be in vain for me to try to express how nobly and with what daring both officers and men conducted themselves in this (their fifth) great battle. Never as yet have they fallen back under fire in the face of the enemy. In this, all seemed eager to fight, and, under the leadership of their general, they felt confident of success. I would particularize did I not have to mention the whole. Very respectfully, sir, your obedient servant, Lieut. Col., Comdg. Thirty-sixth Regt. Ohio Vol. Infty. Capt. W. B. CURTIS, Assistant Adjutant-General. No. 163. Report of Capt. John H. Jolly, Eighty-ninth Ohio Infantry. HDQRS. EIGHTY-NINTH REGIMENT OHIO INFANTRY, Chattanooga, Tenn., December 2, 1863. SIR: I have the honor to forward my report, in accordance with circular issued from brigade headquarters requiring a report of the operations of the regiment during the past week, and also a list* of the killed, wounded, and missing. Monday morning, November 23, 1863, I received orders for the detail of 100 men and 2 commissioned officers, for fatigue duty, to report at brigade headquarters at 7 a. m. Order complied with. Detail relieved at 2 p. m. same day. Regiment ordered to report immediately at brigade headquarters, with two days' rations and 100 rounds of ammunition; order complied with, and were ordered to join our brigade at the front. Joined the brigade at 3.30 p. m.; took position in front of Fort Negley. Lay in that position until 11 o'clock Wednesday morning, November 25, 1863, when we were moved with brigade to the left of Forts Palmer and Wood. We rested there until 2 o'clock, then moved a short distance to the right, then changed direction, and moved directly to the front until we arrived at a narrow piece of woods-which lay between us and the enemy-which partly hid us from their view. Here we halted and preparations were made for an assault on the enemy's works. The regiment was consolidated with the Eighty-second Indiana during the fight. We were ordered to advance at 3.30 p. m. The regiment was formed in closed column by division. We charged the enemy's works, drove them from their position, passing through a terrific fire from the enemy's batteries, of which they had two, that were playing directly upon us. Their infantry were in two lines of intrenchments. We drove them from them, and gained the heights just at sunset. The men and officers of the regiment did good fighting; showed great courage and gallantry. We met seven pieces of artillery, which were captured and sent to the rear. We rested on the ridge until after dark, then moved with brigade to west side of the ridge. Bivouacked for the night. Thursday a. m., November 26, went with brigade on a reconnais *Embodied in revised statement, p. 85. sance east of Missionary Ridge. Returned with brigade to ridge. Went with it to Ringgold. Lay at Ringgold with brigade until Sunday, November 29. Returned in afternoon of same day to Chattanooga, Tenn., in charge of prisoners. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Captain, Comdg. Eighty-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Capt. W. B. CURTIS, Assistant Adjutant-General. No. 164. Report of Capt. Edward Grosvenor, Ninety-second Ohio Infantry. HDQRS. NINETY-SECOND REGT. OHIO VOL. INFANTRY, Chattanooga, Tenn., December 3, 1863. CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by the Ninety-second Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry in the battles before Chattanooga, November 23, 24, and 25: On Monday, November 23, 1863, at 2 p. m., the Ninety-second Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Lieutenant-Colonel Putnam commanding, with the Thirty-sixth and Eleventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry and Eighty-second Indiana Volunteer Infantry, moved to the front, on the left of the Rossville road, driving back the enemy's pickets, and advancing our own line some distance. In this movement the Thirty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry occupied the left and the Eleventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry the right of the front line, the Ninety-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry the left and the Eightysecond Indiana Volunteer Infantry the right of the second line. We then retired some distance, halted, and remained in double column until 5 p. m., when we were re-enforced by the other regiments of the brigade, the Thirty-first and Seventeenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and the order of the brigade was changed, the Thirty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry being placed on the left, in front of us, and the Thirty-sixth moving to the rear as a reserve. In this position we remained until 10 a. m. on Wednesday, November 25, when the Ninety-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with the other regiments of the brigade, moved in double column in eight ranks, passing to the left of the line of battle of the Fourth Army Corps; then moved front to the ground occupied by the enemy on Monday. Here the Ninety-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry were placed in the left of the front line, the