bers a tablished themselves behind the embankment of the railroad, which enabled them, without exposure, to sweep, with a fire of musketry, the field over which our troops would be compelled to march for a distance of 300 or 400 yards.

These dispositions were distinctly visible, and as facilities for avoiding them were close at hand, Osterhaus was directed to send a brigade, under cover of the hills and trees, about 800 yards higher up the creek, and prepare a crossing at that point. This was Brigadier-General Woods' brigade.

Soon after this Cruft was ordered to leave a sufficient force at the bridge to engage the attention of the enemy,and for the balance of Grose's brigade to follow Woods'. Meanwhile a section of howitzers was planted to enfilade the positions the enemy had taken, and Osterhaus established a section of 20-pounder Parrotts to enfilade the route by which the enemy had left his camp. The battery on Bald Hill enfiladed the railroad and highway leading to Chattanooga, and all the batteries and sections of batteries had a direct or enfilading fire within easy range on all the positions taken by the rebels. Besides, the 20-pounder Parrotts could be used with good effect on the rebel camp on the side of the mountain. With this disposition of the artillery it was believed we would be able to prevent the enemy from dispatching relief to oppose Geary, and also keep him from running away.

At 11 o'clock Woods had completed his bridge. Geary's lines appeared close by,his skirmishers smartly engaged, and all the guns opened. Woods and Grose then sprang across the river, joined Geary's left, and moved down the valley. A few of the enemy escaped form the artillery fire, and those who did ran upon our infantry and were captured. The balance of the rebel forces were killed or taken prisoners, many of them remaining in the bottom of their pits for safety until forced out by our men.

Simultaneous with these operations the troops on the mountain rushed on in their advance, the right passing directly under the muzzles of the enemy's guns on the summit, climbing over ledges and bowlders, up hill and down, furiously driving the enemy from his camp and from position after position. This lasted until 12 o'clock, when Geary's advance heroically rounded the peak of the mountain.

Not knowing to what extent the enemy might be re-enforced,and fearing from the rough character of the field of operations that our lines might be disordered, directions had been given for the troops to halt on reaching this high ground, but, fired by success, with a flying, panic-stricken enemy before them, they pressed impetuously forward. Cobham's brigade, occupying the high ground on the right, between the enemy's main line of defense on the plateau and the palisades, incessantly plied them with fire from above and behind, while Ireland's brigade was vigorously rolling them up on the flank, and both being closely supported by the brigades of Whitaker and Creighton, our success was uninterrupted and irresistible.

Before losing the advantages the ground presented us, the enemy had been re-enforced. Meantime, after having secured the prisoners, two of Osterhaus' regiments had been sent forward on the Chattanooga road, and the balance of his and Cruft's divisions had joined Geary. All the rebel efforts to resist us only resulted in rendering our success more thorough. After two or three short but sharp conflicts, the plateau was cleared. The enemy, with his re-enforce-