of a day's rations of hard bread and coffee, which I had arranged to have meet me at that place.

My corps, followed by Davis' division, passed through McDaniel's Gap.

The road was execrable, a third of the men without proper clothing, very many barefooted, and now a heavy rain added to the discomforts and difficulties of the march. Yet our devoted soldiers toiled on without complaint.

We arrived at our old camp in Lookout Valley, December 17.

The corps had endured the extreme fatigue of a three days' battle, engaged in the pursuit for two days, effectively destroyed the railroad communication between Longstreet and Bragg, and then turned northward, and made a march of 120 miles, to the relief of Burnside, and then immediately returned to its old camp; and when we consider that this was accomplished under such unfavorable circumstances as wretched roads, no transportation, few blankets and tents, with rivers to cross without bridge trains, and supplies to be collected from the country, why may we not speak of our soldiers, with pride, as equal to any in the world?

I wish to commend my division and brigade commanders for the energy and constancy they manifested during this campaign. More than I can express is due to the untiring efforts of the different members of my staff. Lieutenant-Colonel Asmussen, assistant inspector-general, evinced his usual activity and ability. Lieutenant-Colonel Meysenburg, assistant adjutant-general; Major C. H. Howard, aide-de-camp, Captain Stinson, aide-de-camp, and Captain Pearson (Seventeenth Infantry), commissary of musters, were, as heretofore, fearless in action, and ever ready on the march to do everything required of them without flagging. Major Hoffman, my engineer, gave me great assistance. The medical director, Surg. D. G. Brington, U. S. Volunteers, aided by Surg. Robert Hubbard, medical inspector, and Captain Rowe, chief of ambulances, relieved me from all care regarding the sick.

Captain Scofield, assistant provost-marshal, and Lieutenants Gilbreth Palmer,and Wickham, deserve mention for their cheerfulness and alacrity in duty by day and night.

My chief of scouts and road engineer, E. H. Kirlin, rendered valuable service. Lieutenant-Colonel Long, Seventy-third Ohio, in the different towns through which we passed, acting as provost-marshal, was untiring in his exertions to preserve order.

Herewith you will find a nominal list* of the killed and wounded in this corps at the battle of Chattanooga, and a map# of the positions.

Respectfully,

O. O. HOWARD,

Major-General.

Captain H. W. PERKINS,

Assistant Adjutant-General

GENERAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS ELEVENTH CORPS,

Numbers 32.
Lookout Valley, December 17, 1863.

The general commanding the corps with pride and pleasure publishes the following letters of Generals Sherman and Burnside.

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*Embodied in revised statement, p. 82.

#To appear in the Atlas.

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