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Newspaper of the 33rd Alabama Volunteer Infantry Regiment

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Report of Col. Samuel Adams, Thirty-third Alabama Infantry

Commanding Thirty-third Alabama and Gibson's Battalion
Transcribed by Pvt. Willford from the Official Records

Hdqrs. Thirty-Third Alabama Regiment

    Missionary Ridge, Tenn., October 8, 1863

    SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part that my command acted in the battle of the Chickamauga, on September 19 and 20:

    Mine was the left regiment of Wood's brigade.  On my right was the Sixteenth Alabama Regiment; on my left was Deshler's brigade.  Between sundown and dark on the evening of the 19th, I deployed, in accordance with an order from Brigadier-General Wood, a company of skirmishers (Captain Hammett's company) about 150 yards distant, covering my front and connecting with a similar line in front of Sixteenth Alabama Regiment.  Very shortly after this line was formed I received an order from Brigadier-General Wood, delivered by Captain Palmer, assistant adjutant-general on his staff, to move my regiment forward and keep in line with the Sixteenth Alabama Regiment.  Captain Palmer also stated to me that it was Major-General Cleburne's order that if a battery of the enemy should appear in my front, I should immediately charge and take it.  Jackson's brigade was in line of battle in front of and about 100 yards from my line of skirmishers.

    After my skirmishers had passed Jackson's brigade about 75 yards, they engaged the skirmishers of the enemy and immediately drove them back.  After my regiment had passed this point about 75 yards it engaged the enemy's main line.  At this point the Sixteenth Alabama Regiment halted.  I also halted my regiment.  After remaining in this position for a very short time -- not more, I think, than ten minutes -- I moved my regiment forward and the enemy fell back before it.  After moving forward 175 yards or 200 yards I halted my regiment.  At this point Deshler's brigade lapped my regiment by about two companies.  I had lost my connection with the regiment on my right.  A part of Jackson's brigade had followed closely in my rear and was firing.  It was now so dark that his object could be distinguished but a very short distance.  My reason for halting was to rectify my line and to avoid being fired into by the Sixteenth Alabama Regiment on my right and Jackson's brigade in my rear.  Shortly after halting I perceived from the flash of arms that there was a fire in my front directed toward the enemy.  This, I afterward learned from some prisoners taken at this point, was one of the enemy's lines firing into another.  While I was investigating this matter some of my center companies fell back about 100 yards.  This was caused, as I learned from the officers commanding the companies, by some person giving the command to "fall back," and stating that it was my order.  I immediately brought these companies again forward and moved my regiment forward about 75 yards.  Here I received an order from Brigadier-General Wood, by Captain Palmer, to move my regiment to the right and connect with the Sixteenth Alabama Infantry Regiment..  After doing this I received an order from same officer to deploy a company as pickets, about 300 yards distant from my line, so as to cover my front and connect with a similar line in front of the regiment on my right.  This line I afterward doubled, and rested for the night.

    My loss has been 3 killed and 33 wounded.  I took 33 prisoners.

    On the morning of the 20th, my position in the brigade was changed.  Deshler's brigade was on my left.  About 10 a.m. I received an order from Brigadier-General Wood to move my regiment forward and keep it in line with the Sixteenth Alabama Regiment.  After advancing about a half mile obliquely, most of the time to the right in to the left, the Sixteenth Alabama Regiment, under a heavy fire of grape and canister and shell, halted.  Ten or 15 paces in advance of this position was a ravine, to which position I moved my regiment before halting it.  During most of the time that I remained in this position my regiment was under a very heavy fire of grape, canister, and shell.  I had here 7 men wounded.

    After I had remained here an hour or an hour and a half, I received an order from Brigadier-General Wood to move forward and keep in line with Sixteenth Alabama Regiment.  Previous to this time, Deshler's brigade had moved to the right.  Brown's brigade was near me on the left.  After moving forward about 200 yards I received a general volley of small-arms from the enemy's line.  At this point the Sixteenth Alabama Regiment halted.  On a line with it halted my regiment.  Here my company of skirmishers that had covered my front in the whole advance came in, having driven the enemy's line of skirmishers back to the main line.  near my line in front was a fence covering my whole regiment except the right company.  The enemy's line of battle was distant about 275 yards behind barricades.  In this position I was subjected to a very severe enfilading fire from the right.  In front a low hill protected me.  Shortly after I halted, Brown's brigade came up on my left, and supporting it and very near in its rear was Clayton's brigade, the right regiment of which lapped my whole regiment.  I moved forward my regiment with these two brigades about 100 yards to the crest of the hill in my front.  At this point most of both brigades fell back, carrying with them many of my men.  I continued to advance until I reached a house on the western side of the Chattanooga road, about 75 yards from the enemy's line.  This house caught fire about the close of the engagement and burned down.  At this point I found myself with but 60 or 70 of my own men, and but very few, if any, of the other two brigades.  With this squad of men and my colors I fell back to the ravine where I had previously halted.  After I had remained here half an hour engaged in collecting my stragglers, I received an order from Brigadier-General Wood to rejoin the brigade, which was 700 or 800 yards farther in the rear.

    In this engagement I lost 16 killed and 133 [wounded].

    About an hour before sundown i was ordered by Brigadier-General Wood to support Semple's battery.  In this position I remained until dark, and during this time I was not under fire.

    In both of these engagements both my men and officers, with a few exceptions, acted well.  Some, both of officers and men, acted very gallantly.

    I desire to mention the names of Captain Dodson, Company C, and Captain Hammett, Company D, among those who were most distinguished for coolness and bravery.

    The adjutant of my regiment (A. M. Moore) was killed on the 19th, and Maj. J. H. Gibson, Gibson's battalion, was mortally wounded on 20th, and has since died.  Both of these were brave and efficient officers, and in their death the country has suffered much loss.

                                                     Very respectfully, your obedient servant.

                                                      SAM. ADAMS, Colonel, Commdg. 33rd Alabama Regt. and Gibson's Batt.