phere seemed filled with the messengers of death, and shells burst in every direction. It was continued until the guns were captured, but owing, no doubt, to the great depression under which they were fired our loss was far less than might have been expected. Looking toward the right, I saw that General Turchin had passed the line of rifle-pits and was well up on his way to the top of the ridge. Two of his flags, surrounded by a group of the bravest spirits, had passed the rest, and remained for some time perched upon the side of the mountain, quite near its top. I saw, however, that the troops on the right had halted near the rifle-pits, contrary to my understanding when I gave him his instructions, and that he was unsupported. I was in the act of starting forward my other two brigades for this purpose when I received orders not to permit my men to go farther, and not to permit them to become engaged. I was at this much perplexed as to how I should best withdraw General Turchin. It was only, however, momentary, as another order came in less than three minutes for the whole line to charge to the top. This order having been communicated, all of both my lines leaped forward with a shout and rushed up the mountain side. The ridge, more or less steep and difficult throughout, was particularly so in my front, but those striking the more accessible points, and the strongest men and the bravest men, soon passed to the front. Regimental organizations became somewhat deranged, and presented rather the appearance of groups gathering around the colors, which they pushed onward and upward through the storm of bullets.

I cannot too strongly commend to the major-general commanding the heroic gallantry of the officers and men of the division in this charge, which has few parallels in my reading of wars. To say less than this would be unjust to those brave men; to say more might seem out of place, since it occurred under the eye of the general himself. I rode up myself to the interval between the First and Second Brigades, and for a time portions of the line were concealed from my view, but I have taken great pains to collect evidence of what transpired, and it is herewith transmitted. The march of General Turchin's brigade was directed upon a prominent knob on which there were several pieces of artillery, and a small house to the left used afterward as a hospital. It may be recognized readily by these marks. This I believe to be the first point carried by my command. It is difficult to determine questions of slight precedence in point of time in a rivalry of this nature, and, where all act nobly, they are unimportant. The second brigade in line going from my troops toward the right-perhaps that of General Willich-may possibly have reached its point of aim a little before mine reached theirs, and soon after opened communication with us. The intermediate brigade came up a little later. I mention the first knob taken by General Turchin's command particularly, as marking the extreme point toward the right carried by this division. It was strongly defended by the enemy, who were driven from it by the Eleventh, Thirty-first, and Thirty-sixth Ohio Regiments, and three guns captured. From this point to the left every foot that was gained was due to the stubborn fighting of the men of this division, who drove the enemy steadily before them, and whatever captures were here made are the proper trophies of their valor. Colonel Van Derveer's brigade reached the crest a little to the left of the knob taken by General Turchin, and Colonel Phelps' brigade a little farther yet in that direction.

The works of the enemy along the crest of the ridge consisted of a slight breastwork of logs and stones, capable, however, of strong defense. During the night much of it was transferred to the opposite side of the ridge, to be used to our advantage. As our men reached the summit they were all turned to the left, the direction of the enemy's resistance, and pressed forward after him. In this movement from the point where my right gained the top to the extreme left, ten or twelve pieces of artillery were captured. My men found them in the possession of the enemy, some with strong infantry supports. They drove him from them and passed over them in the pursuit. One of these batteries was recaptured by a rally of the enemy, but again taken by us. The credit of capturing seven of these guns is claimed by the First Brigade, and the Second claims to have taken five. It is not impossible that two are the same in the claim of each of the parties, for the men got much mingled together at the end of the assault, yet they may be distinct. Certain it is that the men of the division took ten guns out of the hands of the enemy, and that they never returned to him. A map* attached to the brigade report of General Turchin shows minutely the position of most of the batteries captured by us, and I invite attention to it. As we gained ground toward the left, we approached closely the large bodies of troops collected by the rebel commander to resist or crush General Sherman, and as the attacks of the latter had been repulsed or were suspended about the time that we commenced our assault, these men were at liberty to be used against us. The time which it took for us to mount the hill was enough for them to recover from their first surprise, and before we had gone far a strong force was found ready to confront us; each knoll was more strongly defended than the previous one. The gallant Colonel Phelps, commanding the Third Brigade, was shot dead soon after reaching the crest, in forming and directing his men, and the great number of the dead, both of our men and of the enemy left upon the ground, attests the severity of the struggle. At length, after having driven the enemy to a knoll, where he had the cover and support of the huts of one of his camps, and could be reached by us only over a long, narrow neck of ground, we found farther progress at the time impossible, and darkness put an end to the conflict. During the night, the enemy abandoned his position and retired.

