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CHICKAMAUGA, November 25, 1863-7 p. m.

General S. COOPER: After several unsuccessful assaults on our lines to-day, the enemy carried the left center about 4 o'clock. The whole left soon gave way in considerable disorder. The right maintained its ground, repelling every attack. I am withdrawing all to this point.

BRAXTON BRAGG.

CIRCULAR.]

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF TENNESSEE,
Chickamauga, Tenn., November 25, 1863.

I. Corps commanders will immediately put their commands in motion toward Ringgold, keeping their trains in front. They will move in two columns.

II. Hardee's corps will move by the west or Graysville road. road. Breckinridge's corps will move by the eastern or

III. All quartermaster's, commissary, and ordnance stores will be sent to Dalton.

IV. Col. J. W. Grigsby will divide his cavalry and protect the rear of the two columns.

V. Corps commanders will call in their detachments and guards when they are ready to move.

Cleburne will serve as a rear guard to Hardee, and Gist to Breckinridge.

VI. Three days' rations of hard bread and salt meat will be carried. By command of General Bragg:

GEORGE WM. BRENT,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

CIRCULAR.]

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF TENNESSEE,
Chickamauga, November 25, 1863.

The troops will march at 2 a. m. to-morrow morning.
By command of General Bragg:

GEORGE WM. BRENT,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS BRECKINRIDGE'S CORPS,
November 25, 1863-1 a. m.

Major-General STEWART:
GENERAL: The major-general commanding directs that you aban-
don the valley at once, and take position on the ridge, in prolonga-
tion of General Bate's line. He directs that you place a battery and
two regiments at Rossville to guard that point. Your artillery will
take position in rear of your division, passing through the dip in the
ridge near Rossville. He directs that you withdraw your pickets a
little before daylight, and throw them in prolongation of General
Bate's, with a reserve at the foot of the ridge.

Very respectfully, general, your obedient servant,
JAS. WILSON,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

[graphic]

CIRCULAR.]

HEADQUARTERS BRECKINRIDGE'S CORPS, Watkins' House, November 25, 1863-12 p. m. The following will be the order of march in the movement ordered to-night: Brigadier-General Bate's division will move in front and Stewart's division immediately in rear.

By command of Major-General Breckinridge:

CHARLES J. MASTIN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF TENNESSEE,
Missionary Ridge, November 25, 1863

Major-General CHEATHAM,

Commanding on the Left:

GENERAL: The general commanding desires you to move at once, with your division and that of General Stevenson, to the right, and report to Lieutenant-General Hardee. Let this be done at once. The artillery will move, by way of Rossville, in rear of Missionary Ridge. The general hopes this movement will be made promptly. I am, general, your obedient servant,

KINLOCH FALCONER.

HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY CORPS,

Near Ringgold, November 26, 1863-11.30 a. m.

Lieutenant-General LONGSTREET,

Commanding near Knoxville:

GENERAL: On arriving here yesterday, about 1 p. m., I found that our line had been broken and our army was falling back. General Bragg desires me to say to you that he wishes you to fall back, with your command, upon Dalton, if possible. If you find that impracticable, he thinks you will have to fall back toward Virginia. At all events, he desires that you order all the cavalry to Dalton.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOS. WHEELER,
Major-General.

CIRCULAR.]

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF TENNESSEE,
Catoosa Station, November 26, 1863.

I. Generals Hardee and Breckinridge will march at daylight in the morning for Dalton. Major-General Cleburne's division will remain near Ringgold, unless forced back by the enemy.

II. Major-General Wheeler will assume command of Wharton's and Kelly's cavalry, and post it so as to cover and protect our front. III. The Chief of Subsistence will place five days' rations for the army at Catoosa Station and Dalton, each. By command of General Bragg:

GEORGE WM. BRENT,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

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The enemy pressed our rear guard yesterday nearly to Ringgold. Brigadier-General Maney was severely wounded. The main portion of the army has reached this point. At last advices our rear was warmly engaged at Ringgold, which we are endeavoring to hold. Our loss in artillery on 25th was very heavy, probably forty pieces; in men, very small. The disastrous panic is inexplicable.

BRAXTON BRAGG.

NEAR DALTON,

November 27, 1863.

Major-General WHEELER:

GENERAL: Your dispatch of 10 a. m. received. The general has established a position about 3 miles in front of Dalton, on which the rear guard can fall back should it become necessary. He has placed there the division of General Stewart, and about 1 miles in rear of Stewart, Bate's division. The general desires that you will keep him fully and often advised of the movements in the rear. General Wharton is moving up with some cavalry to help you.

Respectfully,

GEORGE WM. BRENT,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF TENNESSEE,
Dalton, Ga., November 27, 1863.

