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186 Series I Volume XXXI-II Serial 55 - Knoxville and Lookout Mountain Part II

Page 186 KY.,SW.VA.,Tennessee,MISS.,N.ALA.,AND N.GA. Chapter XLIII.

never faltered or hesitated, but went to work immediately, digging rifle-pits to screen them from the enemy's fire. After dark I moved forward with my command to relieve the Ninth Indiana, of your brigade, who had exhausted their ammunition; this was done by ascending still higher up the mountain, then around a ledge of rock along an almost inaccessible path, where we formed line, our men fixing their bayonets in the ground to hold them to their proper places. We opened a most terrific fire on the enemy, which was kept up until 12 o'clock, when we were relieved for the night.

On the morning of the 25th, we moved across to Missionary Ridge, forming the second line of battle, supporting the advance, charging up the hill and along the summit till cleared entirely of the enemy.

On the night of the 27th, Lieutenant Smith, of Company G, with a detail of 6 men, captured 12 other prisoners. All this on Pigeon Mountain. After leaving Pigeon Mountain we moved on to Ringgold, where our forces were engaging the enemy, and took position to the left of depot and in rear of railroad embankment in support of a battery of two guns, then playing upon the enemy, who held Taylor's Ridge. Here we remained till ordered into camp, when late in the day we were summoned to arms and pursued the enemy a distance of 3 miles beyond Ringgold, in support of the Eighty-fourth Illinois Volunteers, whose skirmishers moved the enemy before them.

The casualties in my regiment in these engagements are as follows:*

From Ringgold we returned to this camp by way of field of Chickamauga. We found large numbers of our dead robbed of every vestige of clothing and unburied. These we interred as decently as possible under the circumstances.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

G. TRUSLER,

Major, Commanding Regiment.

Captain SAMUEL WEST,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.


No. 26.

Report of Captain George M. Bacon, Twenty-fourth Ohio Infantry.

HDQRS. TWENTY-FOURTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY, Whiteside's, Tennessee, December 3, 1863.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to herewith transmit the following report concerning the part my regiment took during the capture of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge:

On the 23rd day of November, 1863, in pursuance to an order from brigade headquarters, my regiment left its camp at Whiteside's, Tennessee, and proceeded on the Chattanooga road to the front of Lookout Mountain, near the headquarters of Major-General Hooker, and encamped there for the night.

On the morning of the 24th, the regiment took up it line of march and advanced to Lookout Creek, in front of the enemy's rifle-pits. Two of my companies were thrown out as skirmishers by order of

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*Embodied in revised statement, p.80.

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Page 186 KY.,SW.VA.,Tennessee,MISS.,N.ALA.,AND N.GA. Chapter XLIII.