November 26, at 1 a. m., my brigade with the rest of the division was ordered to march in pursuit. About 10 a. m. we began skirmishing with the enemy; at 12 m. Chickamauga Station was carried, my brigade being in the third line. A few moments before dark, General Beatty's brigade, being in advance, began skirmishing with the enemy. At this time the column was involved in a dense, swampy woods. Disregarding all obstacles, the brigade rushed through the swamp, some of the men up to their waists in water. Just as the brigade debouched into the open field General Davis detached the Eighty-sixth Illinois and Fifty-second Ohio and posted them on the extreme left of the front line. These regiments engaged the enemy for a few moments, and drove him from their front. The One hundred and twenty-fifth and Eighty-fifth Illinois were placed in the second line. Darkness and the retiring of the enemy put an end to the contest. November 27, my brigade being in advance, I deployed eight companies as skirmishers and advanced via Graysville to Ringgold. This day my command took 150 prisoners. With this ended the operations in the pursuit. November 29, this command began its march to relieve Burnside. For ten days, without shoes, blankets, or overcoats, and almost without regular rations, it continued the march. December 7, received orders to begin our march for Chattanooga, at which point we arrived on the 19th of December. Allow me to congratulate the commanding general upon the fortitude and soldierly bearing of his command. The annals of history afford few instances of such fortitude under such accumulated difficulties. Allow me to call your attention to my regimental commanders for their gallantry in action, their devotion to the public service. I take pleasure in calling your attention to the services of Capt. George W. Davis, volunteer aide upon my staff. Always foremost in danger, and prompt in discharge of every duty, I commend him to the country and commander of the department. To the members of my staff, Captains Anderson and Swift, Lieutenants Rogers, Deane, and Batchelder, and Major Hooton, my brigade surgeon, especially I again call your attention. Inclosed you will find the regimental reports. My casualties were as follows: 2 killed and 5 wounded. DAN'L MCCOOK, Capt. T. W. MORRISON, Assistant Adjutant-General. No. 154. Report of Col. Oscar F. Harmon, One hundred and twenty-fifth Illinois Infantry, including march to the relief of Knoxville. HEADQUARTERS 125TH ILLINOIS INFANTRY, Caldwell's Ford, Tenn., December 20, 1863. SIR: In pursuance of orders, I respectfully submit the following report of the part taken by my command in driving and pursuing the enemy from Mission Ridge November 24, 25, and 26, 1863: The regiment crossed the Tennessee River on the pontoon bridge thrown across by General Sherman, at 2 p. m., November 24, at the head of the Third Brigade, and formed in line of battle on the right, about half a mile from the river to the left of Crutchfield's house. At dark a new line was formed near the base of Mission Ridge in the same order, which was held until daylight, when the brigade was moved by the left flank and took up a position in front of the interval between Mission Ridge and Chickamauga River, my command being thrown forward to occupy said interval and watch for the enemy on both sides of the river. Here I remained until 12 o'clock at night, November 25, when I received orders to march, and followed in rear, in pursuit of the enemy. At sundown the advance of General Davis' division overtook the enemy at Shepherd's Run, and immediately engaged him. My regiment was thrown forward, under fire of the enemy, to support the line engaged, the men moving on a run and shouting to be ordered forward. General Beatty, commanding Second Brigade, at this time asked for aid, and I was ordered to report to him for orders, which I did without delay. The enemy, however, suddenly ceased firing and fell back, and I withdrew to higher ground, and bivouacked for the night. At daylight the next morning Companies B and I were thrown forward as skirmishers, holding the right of the line. The column moved slowly forward, halting near Ringgold, when the pursuit ended. The skirmish companies, in conjunction with the other six companies thrown forward from the other regiment in the brigade, captured about 150 of the enemy, stragglers and deserters. The regiment also marched within about 20 miles of Knoxville under orders to succor General Burnside, and returned to this camp at midnight, December 18, 1863. The men suffered greater hardships in this march than at any former period. They are without overcoats, a large share without blankets, many barefooted, and their clothes worn out. In the same length of time I doubt if any army in the history of our country suffered more or as heroically. I report the following casualties.