lines with great rapidity, but, fortunately, doing very little damage, owing to the fact that the elevation of the hill which they fired from demanded too great a depression of the pieces to permit an effective or an accurate fire, and also that a small proportion of the shells thrown actually exploded. However, 1 man in this regiment was seriously injured from that source. This artillery firing, which proved unavailing for the purpose for which it was designed, was kept up until the Federal troops had almost reached the crest of the ridge. But to resume the statement of events in the order in which they occurred. We had probably lain ten minutes under cover near the outer rebel works, which we had already possession of, when we were ordered forward once more on double-quick time, now to make the main attack from the front on Missionary Ridge. At the point where the Seventy-fourth Indiana ascended it this ridge has an altitude of 500 feet, and it is so steep that at some places it required all the strength one could put forth, together with what assistance might be derived from holding on to bushes and pulling one's self up by them, to make the ascent. But, notwithstanding the difficulty of approaching the rebel position, the men, inspired with an uncontrollable enthusiasm and burning with a desire to avenge their recent disaster in September last, tugged up the hill as best they might, many of them at times, from exhaustion or the abrupt rise of the ground, being compelled to drag themselves along on their hands and feet toward the summit of that mountain ridge, which seemed alive with artillery, so rapid and incessant was its use. It seemed evident that these batteries would be stanchly supported by infantry, and after having escaped so well the missiles from that arm of warfare we had every reason to anticipate a warm reception from the latter. Nearly to the top of the hill you could discern the long line of breastworks, rudely constructed of stones and logs, behind which it was likely a strong rebel force would be posted ready to receive us a force probably deemed by their general adequate to repel any direct assault from the front. But despite the discouraging appearance of the undertaking, those brave spirits who had faced the consuming fire and furious assaults of the enemy at Chickamauga were not the men to falter, however desperate the enterprise might seem, but advancing as rapidly as possible soon reached the brow of the ridge, and with fixed bayonets contributed their share to the work of driving the rebels from their rude fortifications, which were in turn used by us during a part of the ensuing fight, which on the left of the brigade, and near where Colonel Phelps (Thirty-eighth Ohio) was killed, raged with a great deal of severity for nearly half an hour, when, being completely routed, the enemy fled in the wildest confusion, leaving his dead and wounded on the field. What I have here stated in reference to the part taken by the Seventy-fourth Indiana in the fight would apply equally well to every other regiment of the brigade represented in the affair. In fact it would be presumptuous to claim that any one regiment excelled the other in its efficiency in that severe yet decisive contest, for all the regiments were there represented, all fought gallantly, and how. ever brilliant the results of the victory might be, each is equally entitled to share the credit which is so deservedly due to all. Some artillery, a great many small-arms and prisoners were captured, besides the dead and wounded which fell into our hands. Just at dark and directly after firing had ceased, I sent Captain Mann, with one company (G) of my command, under orders from General Baird, to reconnoiter the hill to our left, which I understand is commonly known by the name of Tunnel Hill. At the close of the engagement on the heights, when we ascended, a considerable rebel force could be seen on that hill drawn up in line of battle across the north end of it, but it seems that the enemy immediately abandoned it, for Captain Mann returned in a short time and reported to me that the position had been evacuated. He captured on the hill 3 privates and a Major Webb, on the staff of the rebel General Stevenson. The regiment went into the fight with 11 commissioned officers and 237 enlisted men. All things being considered, my loss was slight, being 2 killed, 16 wounded, and none missing. The names and rank of the killed and wounded will be found in a list* hereto appended. The regiment lost in action 7 Austrian and 2 Springfield rifles, and 9 sets of accouterments. These arms and accouterments were, however, those of the killed and severely wounded. The regiment expended 8,090 cartridges in the fight. I need not dwell on the subsequent operations with which the regiment was connected. On the 26th and 27th, it marched as far as Ringgold in pursuit of the enemy, and on the 28th November assisted in destroying about a mile of the railroad and bridges beyond Ringgold, and on the 29th returned to camp at this place. Such is a brief outline of the part taken by this regiment in the late successful campaign, and the men, though poorly clad, many of them being without socks, drawers, or blankets, and wholly destitute of overcoats, thereby suffering much from the cold and exposure, nevertheless submitted without complaint to every privation and hardship, ready and willing to make any sacrifice if they could only be of some service to the Republic. