A good many parts of harness were also captured, but no complete sets.

17

3

3

3

1

29

13

4

1

25

I am indebted to Maj. J. Mendenhall, assistant chief of artillery, for valuable assistance previous to and during the three days' battles. Captain Stokes, Chicago Board of Trade Battery, acting as additional aide-de-camp, had charge of the batteries on the right of the line of intrenchments, which were served under his direction with skill and effect. Capt. Louis J. Lambert, assistant adjutant-general, and Lieut. T. V. Webb, aide-de-camp, of my staff, performed their duties with promptitude and to my satisfaction.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. M. BRANNAŃ, Brig. Gen., and Chief of Arty., Dept. of the Cumberland. Brig. Gen. WILLIAM D. WHIPPLE, Asst. Adjt. Gen.

No. 181.

Report of Capt. James H. Stokes, Chicago Board of Trade Battery, commanding right batteries.

HEADQUARTERS FORT CHEATHAM,

Chattanooga, Tenn., November 28, 1863. CAPTAIN: For the information of the chief of artillery, Army of the Cumberland, I have the honor to report the following as the action taken by the batteries under my command, consisting of Fort Cheatham, mounting eighteen guns; breastworks to the right

of this, mounting six guns, and Fort Jef. C. Davis, mounting three guns, in the engagement before Chattanooga on 23d, 24th, and 25th of November, 1863:

At 12 m., November 23, the batteries in Fort Cheatham, consisting of five 20-pounder Parrott, seven 10-pounder Parrott, and six Napoleon, opened on the rebel camps to our front, discharging 25 rounds of shell from 20-pounder Parrott, 21 rounds of shell from 10-pounder Parrott, and 28 rounds of shell from Napoleon; total, 74 rounds. The effect of these discharges was to cause the army to evacuate a large portion of these camps.

November 24, during the day there were fired from the batteries at Fort Cheatham 92 shell, 50 rounds from 20-pounder Parrott, and 42 rounds from 10-pounder Parrott. These discharges were directed on the remaining camps in front, also on the east side of Lookout Mountain, where the rebels were engaged with our troops then shelling the Rossville road-and also clearing the way for the advance of General Baird's command, advancing on the valley road from the tannery, and covering the crossing of this command over Chattanooga Creek. These discharges were accurate, and of great service in dislodging the enemy from General Baird's front. At 3 p. m. sent two 10-pounder Parrott to position at tannery in valley road.

November 25, the entire batteries of Fort Cheatham opened at daylight on rebel camps still standing; also on baggage train and on Missionary Ridge, discharging 60 rounds of shell from 20-pounder Parrotts.

During the three days' engagement there were 226 discharges from the guns at Fort Cheatham and 11 from Fort Jef. C. Davis; in all, 237.

The many imperfections in the ammunition furnished for the 20 and 10 pounder Parrott diminished much the amount of execution that might have been made by these admirable guns during the first day's fight. Confident that a part of this evil could be rectified, I directed all the remaining shells to be carefully examined; the dirty, dusty powder used for filling to be replaced by rifle powder, and then recapped. After this the explosion of shells was more satisfactory; but yet there is a constitutional defect in the shape and action of the cap-plunger, which calls for improvement before delivery for use in front of an enemy. It is too small and upsets in the flight of the projectile.

The time-fuses are and have proved equally defective, composition unequal in mixture, and explosion thereby entirely unreliable.

The Bormann fuse, so highly esteemed for accuracy, is also defective for the same reason, and also from the breaking through of the thin partition, causing an explosion for the longest range about the time of the shortest. The time-fuses are also defective in the manner of attaching the meal powder, which ignites the fuse composition. This powder apparently is stuck in with mucilage, which, forming a glazing to the powder, forbids ignition, the only remedy for which is, before discharging, to dip the fuse in alcohol or turpentine, which, as a necessary accessory, is not always on hand. I am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JAS. H. STOKES. Captain, Commanding Right Batteries.

Capt. Louis J. LAMBERT,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

No. 182.

Report of Col. James Barnett, First Ohio Light Artillery, commanding First Division, Artillery Reserve.