Thirty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry being on our immediate right. After deploying two companies (A and B) as skirmishers in front of the battalion, we remained at rest, in double column, until 3 p. m. We now moved forward to the edge of a wood, where we deployed and advanced in line of battle. Emerging from the woods near a white house we met the enemy's fire of shot and shell from his batteries on Missionary Ridge. The regiment then charged upon a run over an open plain of half a mile, preserving their line intact until they reached the foot of Missionary Ridge. In crossing the plain our colors were shot down and 3 men wounded by shell. We passed beyond the plunging fire from the enemy's cannon only to meet a more deadly fire from their musketry, which had us at short range. The Second Brigade, Colonel Van Derveer, had unexpectedly halted in the enemy's earth-works back on the plain, thus leaving our left without a support. The regiment moved up a ravine, the top of which was crowned on either side by the enemy's rifle-pits, which, owing to the peculiarity of the ground, enfiladed our position from right and left. Nothing could exceed the determined courage of the men, who, at this juncture, exhausted by a three-quarter mile race, still pushed up the steep ascent in the face of this deadly storm. As we neared the summit, within close pistol shot of the still contending foe, Colonel Putnam, while leading and cheering forward his men, fell severely wounded. The command of the regiment now devolved upon me. The enemy now abandoned their guns in our front and gave way in all directions, the heavier force fleeing along the summit of the ridge to the fort on the left of Van Derveer's brigade. Here they rallied and made a most stubborn effort to regain the ridge. Our colors again fell at this point, but were again recovered. The firing continued until dark, when it ceased and the enemy withdrew from our front. I assembled the regiment at dark and formed on the ridge for supper, after which we retired with the brigade to the north side of Missionary Ridge and bivouacked for the night. The entire loss in this engagement was: Killed, 10 men and 2 officers; wounded, 51 men and 3 officers. The officers killed were Captain Whittlesey and Lieutenant Townsend. The regiment has suffered an irreparable loss in these brave officers. They fell while ascending the hill near to where Colonel Putnam was wounded. Captain Whittlesey, who had won applause for his gallantry at Chickamauga, was exposing his life and cheering on his men with the same heroic bearing which had ever distinguished him. Adjutant Turner, who was wounded in the struggle on the left, and has since died, exhibited on every occasion a coolness and presence of mind which I have never seen surpassed. We drove the enemy from two pieces of artillery in our immediate front, which we fully possessed, but left without a guard to engage the enemy, who had rallied at our left and was trying to regain the heights. A knowledge of the capture of these pieces I gained from my own observation. Several prisoners were also captured. During this fight, if any officer behaved badly, it did not come to my knowledge. On the following morning, November 26, there being now no field officer with us, Captain Wheeler, just arrived from Nashville, came to us at 7 a. m., and assumed command of the regiment. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Captain, Ninety-second Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Captain CURTIS, Assistant Adjutant-General. No. 165. Report of Col. Ferdinand Van Derveer, Thirty-fifth Ohio Infantry, commanding Second Brigade. HDQRS. SECOND BRIG., THIRD DIV., 14TH ARMY CORPS, Chattanooga, Tenn., December 5, 1863. CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report the part taken by the Second Brigade in the late engagements in front of Chattanooga. My command consisted of the Ninth Ohio Volunteers, Col. G. Kammerling; the Seventy-fifth Indiana, Col. M. S. Robinson; the Eighty-seventh Indiana, Col. Newell Gleason; One hundred and fifth Ohio, Lieut. Col. W. R. Tolles; One hundred and first Indiana, Lieut. Col. Thomas Doan; Second Minnesota, Lieut. Col. J. W. Bishop, and the Thirty-fifth Ohio, Lieutenant-Colonel Boynton, numbering in all 102 commissioned officers and 1,577 enlisted men. Having been supplied with 100 rounds of ammunition to the man, on the afternoon of the 23d of November, I moved to a position three-quarters of a mile in front of Fort Phelps, with my brigade formed in two lines, the left resting upon the Moore road and the right near General Turchin's brigade. Here we remained in line, with a strong picket in front, until 8 a. m. on the 25th, when, in pursuance of orders from the general commanding the division, I deployed one regiment (Thirty-fifth Ohio) along my front and advanced it near a mile without opposition, the enemy's pickets having been withdrawn about daybreak that morning, and several small parties left for observation retiring in haste on our approach. Afterward this regiment was ordered to rejoin the brigade, when the division was moved to the left, to and beyond Citico Creek, crossing