* Capt. E. L. ANDERSON, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General. O. F. HARMON, Colonel, Commanding. No. 155. Report of Maj. James T. Holmes, Fifty-second Ohio Infantry, including march to the relief of Knoxville. HEADQUARTERS FIFTY-SECOND OHIO VOLUNTEERS, Chickamauga Creek, Tenn., December 19, 1863. SIR: I have the honor to make the following report of the part taken by this command in the operations in front of Chattanooga, and on the march toward Knoxville and back to Chickamauga Creek : November 24, under orders, moved with the brigade at daylight to Caldwell's Ford. At 1 p. m. crossed the pontoon bridge and *Nominal list (omitted) shows 1 killed (accidentally), 4 wounded, and 2 missing. formed line of battle in front of the first range of rifle-pits. At dusk moved about one-half the distance toward Mission Ridge, then occupied by the forces of General Sherman. Here we lay in line until daylight. November 25, early in the morning, moved to the foot of Mission Ridge, marching by the right of companies. This position we occupied while the battle raged at Tunnel Hill, immediately in front of our right and along the greater portion of the ridge. Now and then a shell would pass in the vicinity of the regiment, but no one was touched by the missiles. November 26, at 1 a. m., moved down and crossed at the mouth of Chickamauga River and camped until daylight some distance above the last position, upon the opposite bank of the stream. After daylight moved up the valley in pursuit of the routed and fleeing enemy, who occasionally, by a few shots, attempted to resist the troops in advance, we having formed line of battle four distinct times during the progress of the day, and with the other regiments of the brigade been held well in hand. About an hour before nightfall, at Shepherd's Run, the vanguard being attacked by the rebel rear guard, a brisk firing commenced a short distance in front. This command was, at the time, marching by the right flank and in rear of the Eighty-sixth Illinois. It was also the rear of the brigade. Soon after the fighting commenced, a staff officer, whom I have not since been able to recognize, galloping up, said, "Deploy your men in there," pointing to the right among the brush. I replied, "Mine is the rear regiment of this brigade, and there is my place," pointing to the left of the Eighty-sixth, then marching forward into line. "Well," said he, "you'd better," and off he dashed. Bayonets were fixed and I ordered the regiment forward into line. While moving on double-quick through thick brush, and over logs, fences, and the scarcely fordable stream, it passed with a shout to its place on the left of the Eighty-sixth Illinois. Fighting soon ceased on our right, and we encamped for the night just where we stood in line. On 27th, early in the morning, I was ordered to send Captain Bucke and two skirmish companies to report to the colonel commanding. I detailed Companies A and B, and sent them in command of the officer mentioned. They returned to the regiment at dusk, having skirmished with the enemy from Shepherd's Run to Ringgold, near which place the regiment encamped for the night. On 28th, moved past Parker's Gap about a mile and remained until 29th; moved through McDaniel's Gap, camped near cleared land. On 30th, encamped in the evening near Charleston. December 1, crossed the Hiwassee, and moving day after day, excepting one day during which we rested on the left bank of the Little Tennessee, and, having crossed it and 5 miles above the crossing countermarched, we reached Gouldy's Mills, 5 miles from Columbus, on the 8th, where this regiment remained, grinding corn and wheat for the brigade and gathering in bushwhackers, until 15th. On the 11th, a rebel lieutenant named Kimbrough, with 6 men, captured 1 officer and 1 private of this regiment, together with 4 horses. D. W. Kimbrough, father of the rebel lieutenant, was arrested and held as a hostage for the safety of the officer and private captured. December 15, the regiment left Gouldy's Mills, and, after steady marching, reached Chickamauga Creek in the night, December 18. By permission of the colonel commanding, Company A was left behind at the mills on the morning of the 15th, with Captain Bucke, to complete negotiations for the exchange of D. W. Kimbrough for the men his son had captured. The exchange was completed, and Company A joined the regiment this side of McDaniel's Gap. We have had no men killed or wounded, but have lost, since November 24, 4; were last seen near Charleston, 1 at Gouldy's Mills, 1 at McDaniel's Gap, 1 near Cleveland. No words of mine could fully express the merits of the officers and men of this command since the 20th of November. If there were an adjective in the language grander in its force of qualification than "heroic," then that adjective ought to qualify the word "endurance" as applied to these officers and soldiers. As great a trial as the campaign has been to the bodies and souls of these men, each one esteems his experience in it as invaluable. Respectfully submitted. Capt. E. L. ANDERSON, J. T. HOLMES, Major, Commanding Regiment. Acting Assistant Adjutant-General. No 156. Report of Brig. Gen. Absalom Baird, U. S. Army, commanding Third Division. HEADQUARTERS THIRD DIVISION, 14TH ARMY CORPS, Chattanooga, Tenn., December 9, 1863. SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by this division