slope. At the same time Ireland had continued his attack with running fire upon the enemy in front, charging through the peach orchard, taking the works encircling it, delivering his fire for a few moments from them, leaping over and attacking the next with victorious results each time. His right at this time engaged the enemy behind a stone wall, running parallel with our line from the white house (Craven's),his center divided at the house directly across their path, and the Sixtieth and One hundred and thirty-seventh New York dashed through the yard, wherein were two pieces of artillery placed in position, capturing them and their gunners, throwing the flag of the One hundred and thirty-seventh New York on the cannon as taken of capture, while the One hundred and forty-ninth New York diverged to the left of the house and actively engaged the enemy, the whole line rapidly capturing prisoners and keeping up an effective fire. On they went over the successive belts of ramparts inclosing the level area, which the rebels reluctantly yielded.

When about 500 yards, beyond Craven's house, and in front of the mountain road, the enemy, already reported, appeared in heavy force (afterward learned to be three large brigades of Walker's and Stevenson's divisions), well covered in the woods and with rocks. Upon this body the routed rebels rallied. My line, imbued with ardor almost irrepressible at once engaged them and found stubborn resistance.

Whitaker's line was halted at the stone wall of Craven's house.

and several of his regiments were formed about 200 yards to the rear and left of it.

A portion of one of his regiments moved up to the support of our extreme left, occupied by the One hundred and forty-ninth New York, where it was heavily engaged, but was soon withdrawn.

The enemy made several charges within a very short time, and were as often repulses to their original line. While Ireland's whole force combated the massed force in front, Cobham, from his commanding locality, opened an oblique fire on the enemy's flank, which enfiladed their lines so as to make their situation untenable, when the impenetrable fog, which had for some time lingered above, settled down upon and below him, and it became impossible for him to direct his fire upon the enemy unseen without endangering our own men. This fog prevailed during the balance of the day.

My men on the left were still striving for the old road leading from the mountain into Chattanooga Valley, with prospect of soon securing it when, at this time, 12.30 p.m. I received General Hooker's order to halt upon the crest and to strengthen our position there. We had progressed a considerable distance beyond the intended point.

With the falling of the fog the enemy ceased firing for a time. Osterhaus now came up on the left, and I formed a strong line on the ground I had gained from the cliffs toward Chattanooga Creek, connecting with Osterhaus' right, and massed my reserves in their rear upon the crest of the slope in the rear of the white house. The right of the Third Brigade joined the Second on the upper crest. Whitaker's brigade was formed in reserve in the position it occupied during the noon fighting, on a line with Craven's house, and a portion of it in a second line in rear, both in the captured pits and behind the stone-wall, all covered by the line of Cobham and Ireland, advanced 400 yards beyond the pits and works. The position was strengthened by the immediate construction of protections of stone and timber.