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, MYRON BAKER, Lieut. Col., Comdg. Seventy-fourth Indiana Infantry Vols. Capt. A. J. DAVIS, Assistant Adjutant-General. No. 176. Report of Maj. Robert M. Kelly, Fourth Kentucky Infantry. HEADQUARTERS FOURTH KENTUCKY INFANTRY, Chattanooga, Tenn., December 1, 1863. CAPTAIN: In compliance with orders, I have the honor to report as follows as to the part taken by this regiment in the late movements and engagements: I received orders, November 23, to form the regiment at the works in front of its camp, making as much display as possible, at 1 p. m. About 4 p. m. moved out with the brigade and took position in front of Fort Negley, the regiment being in the front line, with the Tenth Kentucky Infantry on its right and Seventy-fourth Indiana on its left. About 11 p. m. moved by the left flank till my right rested on the Ringgold (?) road; remained in that position till about 3 a. m. of the 24th, when we moved forward by the right flank and occupied some unfinished rifle-pits, to the left of the Ringgold road, * Omitted. 35 R R-VOL XXXI, PT II thrown up by Sheridan's division. Completed them by an early hour in the morning, and remained in that position till about 9 a. m. of the 25th; then moved by the left flank up the river till near the pontoon thrown across by General Sherman; then faced about, and moved down the river again about three-fourths of a mile; then moved to the front and left, crossing a small stream and taking position about one-half mile in front of the left of the enemy's riflepits, at the foot of Mission Ridge. The position of the regiment in the brigade was the same as first described. Companies B and C were thrown forward as skirmishers, under command of Captain Williams. About 3 p. m. the line was ordered to advance. The enemy fell back from their rifle-pits before our skirmishers, and at the same time opened a severe enfilading fire upon the advancing line from a battery on top of the ridge to our left. The front line of the brigade was halted and ordered to lie down under cover of the slight elevation along which the rifle-pits ran. The fire of the enemy still continued very severe, inflicting, however, no loss on this regiment. After resting nearly a half hour the line was ordered to advance at a run, halting and reforming as soon as covered by the hill from the fire of the battery on the left. The halt, however, was but momentary. Seeing from the movements of the line that other regiments were trying to get the start of us, and unable, by reason of the noise, to hear the orders of Colonel Phelps, commanding the brigade, who was leading the charge on foot, I ordered the men to keep closed up, and not allow any regiment to beat them to the top of the hill. The regiment then moved up the hill as fast and in as good order as the nature of the ground-steeper here than anywhere else—would admit. The steepness protected them, in great measure, from the infantry fire of the enemy in their breastworks at the top of the hill, and as the regiment reached the summit abreast with the rest of the line, the rebels fell back before them. After moving along the ridge to the left, firing briskly with the enemy till it became too dark to see, they fell back out of range, and I received orders to throw up works to strengthen our position. The regiment was reformed and placed in line, under the direction of Colonel Hays, Tenth Kentucky Infantry, commanding brigade, and the necessary works were finished in the course of a few hours. Shortly after the works were finished, orders were received to procure four days' rations and to be prepared for a movement at daylight. We remained on the ridge, however, till afternoon of the 26th, and then moved with the brigade to a point 2 miles east of Rossville. On the 27th, advanced to Ringgold, arriving there about the middle of the afternoon. On the 28th, moved about 3 miles south of Ringgold, assisted in burning four bridges and tearing up a mile of the railroad track, and returned to camp of the preceding night. At 11 a. m., November 29, marched for Chattanooga, arriving at dusk. This regiment lost in the action of the 25th, 2 enlisted men killed and 9 wounded. One missing, supposed to be killed. I inclose a detailed and classified list of casualties.* I am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant, R. M. KELLY. Major, Commanding. Captain DAVIS, Assistant Adjutant-General. * Omitted. No. 177. Report of Lieut. Col. Gabriel C. Wharton, Tenth Kentucky Infantry. HDQRS. TENTH KENTUCKY VOLUNTEER INFANTRY, SIR: In obedience to orders just received from the headquarters of the division, I have the honor to make the following report of the part taken by the Tenth Kentucky Volunteer Infantry in the actions in front of Chattanooga on the 23d, 24th, and 25th of November, 1863 : At 3 p. m. on the 23d, Col. E. H. Phelps, commanding Third Brigade, Third Division, ordered this regiment, together with the other regiments of this brigade, to take their respective positions in the rifle-pits in front of their camp, to the right of Fort Negley; in which position we remained (showing ourselves as much as possible to the enemy) until 5 p. m., when we were moved to the front, through the sally-port in front and to the left of the same fort, and took position about one-fourth of a mile in front of Fort Negley, fronting the Rossville road, with the regiment on the right of the brigade formed in column of division closed en masse in support of the First and Second Brigades of our division. Here we bivouacked for the night. At 3 o'clock on the morning