414 Southern Historical Society Papers.
on my practice of this day. I need add nothing- more in acknowl- edgment of the services of Captain Dent and Lieutenant Everett, commanding batteries in my lines, or of the gallantry of the men under their commands. I have to regret that no report has been furnished me by Captain Culpepper, commanding the battery at- tached to McNair's brigade ; and I also regret that neither this bat- tery nor Bledsoe's First Missouri battery, commanded by First Lieutenant R. Wood, and attached to Gregg's brigade, for reasons not known to me, followed their brigades, or participated in our fight for Missionary Ridge, where they would have won unfading laurels for every officer and man attached to them. The gallant conduct of my brigade inspector, Second Lieutenant M. W. Black, of the Seventeenth Tennessee regiment, distinguished him through- out my command, and I feel that I can scarcely do justice to his services. He was always, in the moments of severest conflicts, among the foremost ranks, reckless and indifferent to danger. Ardent, ac- tive and zealous, he has proven himself a most valuable officer on the field of battle. While personally directing a piece of artillery in the fight on Missionary Ridge, on the 2Oth of September, he was se- verely wounded by a ball that crushed his lower jaw and carried away a part of his tongue. His speedy recovery is now hopefully an- ticipated.
To my Aide-de-Camp, Captain W. T. Blackemore, who has served with me in every conflict of this army, as well as at Donelson, and always with honor and ability, I am indebted for much valuable ser- vice on the field, and he merits more than I can say for him here.
My brigade inspector, Lieutenant E. R. Smith, of the Twenty- fifth Tennessee regiment, and my acting Aide de-Camp, Second Lieutenant George Marchbanks, of the Confederate States army, gal- lantly and faithfully labored with me on the iQth and 2Oth of Sep- tember, and I desire to acknowledge my obligations to them for the zeal and intelligence with which they performed their respective duties.
To the medical staff of each brigade of this division, I desire to tender my grateful acknowledgements for their faithful and efficient services in taking care of the wounded.
To my efficient ordnance officer, Lieutenant James B. Lake, I feel that a special acknowledgment is due, as well for all his faithful ser- vices past, as for the prompt supplies which he furnished my whole division from a brigade ordnance train; and yet, at the close of the battle, exhibiting greater abundance of stores on hand than at its commencement.