While thus engaged upon the extreme left, the guns which we had captured, and which we had left in the positions where we had found them, were carried off to the rear, and we have since been unable to identify them, individually, so as to claim them. I learn that all the guns turned over to the chief of artillery have been claimed by those presenting them as their capture, leaving none for this division. I regret for the sake of the brave men who so fearlessly risked their lives in taking them that this is so, but I felt at the time that we had a higher duty to perform, as long as there was an enemy to be encountered, than that of stopping to secure trophies for exhibition after the battle. Indeed, I was not quite sure that without strenuous exertion we would be able to retain what we had already gained. In considering the evidence of these captures which I submit in behalf of my command, I trust that the general commanding will remember that the guns of the enemy being widely scattered along the ridge, very few in one spot, a brigade or division to have cap

*See p. 515.

tured an unusual number must not only have taken possession of the works in its own front, but must have passed widely to the right and left along the crest before the arrival of other troops. The prisoners whom we captured, most of them, like the guns, were sent to the rear to be taken care of by others less occupied; out of more than 300 taken we have receipts for less than 200. Along with this report will be forwarded one regimental color and one battle-flag, the former captured by Thirty-first Ohio and the latter by the Eleventh Ohio Regiment, of Turchin's brigade. The division also took about 200 stand of small-arms in good condition and several caissons and limbers.

On Thursday morning, in obedience to orders, I made a reconnaissance with the First Brigade as far as the Chickamauga in our front without coming up with the rear of the enemy, and in the afternoon marched in the direction of Ringgold. On Friday morning I reached that place, and joined the other divisions of the corps. We remained at Ringgold without performing any unusual service until Sunday, when we returned to this place.

In the battle of the 25th, in addition to the brave and gallant commander of the Third Brigade, Col. E. H. Phelps, whose loss to the country, to his family, and to ourselves, his friends, we so much deplore, we have likewise to mourn the loss of many others of our best and bravest officers and men. A list, giving the names of the killed, wounded, and missing, is appended.*

Of the living, both officers and enlisted men, who have signally distinguished themselves, mention will be found in the sub-reports, upon which my own is based. To present here a consolidated list of them would not add to their renown, and to mention some might be unjust to those overlooked. I trust, however, that some means may be devised for rewarding their distinguished services. A medal or badge of honor for some, and the promotion they so richly deserve for others, might be awarded.

To my brigade commanders, Brigader-General Turchin, of the First, and Colonel Van Derveer, of the Second Brigade, I invite your attention. To their skill, bravery, and high soldierly qualities, we are greatly indebted for the results we were enabled to accomplish. I hope that their services will be rewarded. After the death of Colonel Phelps, the command of the Third Brigade devolved upon Colonel Hays, Tenth Kentucky Infantry, by whom the duty was handsomely performed.

To my staff officers who were with me, Captain McClurg, acting assistant adjutant-general; Major Connolly, inspector-general; Captain Swallow, chief of artillery; Captain Johnson, provost-marshal; Lieutenant White, ordnance officer; Lieutenant Dick, mustering officer; and to my medical director, Surgeon Bogue, I am highly indebted both for services in the field and for the efficient aid which they rendered me.

Respectfully submitted.

A. BAIRD, Brigadier-General, Commanding.

ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL,

Fourteenth Corps.

* Omitted.

[Inclosure.]

List of the Casualties in the Third Division, Fourteenth Army Corps, Department of the Cumberland, in the assault on Mission Ridge, November 25, 1863.

Report of Brig. Gen. John B. Turchin, U. S. Army, commanding

First Brigade.

HDQRS. FIRST BRIG., THIRD DIV., 14TH ARMY CORPS,

Chattanooga, Tenn., November 30, 1863.

SIR: On the 23d of November, I received orders from the general commanding the division to move my brigade, consisting of the Eleventh, Seventeenth, Thirty-first, Thirty-sixth, Eighty-ninth, and Ninety-second Ohio, and Eighty-second Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and take position in front of the fortifications in two lines, the right resting on the Rossville road, the whole division forming an oblique line with the Fourth Army Corps, then advancing on our left toward Mission Ridge. Our pickets drove in the pickets of the enemy, and during that day and the 24th we remained in the same position.

