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

Page 187 Chapter XLIII. THE CHATTANOOGA-RINGGOLD CAMPAIGN.

Colonel Grose, commanding brigade, while the regiment followed up, crossing a slough of Chattanooga Creek, to support the skirmishers, who became engaged with the enemy on the opposite bank of the said creek. Colonel Grose then ordered me to throw up breastworks, in order to shelter my men from the enemy's fire, which was kept up briskly by the enemy and vigorously replied to by my men. After engaging the enemy about an hour, Colonel Grose ordered me to rejoin the brigade. The brigade moved forward, taking a circuitous route, crossed Lookout Creek, formed a line of battle, and moved forward as fast as the nature of the ground would admit, driving the enemy before us. After the brigade reached the intrenchments of the enemy it halted, and, being exposed to a constant fire of the enemy, Colonel Grose ordered me to change the position of my regiment, and I accordingly moved about 200 yards and took a position on a ridge, in the rear of the enemy's intrenchments, and threw up breastworks in order to shelter my men from the fire of the enemy's sharpshooters, two companies being sent out in the meantime to guard our rear and watch the movements of the enemy. After remaining in this position until dark, Colonel Grose ordered me to the front to relieve the Fifty-ninth Illinois Infantry, which had expended its ammunition. I held the position until the regiment exhausted its ammunition, and was relieved by the Fourth Iowa about midnight.

My regiment had 4 men wounded during the time it occupied the position held previously by the Fifty-ninth Illinois Regiment, the names of which are annexed to this report.

On the morning of the 25th, my regiment left Lookout Mountain with the brigade, which crossed Chattanooga Valley and participated in the capture of Missionary Ridge.

My regiment marched with the brigade from Missionary Ridge on the morning of the 26th, and arrived at Ringgold, Ga., on the 27th. The brigade left Ringgold on the same day on a reconnoitering expedition, returning to the said place on the evening of the said day, and remained at Ringgold until the evening of the 30th. Left Ringgold on the night of the 30th, and encamped on Chickamauga Creek, near the battle-ground.

On the morning of the 1st of December, my regiment followed the brigade and marched to the battle-ground of Chickamauga, where it assisted in burying the dead, who were left exposed by the enemy since the battle on the 19th and 20th days of September, 1863.

After remaining on the battle-field nearly all day attending to the duty assigned to my regiment by Colonel Grose, we were ordered back and arrived at our old camp at Whiteside's, Tennessee, on the evening of the 2nd of December.

The conduct of officers and enlisted men of my regiment was all that could be expected. Orders were obeyed and promptly executed, and order and decorum prevailed during the affair, officers and men having the utmost confidence in their brigade commander, Colonel William Grose.

The following is a list of casualties:*

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

GEORGE M. BACON,

Captain, Commanding Twenty-fourth Ohio.

Captain WEST,

A. A. A. G., Third Brig., First Div., Fourth Army Corps.

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*Embodied in revised statement, p.80.

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Page 187 Chapter XLIII. THE CHATTANOOGA-RINGGOLD CAMPAIGN.