in the recent operations of our forces in this vicinity: On the 23d of November, I received orders to move with my division from its camps within the line of works surrounding this place, and to display my force in a position near the Rossville road, immediately in front of the rebel intrenchments, strongly threatening attack, but to avoid becoming seriously engaged. During the afternoon of that day, Monday, this order was carried into execution, and, after driving back the pickets of the enemy, my lines were formed between the Rossville and Moore's roads, under the guns of our own works. My position was quite nearly in front of the enemy's center, and on the right of the troops composing our own center. The object of the demonstration I understood to be to aid in the execution of other movements on the extreme flanks. We bivouacked in our position on Monday night, and continued to maintain it during Tuesday and Tuesday night. On that day, while General Hooker on our right assaulted Lookout Mountain, gaining such a foot-hold upon it as to lead to its evacuation during the night, and while General Sherman on our left established himself upon the north end of Mission Ridge, we remained comparatively inactive, only skirmishing slightly with the rebel pickets, and using our artillery upon such points as seemed to promise the most for the object in view. On the morning of Wednesday, the 25th, it was found that the enemy was no longer in heavy force upon our right, about Chatta nooga Creek, and I sent out parties to feel in that direction, so as to ascertain to what extent he had withdrawn. While engaged in this way orders were brought me, directly from department headquarters, directing me to pass with my division to the extreme left to the assistance of General Sherman, then hotly engaged in the vicinity of Tunnel Hill. The road I was required to take led along the river, and it was several miles to the point where I struck the rear of General Sherman's command. I had barely reached this point with the head of my column when a messenger reached me with orders to return toward the center, and to form my division on the left of the troops occupying that position. I would thus prolong the line formed by General Granger's corps toward the left, and partially fill up the long interval between him and General Sherman. It was then about noon, and owing to the difficult character of the ground, intersected by streams, marshes, and thickets, it was some time before I could reach the spot and get the division into position. When established, my right joined the left of General S. Beatty's brigade, of Wood's division, at a point not far to the north of Orchard Knob, my left extending well off toward the tunnel. My brigades were posted in their order from right to left, General Turchin on the right, Colonel Van Derveer in the center, and Colonel Phelps on the left, and the division was in two lines, the first deployed, with a heavy skirmish line in front and on the left, which was otherwise uncovered. The interval between my left and General Sherman was perhaps 2 miles in extent, communication being open between us by passing round to the rear, but on the direct line lay the rebel masses which were opposing him. I had just completed the establishment of my line, and was upon the left of it, when a staff officer from Major-General Thomas brought me verbal orders to move forward to the edge of the open ground which bordered the foot of Mission Ridge within striking distance of the rebel rifle-pits at its base, so as to be ready at a signal, which would be the firing of six guns from Orchard Knob, to dash forward and take those pits. He added, this was intended as preparatory to a general assault on the mountain, and that it was doubtless designed by the major-general commanding that I should take part in this movement, so that I would be following his wishes were I to push on to the summit. I gave the necessary orders to the Third Brigade, and, passing on to the right, was in the act of communicating them to Colonel Van Derveer, of the Second, when firing from Orchard Knob began. Many more than six shots were fired, and it was impossible to determine whether it was the signal fixed upon or not. Nevertheless, I hastened to the First Brigade, when I found the troops of General Wood's division already in motion, going forward. I at once directed General Turchin to push to the front, and without halting to take the rifle-pits; then conforming his movements to those of the troops on his right, to endeavor to gain the summit of the mountain along with them. Í then passed back toward the left to see how things were progressing there, and found the first line of both the Second and Third Brigades in possession of the rifle-pits, from which the enemy had been handsomely dislodged, the second line lying down some short distance in the rear. The rebel troops which had occupied the works were in retreat up the mountain, while numerous batteries, both in our front and far to our right and left, opened upon us a heavy cross-fire from the crest. For a time this cannonade was indeed severe; the atmos |