Walker directed that Brigadier-General Gist, commanding his division, and I, with my own and Walthall's brigades, of Cheatham's division, should defend the line from Chattanooga Creek to the foot of the mountain, and permitted us to divide the line according to our respective strength as we wished.

After riding along the line with General Gist we made the apportionment of it, and gave orders to our respective commands. At that time I had no command over the mountain slope, although one of the brigades (Moore's) of the division was then on duty at or near the Craven house. General Moore was in command of that portion of the line, under General Walker's orders, from November 10 to 14. The command I found General Walker exercising extended over all the troops west of Chattanooga Creek, under the general supervision of Lieutenant-General Hardee, and upon General Walker's going away on a short leave on November 12, which he informed me he had some weeks before applied for, and upon the assurance of General Bragg that he would telegraph him when Sherman came up, before which time he anticipated no trouble, this command devolved on me. I at once asked for written instructions from the corps commander as to the mode of defense of the line, but received none. The command was a unit and was doubtless intended to be handled as such. I continued to exercise it, and gave orders, subject to the approval of Lieutenant-General Hardee, until his headquarters were removed from the extreme right of the army to a point a little east of Chattanooga Creek. This was about November 14.

About this time I went to the top of the mountain with Lieutenant-General Hardee. We there met General Bragg, and after a view from Lookout Point General Bragg indicated a line on the slope of the mountain, which, from that standpoint, he thought ought to be the fighting line. As we descended the mountain I again rode out with Lieutenant-General Hardee to the Craven house, and again looked over the ground. The line indicated by General Bragg was found to present quite a different appearance upon a close view from the same as seen from the mountain top. This line, as I understood it, passed from Lookout Point a little in rear of the Craven house and down to a point not far from the junction of the Kelley's Ferry and Craven house roads, and thence to the precipitous rocks near the mouth of Chattanooga Creek. The engineers were put to work under some one's orders--whose I do not know--and fatigue parties furnished to them from my command, at their request.

On November 14, a new disposition of the command was made. Major-General Stevenson was assigned to the command of the troops and defenses on the top of Lookout Mountain. The ranking officer of Cheatham's division was directed to assume command of all troops and defenses at and near the Craven house. The ranking officer of Walker's division was charged with the line from the base of Lookout Mountain east to Chattanooga Creek, and all the troops not at the points above named. This order emanated from headquarters Hardee's corps, and, in conformity with it, as the ranking officer of Cheatham's division, I assumed command of the troops and defenses at and near the Craven house, and on the following day (November 15) established my headquarters at the junction of the Summertown road with the mountain-side road leading to the Craven house, with the approval of Lieutenant-General Hardee. On the same day Brigadier-General Walthall's brigade relieved that of Brigadier-General Pettus, near the Craven house.