HDQRS. FIRST DIVISION, RESERVE ARTILLERY,

Chattanooga, Tenn., November 26, 1863. CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report in regard to the positions taken by the batteries under my command, as follows:

On the night of the 23d instant, by direction of Brigadier-General Brannan, chief of artillery, I placed in positions indicated by him the following batteries: Company C, First Ohio, Captain Gary; Cogswell's (Illinois) battery, of General Sherman's command; Company H, First Illinois, Lieutenant De Gress, of General Sherman's command; Company I, First Illinois, Lieutenant Burton, General Sherman's command; Twelfth Wisconsin Battery, Captain Zickerick; Company F, First Illinois, Captain Cheney; Company B, First Illinois, Captain Rumsey; Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania Battery, Lieutenant McDowell; Thirteenth New York Battery, Captain Wheeler; Company B, First Ohio, Lieutenant Baldwin. The batteries were moved into their several positions at 1 o'clock on the morning of the 24th, and were located as follows before day:

The locality of the pontoon bridge proposed to be laid below the mouth of Chickamauga Creek was covered by the following batteries: The Fifth Wisconsin Battery, Captain Gardner, of General Davis' division (six Napoleon guns), was placed in an epaulement, about 200 yards above the proposed crossing on the bottom land near the river bank. Company C, First Ohio, Captain Gary, six Napoleons, was posted on the bottom about 150 yards below the crossing. Cogswell's battery (four James rifles) occupied ground about 100 yards to the right of Company C, First Ohio. These guns were so placed as to perfectly cover the bridge and sweep the low ground on the opposite side of the river.

The first position below the bridge, which is a semicircular knob of an elevation of about 250 feet above the river, admirably calculated for a large field of fire, embracing the bridge crossing and all the low ground in front and well toward the right, was furnished with the following batteries: Company I, First Illinois, Lieutenant Burton, four James rifles; Company H, First Illinois, Lieutenant De Gress, four 20-pounder Parrott; Twelfth Wisconsin Battery, Captain Zickerick, four 10-pounder Parrott.

The next position was a wooded knob, somewhat higher than the last, and having a fire to the left and front, perfectly covering the ground to the left and front, and intended to repel any attack in the direction of the tunnel, and was armed by the following batteries: Company_F, First_ Illinois, Captain Cheney, four James rifles; Company B, First Illinois, Captain Rumsey, one howitzer and five 6-pounder smooth-bore guns.

The next position to the right of the last overlooked more to the right toward Fort Wood, having also a good fire to break up any masses moving between the river and Mission Ridge, with less elevation than the other points, but perfectly protected from the fire of the enemy. On this ridge were placed the following batteries: Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania, Lieutenant McDowell, four James rifles; Thirteenth New York, Captain Wheeler, six 3-inch guns; Company B, First Ohio, Lieutenant Baldwin, six James rifles.

Before light on the morning of the 24th, the troops at the bridge were across to the number of two brigades, and at light the laying of the bridge was commenced, and completed beautifully and successfully without firing a shot. Before noon, General Sherman's troops having passed well over and taken up their position, but few shots were fired in the direction of his front, which were thrown by the 20-pounder Parrott battery, in the direction of the tunnel, with good effect. Upon General Howard moving up on the opposite side of the river, some twenty shots were fired by the lower battery down the river to break up anything in his front, by Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania Battery, Company B, First Ohio, and Thirteenth New York, the shells carrying well over our troops and exploding handsomely at the foot of Mission Ridge.

On the 25th, the advance of General Sherman, with the batteries which he had crossed over, rendered any firing from our front unnecessary, and, with the exception of two or three shots fired by Captain Cheney upon a rebel advance in the direction of the tunnel, no firing was done.

Total number of rounds of ammunition expended, about 100; no casualties.

I have to express my acknowledgments for valuable services rendered me in posting the batteries of the command, to Colonel Taylor, chief of artillery for General Sherman; also to Maj. C. S. Cotter, commanding First Brigade, First Division, Reserve Artillery, and to Lieutenants Sturges and Sliney, who acted as my aides.

I am, captain, very respectfully,

Capt. LOUIS J. LAMBERT,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

ADDENDA:

JAMES BARNETT,
Colonel, Commanding.