On the 25th, the division was ordered to the left, and at 1 p. m. took position on the left of the Fourth Army Corps, my brigade being on the left of Beatty's brigade, Wood's division. As was afterward ascertained, the order was that, at the signal of six guns fired in succession, the whole line of the center, including our division, would advance and storm the enemy's position on Mission Ridge, but the order was brought to our division after the guns were fired, and some troops of General Sheridan's division on the extreme right were storming the ridge when we commenced to advance, which was a little after 3 p. m.

I had the first line (Eleventh, Thirty-sixth, and Ninety-second Ohio) deployed, and the second line (Seventeenth, Thirty-first, and Eighty-ninth Ohio and Eighty-second Indiana) in double column at half distance. The last two, being small regiments, were formed in one column. Thick underbrush, Čitico Creek, and the rebel riflepits impeded considerably the movement of my first line, so that when it had passed through the woods to the edge of the clearing between the woods and the foot of the ridge, other brigades on my right and left were already crossing the clearing, advancing.toward the ridge. I halted my brigade for a moment, and saw at once that the space between the woods and the ridge was under a cross-fire of powerful rebel batteries on the ridge, on the right and left, and the rebel skirmishers, partly in rifle-pits at the foot of the ridge and partly on the slope of the hill on our front. I saw General Beatty's

* But see revised statement, p. 85.

brigade on my right and Colonel Van Derveer's brigade on my left, reaching the rebel rifle-pits at the foot of the ridge and dropping down along the ditches, and I decided to cross the clearing at the doublequick.

Both lines moved on a run with a cheer, passed the clearing, reached the rebel rifle-pits at the foot of the ridge, and wavered for a moment, some men dropping down to escape the murderous fire from the enemy's artillery and musketry. Knowing that men dropping down under fire are very slow to get up and start again, I urged my regiments on, and they again rushed forward and commenced to climb the hill,. some of the flank regiments running over the heads of General Beatty's and Colonel Van Derveer's men lying in the rifle-pits on my right and left.

It was impossible to require regularity in the movement up hill. The bravest and the strongest men grouped around the regimental colors, advancing steadily, the balance following irregularly, the head of the column being very narrow and the tail spreading right and left widely. Three regimental flags of my brigade waved to the breeze almost on the top of the ridge, while the brigades on my right and left were yet lying in the rifle-pits at the foot of the ridge.

Three regiments, the Eleventh, Thirty-first, and Thirty-sixth Ohio, reaching the rebel breastworks on the point A* of the ridge, stormed them, driving the enemy partly down the hill, but mostly along the ridge to the left toward the house B, to which the rebels drove two cannon from the point A, and where there was already one cannon planted, working along the ravine in its front. This last cannon was captured, but the other two continued to drive down along the ravine.

At the same time, the Ninety-second Ohio and Eighty-second Indiana, with a detachment of the Eighty-ninth Ohio, working their way along the ravine to the left, reached the point C, where two more cannon were captured.

The Seventeenth Ohio having been directed by me in the first place to the right of the point A, drove the rebels from the ridge, charged them down to the woods, and turning to the left to join the other regiments of the brigade struck at the point M, down in the hollow, the two cannon before mentioned, which had passed the house B and were trying to escape down the ravine. Our men fired at them, and the rebel artillerymen cut the traces and ran away with the horses, leaving the cannon. These two pieces, with the limbers, were brought on the ridge to the point A, a little before dark, by some men of the Thirty-sixth Ohio sent by me for that purpose, and were left there to the men and officers of Beatty's brigade, Wood's division.

When the point C was taken, our fire obliged the rebels to abandon two pieces of artillery which had been planted at D to fire along the ravine to their front.

The bravest men rushed up the next knob to the left to the point E, and charged on three cannon planted there and supported by rebel infantry. In the first charge they captured the cannon, but the rebels rallying, drove our men back. At this time the men of the Second Brigade of our division climbed the hill. Another charge was made and my men, supported by men of the Second Brigade, took those guns and drove the rebels more to the left.

* See p. 515.

33 R R-VOL XXXI, PT II