The Twenty-seventh were here placed on picket and sent in 145 prisoners before 1 p.m., at which time they were relieved. We moved toward camp at 2 p.m. and arrived at 5 p.m.

I cannot add too much praise to the officers and men of the

Forty-second Illinois for the manner in which they gallantly advanced and took the two lines of rifle-pits, and also to the Twenty-seventh Illinois, who so nobly held their way up the hill under the furious storm of shot and shell. No men could do better than those regiments did that day. They lost heavily, particularly in officers. The Forty-second Illinois lost 7 out of 13 commissioned officers engaged, and the Twenty-seventh 7 officers killed and wounded. Captain E. D. Swain, commanding the Forty-second Illinois, and Colonel J. R. Miles, of the Twenty-seventh Illinois, did excellent service and deserve well of their country, as do all of their respective regiments. Lieutenant A. O. Johnson, who acted as my aide-de-camp, was very seriously wounded while assisting me near the summit of the ridge in my duties. He is a gallant officer.

The loss as far as reported is as follows:* Twenty-seventh Illinois, 2 commissioned officers and 8 enlisted men killed, and 5 commissioned officers and 62 men wounded; Forty-second Illinois, 5 enlisted men killed and 8 commissioned officers and 39 men wounded; Fifty-first Illinois, 1 commissioned officer and 1 enlisted man killed, and 1 commissioned officer and 12 men wounded; Twenty-second Illinois,5 enlisted men killed and 3 commissioned officers and 9 men wounded.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

N. H. WALWORTH,

Colonel Forty-second Illinois.

Maj. S. L. COULTER,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

No. 56.

Report of Lieutenant Colonel Francis Swanwick, Twenty-second Illinois Infantry,

HEADQUARTERS TWENTY-SECOND ILLINOIS INFANTRY, Chattanooga, Tennessee, November 27, 1863.

SIR: I have the honor to report of I received Colonel Walworth's order to advance to the attack of the enemy's works on Mission Ridge about 3 p.m. on the 25th instant, and to move in second line a support to the left of Twenty-seventh Illinois Infantry, the Fifty-first being in line with us on the right. Before reaching the foot of the mountain the Twenty-seventh had got on our right and front, the Fifty-first being still in line with us. On reaching the double line of defenses at the foot of the mountain, which we did under a storm of shot, shell, and grape, I observed that a regiment in front of us had halted in the most advanced ditch. I ordered my regiment to lie down in the first one, and while there saw some regiment on our left retreating in some disorder down the foot of the mountain. After lying some time in the ditch there was another general advance and the regiment moved up in line with the other