Harwell re-elected Adjutant. Many changes were made in line officers, but the writer has no data from which to supply them. While at Corinth the regiment, from the use of bad and unhealthy water, suffered very much with sickness, and many were furloughed on sick leave to recuperate for the summer campaign.

The enemy in the meantime having recovered from the severe blow received at Shiloh commenced to advance on Corinth by gradual approaches, and by the latter part of May was in the vicinity of that place. The regiment was daily engaged in heavy skirmishes, and sometimes in sharp engagements but with small losses. On May 13, 1862, Corinth was evacuated, and the Thirteenth fell back by way of Baldwin to Tupelo, Miss. Here, with good water, the health of the regiment improved rapidly, and with strict discipline and constant drilling we soon became one of the crack regiments in that army.

About this time General Charles Clark, commanding the division, was assigned to another department, and his division broken up and assigned to other commands. The Thirteenth was assigned to Cheatham's Division and General Preston Smith's Brigade, which, on July 10, 1862, was ordered to report to General E. Kirby Smith at Knoxville, Tenn., who was about to make a campaign into Kentucky. Everything being ready the Thirteenth, with the forces under General Smith, moved on the 13th day of August into Kentucky by way of Wilson Gap, and on the 18th of August arrived at Cumberland Gap after a weary and toilsome march of five days. From this point by way of Manchester the forces were moved in the direction of Richmond, Ky. The enemy was watching the movement, and had sent forward General Bull Nelson with a large force of infantry, artillery and cavalry to check our advance. A battle was now imminent.

Early on the morning of August 30 the army was put in motion, and by 8 o'clock while marching up the road a shell from the enemy's battery not far off came whizzing over the head of our advancing column and exploded high in the air. The Thirteenth with the other regiments of the brigade immediately deployed in line of battle on the right of the road, when Allen's sharpshooters under command of Lieut. Creighton were sent forward and deployed as skirmishers, with instructions to feel the enemy and develop their position. This being done the regiment with the brigade was ordered to advance, and in a short time a most terrific fire was opened by both sides from one end of the line to the other. The enemy occupied a strong position and stubbornly held their ground, but onward the Confederates continued to march, when, with a charge and a yell in front and a volley on their flank, which General Smith with the One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Sr. had succeeded in reaching, the enemy precipitately fled, hotly pursued and pressed by the Confederates. The enemy lay thick upon the field, and their loss was heavy. The Thirteenth's loss was also heavy in officers and men, and among them some of Tennessee's best and bravest soldiers.

It was in this first engagement that Lieutenant Edward Lanier of Company G was killed, a young, brilliant and gallant officer who, had he lived, would either as citizen or soldier have inscribed his name high up on the roll of fame. Gifted by nature, young, aspiring and ambitious it seemed hard that he should have been stricken down at the very threshold of his manhood. A truer soldier never shed his blood on his country's altar. Here, too, General Pat Cleburne was wounded in the mouth, and had to retire from the field, whereupon the command of the division devolved upon Brigadier-General Preston Smith, and that of the brigade on me, and that of the regiment on Lieutenant-Colonel W. E. Morgan.

The enemy after retiring a couple of miles made a second stand, but so impetuous was the second attack that after a short engagement they broke in disorder and confusion, and did not halt until at or near Richmond, where for the last time they made a stand, and it was here that they were completely routed and demoralized.

This was the most complete victory gained during the war in which the Thirteenth participated. Nothing escaped. All the enemy's artillery, their artillery horses, their transportation, quartermaster and commissary supplies, together with all their camp equipage fell into the hands of the Confederates. In this engagement our forces captured and paroled more officers and men than General E. Kirby Smith had in his command. The Thirteenth did its whole duty, as attested by the killed on that battlefield as follow: R. A. Donalson, W. L. Fullerton, S. G. Lawrence, Company A; T. F. Gaither, Company B; W. L. Rhodes, Company C; Jas. J. Lawrence, W. H. Minter, Company D; T. M. Ballard, Company E; H. L. Winningham, Company F; Lieutenant Edward Lanier, Edward Dicks, Company G; Wm. Claiburn, R. H. Crouch, Company H; John Reed, R. R. Stone, B. F. Holtom, Company I; John H. Gates, B. G. Sims, H. A. Gray, J. S. Jenkins, M. R. Winfield, B. W. Wilkerson, Company L.

In this battle I received from the hands of a captain of an Indiana company a beautiful and highly ornamented sword, which had been presented to him by the citizens of his town when he started to the war. After the first attack the Federal captain was retreating with his company when he was shot in the leg. Unable to proceed further a private of the Thirteenth ran up to him and ordered the surrender of his sword. This he refused to do, saying that he would surrender it to an officer, but never to a private. This so enraged the private that he was in the very act of shooting him when I rode up and ordered him not to shoot a prisoner, whereupon the officer extended to me his sword, and thanked me for saving his life. I wore this sword a long time, but while on leave of absence left it in charge of a young Confederate officer who, being insulted by a negro, broke it over his head.

After the battle of Richmond the Thirteenth with the brigade marched to Lexington, Ky.; thence to Cynthiana, thence to Covington, thence to Frankfort, and joined Gen. Bragg's army just before the battle of Perryville, where it rejoined Cheatham's Division.

The next engagement was the battle of Perryville, which was fought on October 8, 1862. In this battle the Thirteenth with the brigade was not actively engaged, but was held in reserve, and with the brigade acted as rear guard to the army on its march out of Kentucky.

Our march into Kentucky was an ovation. We were the first infantry troops to enter that part of the State, and as soon as we crossed the mountains and struck the Blue Grass region, the demonstration of sympathy for the South and the hearty welcome extended us filled every heart with profound gratitude. Citizens all along our line of march received us with open arms, and showed us every hospitality. When we halted for the night, droves of fattest cattle, herds of the fattest sheep, and wagonloads of corn and hay, were driven to our camp. Even the women—God bless them—brought to our soldiers the delicacies of the table and garden. We thought that Kentucky was ours, and that no Federal force would invade her beautiful territory; but, alas! how soon the scene shifted.

The retreat out of Kentucky was one of greater trial and hardship than any march made during the war. Over a rough and barren country, without shoes and thinly clad, with scarcely anything to eat, the suffering was great, yet it was borne with fortitude and without a murmur.

The regiment, with the army, reached Knoxville on October 24, 1862. From Knoxville the Thirteenth was moved by rail to Tullahoma, where it received a fresh supply of clothing, blankets, shoes, etc., which was so much needed. After a few weeks' rest we were marched to Murfreesboro, where we arrived the