January. My division, moving on the Manchester road, was the rear of Hardee's corps. The Ninth Kentucky, Forty-first Alabama, and Cobb's battery, all under the command of Colonel Hunt, formed a special rear-guard. The enemy did not follow us.
My acknowledgments are due to Colonel J. Stoddard Johnston, Lieutenant-Colonel Brent, and Lieutenant-Colonel Garner, of General Bragg's staff, and to Major Pickett, of Lieutenant-General Hardee's staff, for services on Friday, the 2d of January.
Respectfully, your obedient servant,
Report of Colonel R. L. Gibson.
Headquarters Adams' Brigade, Breckinridge's Division,
Colonel T. O'Hara, A. A. A. G.:
Sir: I beg leave to submit the following report of the part taken by the Thirteenth Louisiana volunteers in the action of the 31st:
We were posted on the right of Adams' brigade, the right of the regiment resting near the river and the two left companies overlapping the rail-track. We advanced in line of battle until we reached the houses destroyed by fire, and the point at which the ground swelled into a considerable hill, stretching towards the line of the enemy, and where the river turned off quite abruptly to the right. We here halted in order that disposition might be made to pass the obstacles in front of us, the regiment next to the Thirteenth—the Sixteenth Louisiana volunteers—having been thrown into column. We then advanced up the ascent, leaving quite an unoccupied space between the right and the river. Ascending the elevated position, I discovered the enemy moving troops rapidly down the river on our right, and placing them also in ambush in the cornfield on our front. Riding to the rail-track, I saw, not more than fifty yards distant, a line of battle of the enemy, using the embankment as a breastwork and to conceal them from our troops, on the low-ground to our left. The line of battle on the rail-track, as the line of battle on the river bank,