of the 24th, we were again moved to the left about one-fourth of a mile, and to the front near 1 mile, and took position with the right of the regiment on the Ringgold road, protected by a field battery of twelve guns, supported by the Second Brigade of our division, with our left joining the Fourth Kentucky Volunteer Infantry. By noon we had thrown up strong rifle-pits in our front, parallel with Mission Ridge, and a traverse protecting our right flank. All this was done in full view of the pickets of the enemy, but they did not fire a gun. We remained quietly at this point until about 11 a. m. of the 25th, when we were ordered to the left. We moved rapidly by the left flank along the whole line of the army of General Thomas, crossed Citico Creek near where it empties into the Tennessee River, thence up the bank of the river some 2 miles in rear of the position held by the army of General Sherman; when we were ordered to countermarch, and took our position between Citico Creek and Mission Ridge, in an open field behind a skirt of wood, our right joining the Ninth Ohio Volunteers, of Second Brigade, Third Division, on our left the Fourth Kentucky Infantry. We immediately advanced two companies of skirmishers, under command of Captains Hill and McKay, to cover our front. The enemy were in full view in our front, in their rifle-pits at the foot of Mission Ridge, and in larger force on the top of the ridge beyond. We were ordered at the sound of the bugle to storm these rifle-pits, but before the signal was sounded our skirmishers had dislodged the enemy and occupied their fortifications. The brigade then went forward double-quick to these works, a distance of one-fourth of a mile, where we were compelled to allow the men to regain strength for the final assault on Mission Ridge. During the ten minutes we remained in these works, although under a furious fire from a full battery with shells and spherical caseshot at easy range, the officers and men became wild with enthusiasm and desire to advance, although it seemed from there that it would be to a harvest of death, but they could see their comrades in Wood's and Sheridan's divisions struggling and fighting their way up the hill to their right, in some places having gained the crest, in others almost to the top, and the flag of the Eighty-sixth Indiana proudly waving within 20 feet of the crest of one of the hills, its brave defenders unable to advance without assistance and determined never to fall back. When the bugle did sound, and Colonel Hays gave the command forward, one wild yell went up, and forward they swept, over an open plain, through the camp of the enemy, and gained the foot of the ridge under a terrible enfilading fire of artillery from Tunnel Hill, knocking down the huts of the enemy's camp and tearing up the ground in every direction, but the men never wavered or faltered. When the foot of the hill had been gained and ascent commenced, the line of battle was lost, the strongest men got the right of the regiment and went first, and the weakest men formed the left of the regiment. In fact, they were not formed according to letters of their companies, but in accordance with individual strength. Many fell going up the hill as if exhausted, but would rest a moment, take a sup of water from a mountain stream, and then forward again. Having reached the top of the ridge and driven the enemy from their first line of works toward Tunnel Hill, Col. W. H. Hays, in obedience to orders from General Baird in person, formed the regiment on the left of the Second Brigade, Third Division, and advanced with this brigade about 150 yards, when the enemy were again discovered in force and making another stand. They drove back our skirmishers, when Colonel Hays rapidly formed the regiment on the right of Colonel Van Derveer's brigade, in an open field on a plateau, about 30 yards from a gorge which divided the ridge we were on and the one on which the enemy were posted, and opened on them a destructive fire, but they continued to advance, when the regiment was ordered to charge up to the gorge, which it did in splendid style, which caused the enemy to waver. At the same moment the other regiments of our brigade, having gained the hill, charged down the ridge to the left of the Second Brigade, and the enemy broke and fled precipitately. This fight did not last more than twenty-five minutes, yet for that time it was very hot. The officers and men behaved with great courage, many refusing to take cover when ordered to do so. The fighting closed at or near 5.30 p. m., and it had scarcely ended when Captain McClurg, acting assistant adjutant-general, Third Division, brought the sad intelligence that the gallant Colonel Phelps had fallen at the head of his brigade, and also ordered Colonel Hays, as the ranking officer, to assume command of the brigade, which he did, leaving the regiment under my command. In this engagement our loss was very slight, 2 killed and 10 wounded, a list of which will be hereunto appended. * We bivouacked for the night where we had fought. The morning of the 26th was spent in burying the dead and caring for the wounded. At 3 p. m. we again moved to the front in support of the pursuing columns, stopping for the night on West Chickamauga Creek, about 8 miles from this place. On the 27th, we caught up with the advance of the army at Ringgold. On the 28th, we aided the other regiments of our brigade in destroying four railroad bridges over East Chickamauga Creek, and tearing up 1 mile of the railroad. * Omitted. |