Major-General WHEELER,

Commanding Cavalry Corps:

GENERAL: Your dispatch, dated 11.15 a. m., has been received. No change has been made in the dispositions of the general commanding. His movements depend upon those of the commands in front. General Bragg has selected a position 3 miles in front of Dalton, where General Stewart's division has been placed, General Bate about 14 miles in his rear. Upon these you can fall back, if hard pressed. General Wharton has gone to the front with some cavalry.

"Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

KINLOCH FALCONER,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

[graphic]

CIRCULAR.]

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF TENNESSEE,
Dalton, Ga., November 27, 1863.

I. Corps commanders will hold their troops in readiness to move in any direction at a moment's notice, and have them well in hand for an engagement.

II. So many errors having occurred in the transmission of dispatches, it is ordered that, during the march, at the end of a day's journey, all commanding officers will inform the officer next in rank the exact locality of their headquarters.

By command of General Bragg:

GEORGE WM. BRENT,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

CIRCULAR.]

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF TENNESSEE,
Dalton, Ga., November 27, 1863.

All the trains of this army, excepting the ordnance and ammunition trains, will be immediately put in motion for Resaca, Ga., and march all night. The trains of the corps will be divided. One part of the train of each corps will go by the main road to Resaca, the remainder by the Sugar Valley road.

The ordnance and ammunition trains will go with the troops.
By command of General Bragg:

General S. COOPER:

GEORGE WM. BRENT,
ORGE

Assistant Adjutant-General.

DALTON, November 29, 1863,

(Received Richmond, 30th.)

Our advance last night was at Tunnel Hill, the enemy just this side of Ringgold. We hope to maintain this position. Our inferiority in numbers, heavy loss in artillery, small-arms, organization, and morale, renders an earlier halt impossible; and should the enemy press on promptly we may have to cross Oostenaula. I have tried to communicate with Longstreet; by prompt movement he can be saved. Burnside's force is far inferior to him. If necessary, he can go on and join Jones' forces. Communication may be opened with him by the East Tennessee route. My first estimate of our disaster was not too large, and time only can restore order and morale. All possible aid should be pushed on to Resaca, and I deem it due to the cause and to myself to ask for relief from command and an investigation into the causes of the defeat.

General BRAXTON BRAGG,

Dalton, Ga.:

BRAXTON BRAGG.

RICHMOND, November 30, 1863.

GENERAL: Your dispatches of yesterday received. Your request to be relieved has been submitted to the President, who, upon your representation, directs me to notify you that you are relieved from command, which you will transfer to Lieutenant-General Hardee, the officer next in rank and now present for duty.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General.

General JOSEPH E. JOHNSTON:

DALTON, December 2, 1863.
(Received at Meridian, 3d.)

The enemy pursued us to Ringgold, where we punished him very severely. He then retreated, destroying all behind him, and will not press us again immediately. We are in good condition, with plenty artillery. I am superseded in command at my own request by Hardee. The future is pregnant with great events, but I believe our destiny is safe with prompt and united action.

Col. J. GORGAS,

BRAXTON BRAGG.

CALHOUN, GA., December 3, 1863.

Chief of Ordnance, C. S. A., Richmond, Va.:

COLONEL: I have the honor to report that in the battle of the 24th and 25th ultimo, thirty-eight pieces of field artillery were taken by the enemy from this army, and two 24-pounder, siege, iron, rifled guns, after being disabled and carriages burned, were abandoned. The ordnance and ordnance stores in Chickamauga Depot are saved and are now at Calhoun, Ga. I am instructed, as soon as the army be refitted, to send all supplies to Atlanta Arsenal.

H. OLADOWSKI,
Lieutenant-Colonel.·

HEADQUARTERS CHEATHAM'S DIVISION,
January 9, 1864.

Major-General STEVENSON:

GENERAL: I have just received your note of this date, inquiring about a communication received by me from General Moore on the 24th November last, and forwarded to you "to the effect that the enemy were massing a force on the Chattanooga road, apparently with an intention of moving on us from that direction."

I inclose to you a copy* of the only note I have from General Moore. It was received in the morning, and is not the one to which you refer.

The information you refer to came to me, not only from General Moore, but from officers of pickets, who escaped by the Kelley's Ferry road across the foot of the mountain. I recollect the information, but cannot give you the contents of the note. It was in consequence of this information (finding that we were so seriously threatened) that I first went up to confer with you.

Yours, truly,

No. 220.

JOHN K. JACKSON.

Return of Casualties in the Confederate Forces.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF TENNESSEE, Dalton, Ga., December 26, 1863. GENERAL: In the report of the casualties of the army in the engagements before Chattanooga and at Ringgold Gap previously for

*Not found; but see Moore to Reeve, p. 677.

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