Joseph T. Derry , A. M. , Author of School History of the United States; Story of the Confederate War, etc., Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 6, Georgia
Clement Anselm Evans, Ed.

[336] the enemy should make an assault upon the left to strike him in flank, and Hardee was informed that Lee was directed to prevent the enemy from gaining the Lickskillet road, and not to attack until the enemy exposed himself. Hood in his official report stated that General Lee was ordered ‘to so move his forces as to prevent the enemy from gaining that road. He was ordered to hold the enemy in check on a line nearly parallel with the Lickskillet road, running through to Ezra church. General Lee, finding that the enemy had already gained that position, engaged him with the intention to recover it. This brought on the battle of the 28th. General Stewart was ordered to support General Lee. The engagement continued until dark.’

General Lee reported that, having moved out on the road named, he ‘soon found that the enemy had gained the road, and was gradually driving back our cavalry. Brown's division [formerly Hindman's, later Patton Anderson's] was at once formed on the left of and oblique to the road, with Clayton's division on the right, connecting by a line of skirmishers with the main works around the city. As soon as Brown was formed he moved forward, handsomely driving the enemy across the road and to a distance half a mile beyond, where he encountered temporary breastworks, from which he was driven back with considerable loss. Clayton's division [formerly Stewart's] moved forward as soon as formed, about ten minutes after Brown's advance, and met with similar results. I found it difficult to rally Brown's division and move it against the enemy a second time. The consequence was that one or two brigades of this division, as also of Clayton's division, sustained heavy losses because of the failure in the attack of portions of their lines. Walthall's division of Stewart's corps had moved out on the Lickskillet road, while Brown's and Clayton's divisions were engaging the enemy. Atmy suggestion this division was thrown against the enemy ’