No. 182.

Report of Colonel James Barnett, First Ohio Light Artillery, commanding First Division, Artillery Reserve.

HDQRS. FIRST DIVISION, RESERVE ARTILLERY,
Chattanooga, Tennessee, November 26, 1863.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report in regard to the positions taken by the batteries under my command, as follows:

On the night of the 23rd instant, by direction of Brigadier-General Brannan, chief of artillery, I placed in positions indicated by him the following batteries: Company C, First Ohio, Captain Gary; Cogswell's (Illinois) battery, of General Sherman's command; Company H, First Illinois, Lieutenant De Gress, of General Sherman's command; Company I, First Illinois, Lieutenant Burton, General Sherman's command; Twelfth Wisconsin Battery, Captain Zickerick; Company F, First Illinois, Captain Cheney; Company B, First Illinois, Captain Rumsey; Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania Battery, Lieutenant McDowell; Thirteenth New York Battery, Captain Wheeler; Company B, First Ohio, Lieutenant Baldwin. The batteries were moved into their several positions at 1 o'clock on the morning of the 24th, and were located as follows before day:

The locality of the pontoon bridge proposed to be laid below the mouth of Chickamauga Creek was covered by the following batteries: The Fifth Wisconsin Battery, Captain Gardner, of General Davis; division (six Napoleon guns), was placed in an epaulement, about 200 yards above the proposed crossing on the bottom land near the river bank. Company C, First Ohio, Captain Gary, six Napoleons, was posted on the bottom about 150 yards below the crossing. Cogswell's Battery (four James rifles) occupied ground about 100 yards to the right of Company C, First Ohio. These guns were so placed as to perfectly cover the bridge and sweep the low ground on the opposite side of the river.

The first position below the bridge, which is a semicircular knob of an elevation of about 250 feet above the river, admirably calculated for a large field of fire, embracing the bridge crossing and all the low ground in front and well toward the right, was furnished with the following batteries: Company I, First Illinois, Lieutenant Burton, four James rifles; Company H, First Illinois, Lieutenant De Gress, four 20-pounder Parrott; Twelfth Wisconsin Battery, Captain Zickerick, four 10-pounder Parrott.

The next position was a wooded knob, somewhat higher than the last, and having a fire to the left and front, perfectly covering the ground to the left and front, and intended to repel any attack in the direction of the tunnel, and was armed by the following batteries: Company F, First Illinois, Captain Cheney, four James rifles; Company B, First Illinois, Captain Rumsey, one howitzer and five 6-pounder smooth-bore guns.

The next position to the right of the last overlooked more to the right toward Fort Wood, having also a good fire to break up any masses moving between the river and Mission Ridge, with less elevation than the other points, but perfectly protected from the fire of the enemy. On this ridge were placed the following batteries; Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania, Lieutenant McDowell, four James rifles; Thirteenth New York, Captain Wheeler, six 3-inch guns, Company B, First Ohio, Lieutenant Baldwin, six James rifles.