Today in History:

822 Series I Volume XXX-I Serial 50 - Chickamauga Part I

Page 822 KY.,SW.VA.,TENN.,MISS.,N.ALA.,AND N.GA. Chapter XLII.

Wood's encampment on the Chickamauga Creek, where I bivouacked for the night.

At 5 o'clock next a.m., I was ordered forward to rejoin the division, which order I complied with, arriving at division headquarters, 5 miles from Ringgold, Ga., at about 7 a.m., when I reported to Brigadier-General Van Cleve.

At 9 a.m. I moved with the division in the direction of Ringgold. Marching with the division, I went with it into camp on Dogwood Creek, 2 1/2 miles south of Ringgold, on the Dalton road.

On the morning of the 12th instant, I marched with the division to Gordon's Mills, 15 miles from our camp of the night previous, and encamped.

On the morning of Sunday, 13th, I was ordered to follow the First Brigade in the direction of La Fayette. After marching a mile and a half, the First Brigade becoming engaged with the enemy's cavalry, under Wheeler, I was ordered to deploy my brigade in an open field, in front of the house of Mr. Henderson, to be ready to support General Beatty, if necessary. After having driven the enemy 2 1/2 miles, the First Brigade was ordered to withdraw, when I was ordered to deploy a regiment to protect the division in its retrograde movements. Having deployed the Thirteenth Ohio, under Lieutenant Colonel E. M. Mast, as skirmishers, I withdrew my other three regiments and followed the division into camp north of Gordon's Mills.

On the 14th, I marched with the division down the Chattanooga Valley, 6 miles, and encamped.

On the 15th, I marched with division to Crawfish Spring, where we lay in camp that and the two following days and nights.

On the 18th, I was ordered to move back to Gordon's Mills, where I was ordered to form entire lines, fronting toward the southeast, in order to support General Wood, who was engaging the enemy with infantry and artillery. I had been in this position scarce an hour when I was ordered to support General Wood on his extreme left, which was exposed and threatened, with two of my strongest regiments. After placing the Thirteenth Ohio in support of a section of artillery, in a barricade constructed of rails, on the brow of a hill about 300 yards east of the Chattanooga road, and the Fifty-ninth Ohio on their right, a little retired, I was ordered to report with the Forty-fourth Indiana and Fifty-ninth Ohio [the Eighty-sixth Indiana, under command of Major J. C. Dick, taking the late position of the Fifty-ninth Ohio] to Colonel Wilder, whose brigade had fallen back from the Chickamauga fords to within a mile of General Wood's left, "to support him and hold the road at all hazards." I reported forthwith to Colonel Wilder, who ordered me to his right, to hold the approaches from the two fords which intersected the main road at the house of Mr. McDonald. I immediately placed the Forty-fourth Indiana on the fork of the road leading from the lower ford, and the Fifty-ninth Ohio upon the other [in the woods, 500 yards east of the main road], leaving an interval of 150 yards between the regiments. I remained quietly in this position until an hour after dark.

The advance of the enemy then showed themselves to the cavalry skirmishers, who had been thrown out in front of my regiments. They were immediately driven back. Another half hour of quiet elapse, when the enemy again appeared, and in force of at least one brigade, on foot, in front of the Fifty-ninth Ohio. Having first driven in the mounted skirmishers, the Fifty-ninth, commanded by


Page 822 KY.,SW.VA.,TENN.,MISS.,N.ALA.,AND N.GA. Chapter XLII.