it near its mouth. Passing but a short distance from this creek an order came to countermarch, and we returned and took position about half a mile north of Bald Hill, facing and 1,200 yards distant from Missionary Ridge. At this point I formed my brigade in two lines, the first composed of the Eighty-seventh Indiana on the right, the One hundred and first Indiana on the left, and the Thirtyfifth Ohio in the center. The second line was formed by Seventyfifth Indiana and One hundred and fifth and Ninth Ohio Regiments. The Second Minnesota was placed in front of the brigade, with two companies, under command of Captain Uline, deployed as skirmishers, and the residue of the regiment behind them as a re serve. I ordered my skirmishers to advance to the far side of the woods, examine the position of the enemy, and report their apparent force in and about the rifle-pits at the foot of the ridge. After remaining in this place for an hour I was ordered to move forward and take the rifle-pits. This was about 4 p. m. I sent word to LieutenantColonel Bishop to move at once with his skirmishers and reserve, and pushed up the brigade to keep within supporting distance. The rifle-pits in our front appeared to be occupied by two battalions of the enemy, two stand of colors being visible upon their works. The skirmishers advanced gallantly into the open field, and, under a heavy fire from the enemy's artillery on the ridge and musketry from the lower works, dashed forward at a double-quick without firing a shot. As they approached within 150 yards of the enemy great uneasiness was apparent among the men in the rifle-pits, and by the time our skirmishers were at a distance of 100 yards they were retreating precipitately up the ridge to their rear. Lieutenant-Colonel Bishop immediately got his command under cover of the enemy's works, and within five minutes of this time, my first line having passed the open space under a very heavy direct and enfilading fire from the enemy's batteries on the ridge, were also partially under cover of the same works. In the meantime, my second line was brought forward into the open ground and the men ordered to lie down. Fifteen minutes after the rifle-pits were taken, the general commanding the division ordered a charge upon the crest of the ridge. My brigade moved at once with cheers and a hearty good will, the Second Minnesota occupying a position in the first line. The precipitous ascent, the enemy's sharpshooters in front, and the terrific enfilading artillery fire upon each flank were forgotten in their eager haste to storm the heights. My second line came forward at a run, and after a few moments' rest at the foot of the ridge followed closely the advance. In fifteen minutes more our colors were upon the summit, and in twenty the rebels had been driven out of their works on the crest, and we occupied the ground in front of the brigade. As my men sprang over the works the enemy's cannoneers were caught in the act of loading and were bayoneted or driven off before they could fire their pieces. Five guns were found here in position and captured by the brigade, two by the Second Minnesota and three by the Thirty-fifth Ohio. The larger part of the enemy retired along the ridge toward the left, vigorously pursued, and driven near half a mile. For thirty minutes a very determined resistance was made by the enemy. Many of the troops of my command, having in the charge up the ridge lost their regimental organizations, were in some disorder for a short time, but all pressed toward the enemy. The Ninth Ohio and Seventy-fifth Indiana came up in good order, and were placed in line perpendicular to the ridge and fronting the rebels. Darkness coming on firing ceased upon both sides, and my brigade bivouacked on the crest of Missionary Ridge. After the action one other piece of artillery, abandoned by the enemy, was found by the Seventy-fifth Indiana and taken charge of. The guns that were captured by my command were left where found, while our men pursued the enemy along the ridge toward Tunnel Hill. While they were thus absent the pieces were hauled off to our rear by men said to belong to Brigadier-General Wood's division, which was upon the right. I saw these guns being taken toward the ground occupied by that division, and upon inquiry I was informed that they were being taken to a position where they could be used against the enemy. My brigade at the same time captured one caisson with 6 horses attached, and a limber with one pair of horses. These, too, were taken to the rear with the guns. No other troops were near this battery when taken. The enemy were driven from it by my own men, and we thus lost possession while gallantly engaging the retreating rebel force. The next day I moved with the rest of the division to McAfee's Church, and the succeeding day to Ringgold. We were not, however, actively engaged, and on the 29th marched back to our camp at Chattanooga. My loss upon the 25th was 2 officers killed and 13 wounded, 20 enlisted men killed and 126 wounded. In this action my brigade fully sustained the reputation it had won at Chickamauga. None flinched from their duty. I partic |