declivity of the mountain side, and were consequently unable to advance as fast as those on the top, or this brigade would have had the honor of the capture. It being near dark, orders were received to go into camp for the night.

The next day, November 26, 1863, marched to Pea Vine Creek, where we bivouacked for the night.

The brigade moved at daylight next morning (27th) and marched to Ringgold, Ga. Upon arriving at that place, the enemy was found to have taken up a strong position on Taylor's Ridge, and General Osterhaus' division was skirmishing with them. Orders were received soon after from General Geary, commanding division, in person, to move to the left of the town, and from that point to charge up the ridge and drive the enemy from it, supposing that they were holding it with a small force. The brigade was moved accordingly to the point designated and formed in two lines, in the following order: Sixty-sixth Ohio and Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers in advance, and the Seventh Ohio and One hundred and forty-seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers in the second. They were then moved forward toward the ridge, under a heavy fire of musketry. When the brigade had arrived at the foot of the ridge the second line was moved by the left flank, in order that the line might be extended, and prevent the enemy from concentrating too heavy a fire on the brigade at any one point, and cause them to extend their lines also, and thereby weaken theirs in our immediate front, and to prevent us from flanking them and to enable us to carry the hill, but the enemy re-enforced his lines with fresh troops and had double our numbers to oppose us.

The brigade moved steadily forward under a most galling fire. They did not return the fire until they had ascended half the distance, when our men opened on them, but were very weak from climbing, the mountain side being very steep. Some of the men almost gained the top, but were soon driven back by overpowering numbers.

The men sheltered themselves behind trees and rocks as much as possible, they being unable to move forward. It was as much as a man could do to climb the mountain without any opposition, let alone in the face of double his own numbers pouring down heavy volleys of musketry on him.

The men held their ground with coolness and determination. The Seventh Ohio Volunteers ascended the mountain on the side of a ravine, and were moving rapidly up, when the enemy threw a force on both sides of it, and poured a heavy enfilading fire on them. The regiment received this fire unflinchingly, pressed on until their brave leader (Lieutenant Colonel O. J. Crane) was struck mortally, while gallantly leading his men, and a greater part of the regiment, when they were compelled to fall back by overpowering numbers of the enemy.

The One hundred and forty-seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, being on the left, had gained a position near the top of the ridge, and were well protected by a ledge of rocks about the height of a man's head, but the enemy at the same time that they had forced the Seventh Ohio back, threw a force on both flanks of this regiment, and were throwing a force down side of the mountain, when the commanding officer (Lieutenant Colonel Ario Pardee, jr.) of the One hundred and forty-seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, seeing the Seventh Ohio falling back, and the enemy coming in on him, thereby making his position untenable, fell back slowly and in good order to the foot