Abstract from "Record of Events" on return of the First Division Artillery Reserve, for November, 1863.

Company E, First Ohio Light Artillery, was assigned to this division per Special Orders, No. 22, headquarters chief of artillery, Department of the Cumberland, November 21. Has been stationed at Dallas, on the Tennessee River, 15 miles above Chattanooga, guarding the ford at that place. Company A, First Ohio Light Artillery, has been stationed-one section at Blythe's Ferry, one section at Sale Creek, and one section at Cotton Port, guarding fords on the Tennessee River above Chattanooga.

On the 13th, the section at Blythe's Ferry had a sharp skirmish with the enemy, losing 1 man severely wounded. Batteries B and C, First Ohio Artillery, have been in camp on Stringer's Hill, opposite Chattanooga, during the greater part of the month.

On the morning of the 24th, they formed a part of the artillery force, under Colonel Barnett, employed to protect the crossing of the Tennessee River, near the mouth of Chickamauga Creek, by General Sherman's troops. The Eighteenth Ohio Battery was stationed on Moccasin Point, opposite Lookout Mountain, until the 27th, when it was transferred to Chattanooga. Batteries F, G, and M, and the Twentieth Ohio have remained in garrison at Chattanooga during the month.

No. 183.

Report of Capt. Josiah W. Church, First Michigan Light Artillery, commanding First Brigade, Second Division.

HDQRS. 1ST BRIG., 2D DIV., ARTILLERY RESERVE,

Chattanooga, Tenn., November 28, 1863. CAPTAIN: In compliance with orders from headquarters chief of artillery, Department of the Cumberland, requiring a report of the part taken by this brigade in the late battle, I have the honor to report as follows:

By orders from General Brannan, I moved my battery (Company D, First Michigan Artillery), composed of four 20-pounder Parrott and one 10-pounder Parrott guns to Fort Cheatham at about 12 m., on the 23d instant. I opened fire on the enemy's camps in front and from 1 or 2 miles distant. I also delivered several shots at a small hill at the base of Lookout Mountain, which had the appearance of having a battery stationed inside of earth-works on its top. No fire was returned by the enemy during the day. I fired 25 rounds percussion and fuse shell, but had much difficulty in getting the fuse shell to burst. Not more than two-thirds of them burst during the day. I think the cause was dampness of the fuse.

November 24, at about 10 a. m., I opened fire on a small body of the enemy, about 14 miles distant, on the Rossville road. The first shell burst in their midst, driving them into the woods at a doublequick. I then fired at some detachments of men along the enemy's rifle-pits, at about 1 miles in my front.

This firing seemed to clear the entire line of rifle-pits, so far as could be seen from Fort Cheatham. I next opened fire on a line of the enemy's infantry on the ridge of Lookout Mountain, which runs parallel with and about two-thirds of the way up the side of the mountain. I burst several percussion shell in their lines, causing them to separate and go in different directions. At the time I commenced firing on this line it was on the way to meet General Hooker's forces, who were coming around the north end of Lookout Mountain. As the opposing forces became closely engaged, I ceased firing, for fear of doing damage to our own men. I soon after received orders from General Baird to open fire on the Summertown road to keep the enemy's forces from advancing on that road. In obedience to his order, I opened fire on the road and along the base of the mountain, and, as I then thought, and have since been informed by our forces on this side of Chattanooga Creek who were where they could see the effects of the shots, it was good; the fuse shell burst much better than before, caused, I think, by using spirits of turpentine on the fuses. During the day I fired 50 rounds. One of the pieces worked very badly, tearing the flanges off from the shell and throwing the shell end over end with bad effect. I did not use it but for a few rounds, as it endangered our infantry in our front.

November 25, as soon as the fog had cleared away from the front sufficiently to see the foot of Mission Ridge, Major-General Palmer directed me to fire at a wagon train that was moving along the road at the foot of the ridge. A few shots sufficed to stop the train. I then threw several shots at their camps, and then ceased firing until about 2 p. m., when I asked permission of Major-General Palmer to open on a battery on Mission Ridge to the left of General Bragg's headquarters.