No. 85.

Report of Colonel George H. Cram, Ninth Kentucky Infantry.

HEADQUARTERS NINTH KENTUCKY VOLUNTEERS,
Chattanooga, Tennessee, November 27, 1863.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the Ninth Regiment Kentucky Volunteers from the time od moving out of our works on the evening of the 23rd until our return on the night of the 27th November, 1863:

We moved out about 1 o'clock on the evening of the 23d, formed double column of divisions on the hill-side to the left of Fort Wood., and were immediately ordered by General Beatty to move forward to the reserve station of the brigade picket line, to support the Nineteenth Ohio, which was on picket. On reaching the reserve, the skirmish line began advancing and was met by a sharp fire from the enemy's line, when I immediately deployed the battalion and moved it forward in support of the Nineteenth Ohio, when I received an order from General Beatty to support both his and General Willich's skirmish line, and moved by the right flank across the Western and Atlantic Railroad some 200 yards, then forward toward the East Tennessee railroad. During this time the skirmishers had been constantly engaged and had driven the enemy's line steadily back, and the line in our immediate front had reached the railroad embankment, where they seemed to meet with more resistance and ceased advancing. As we were exposed to the fire of the enemy's skirmishers, I ordered the battalion to move forward at double-quick to the shelter of the railroad. During this movement 2 men were wounded. On reaching the railroad the skirmish line again moved forward. I now received an order from General Beatty to move along the road to the right about 200 yards to a house, cross the road, and advance into the woods with the skirmish line. After advancing some 300 yards, I found the skirmishers halted, and lay there for some time, when General Tyndale's brigade, of General Howard's corps, relieved us, and we moved to the left until we joined the Nineteenth Ohio, where we lay till dark, when we were conducted by Lieutenant Foster to a point where the other regiments of the brigade lay, where we remained until Tuesday evening, the 24th, when five companies of the regiment were ordered on picket.

Wednesday morning, the 25th, about 10 o'clock, I moved out with the remaining five companies with orders to support the line in an advance across an open field some 400 yards wide, bounded on the farther side by a thick wood. We moved forward at double-quick, crossing the field and driving from the woods the Twenty-second Alabama (rebel) Regiment, which fled without firing a gun. We captured 1 prisoner. Pushing on through the woods we established our line on the edge of the open field extending to the foot of Mission Ridge and in full view and rifle range of the first line of rebel works, some 800 yards distant. Our line connected on the right with that of General Willich's brigade, but the line on our left did not advance with us, and we extended our line to the left by extending intervals and deploying an additional company until it reached the East Tennessee railroad, covering at least 1 mile of front. About 1 o'clock the left of our line was relieved by General Turchin's brigade, and soon after we received orders from General Beatty to move forward on the first line of the enemy's works at the foot of the ridge at a given signal. About 3 o'clock, hearing the signal, we moved for-