Early on the morning of the 24th, before daybreak, I moved my battery farther up the river, and placed it in position, under Major Cotter's directions, on the extreme right flank of the line of batteries covering General Sherman's crossing. This position was close to the right bank of the Tennessee River, and commanded the whole river bottom and the woods at the foot of the slope of Missionary Ridge.

At about 10 a.m., I fired twenty shots, by order of Major Cotter, to get the range, and also to dislodge some bodies of the enemy who were concealed there. Later in the day the troops of our corps advanced up the river bottom. I fired several shots in advance of them to drive away a line of rebel skirmishers; I ceases firing when my guns were masked by the column. During the 25th, the combat was too distant for our batteries to take any part in it.

I did not receive the order to report back to the corps until 12 m. on the 26th; I then immediately crossed the Tennessee and the Chickamauga Creek, and pushed on as well as I could, the road being filled by the troops of General Sherman's corps. The next day (27th) I followed the corps as far as Graysville, where I was ordered by General Howard to march to Ringgold, which I did. On the march to Ringgold the axle of one of my guns broke, and I was obliged to abandon the carriage, as there was no forge with me; the gun I brought along, slung under the limber.

From Ringgold I marched to Parker's Gap, where I was ordered by General Howard to report to Colonel Buschbeck, commanding Second Division, Eleventh Army Corps. I continued under his command during the remainder of the march.

The roads from Parker's Gap were in very bad condition, and I had much trouble in moving my battery toward Cleveland, as my horses were extremely exhausted; I was consequently compelled to press horses from the country, giving conditional receipts for the same; and this course I was obliged to pursue more or less upon the whole march; sometimes taking mules as well as horses. I have memoranda of all animals taken and receipted for in this manner, and am prepared to account for them.

Our march lay from Cleveland to Charleston, where we crossed the Hiwassee River, thence to Athens, Sweet Water, Philadelphia, and Loudon; crossed the Little Tennessee to Unitia, and so to Louisville. Our line of march returning was the same, except that we went direct from the Little Tennessee to Philadelphia, and crossed the mountain as Cleveland instead of Parker's Gap.

At Charleston, by order of General Howard, I brought two pieces into position, and drove away a party of rebels on the other side of the Hiwassee River, who were trying to remove commissary and ordnance stores from cars left on the track. I used for the most part Hotchkiss percussion shell, which exploded extremely well. I also fired a few rounds across the Tennessee at Loudon, by order of General Howard.

I reached Lookout Valley on the 20th of December. The mules which I had pressed were all turned over to Lieutenant-Colonel Hayes, chief quartermaster, Eleventh Corps.

My losses and expenditures were as follows: Men, none; horses, 24; ammunition, 50 Schenkl percussion, 50 Hotchkiss case, 10 Hotchkiss percussion-110 rounds.

I am happy to be able to speak in high terms of the excellent