Today in History:

488 Series I Volume XXX-II Serial 51 - Chickamauga Part II

Page 488 KY.,SW.VA.,TENN.,MISS.,N.ALA., AND N.GA. Chapter XLII.

were preparing for a fight. At this time the remaining three regiments of the brigade, under the command of Colonel John S. Fulton, came up and formed on either side of my command. Everett's battery of artillery was placed in position on the elevation above alluded to. One company from each regiment was thrown out as skirmishers, under charge of Major J. C. Davis, of the Seventeenth Tennessee Regiment, with instructions to advance beyond the town and resist the farther advance of the enemy. This movement caused the enemy to open fire with his artillery, but his shell did not reach our lines, but fell harmlessly between us and our skirmishers. The advance of our skirmishers and some fifteen minutes' shelling form our battery caused the enemy to retire on the Chattanooga road. They were at once pursued by Colonel John S. Scott with a small force of cavalry and Everett's battery.

We rested in line of battle until morning, when we followed the enemy in the direction of Chattanooga, and found him strongly posted on a ridge near and opposite to the junction of the Graysville and La Fayette and Ringgold and Chattanooga roads, with their artillery in excellent position. We immediately formed line of battle under the direction of Brig. B. R. Johnson, who had brought up under his command four brigades, namely, Gregg's, McNair's, [Robertson's,] and his own brigade, Johnson's brigade being on the right of and contiguous to the Chattanooga road, with Forrest's cavalry to protect our flank and skirmish with the enemy. Our skirmishers very soon became engaged, and drew from the enemy some well-directed shots from his artillery. Our line was ordered to advance, and did so in good order over very rough and broken ground until we came to a deep and muddy stream, which with some difficulty we succeeded in crossing. Our infantry having reformed, an advance was ordered, and our skirmishers, with Forrest's cavalry, made short work of the enemy's strong position, he falling back in confusion, leaving a few horses, many blankets, oil-cloths, boxes of hard bread, &c., in our hands. The difficulty now was to march in line of battle over the very rough and uneven ground, passing briar-thickets, many of the men being barefooted.

We pushed forward, however, the enemy making but feeble resistance to the determined advance of our skirmishers, until we reached Chickamauga Creek, where the enemy had posted himself in strong force of resist our farther advance and to hold a bridge across this stream. Without even stopping to consider, we made an impetuous charge with a yell, driving him from the bridge before he could destroy it. The division was crossed on this bridge, reformed in line of battle, and after moving a short distance advanced in column up the road to a distance of about 3 miles, when a little after dark our flankers and cavalry and part of Gregg's brigade in our front became engaged. Here we moved by the right flank in line of battle some 300 yards, the enemy disappearing. We rested on our arms till morning.

Saturday, September 19.-The general battle commenced on the right about 8 a.m. and continued constantly until after dark. The

Twenty-fifth Tennessee Regiment was in its position-right center of Johnson's brigade, which was commanded by Colonel John S. Fulton, and composed of the Forty-fourth, Twenty-third, Seventeenth, and Twenty-fifth Tennessee Regiments. Brig. General B. R. Johnson being in command of a division composed of Gregg's (Tennessee), McNair's (Arkansas), and his old brigade of Tennessee, hid divis-


Page 488 KY.,SW.VA.,TENN.,MISS.,N.ALA., AND N.GA. Chapter XLII.