two regiments on the right, reported their ammunition exhausted, when the Thirty-sixth Indiana and Twenty-fourth Ohio were sent to relieve them, who held the position until about midnight, when the firing ceased on both sides, the enemy evidently having retired from our front and, as afterward appeared, from the top of the mountain, but not until these two latter regiments had also exhausted their ammunition. Thus all my regiments had been in the front line during this engagement. The ground in front of the center of the line, in and about the white house, I believe, was the common stock of the skirmishers of all the commands engaged, and at the house they found in park two pieces of the enemy's artillery [with the limbers], which were not in use upon our advance.

Early the next morning, the enemy having entirely left the mountain, the Stars and Stripes in triumph waved upon the point of rocks on the summit of this grand old mountain. This was the conclusive evidence to observers for many miles around that one of the grandest feats of the war had been performed by our soldiers in successfully storming this stronghold and taking most of the enemy that were there posted prisoners. Our advancing lines completely enfiladed most of the enemy's works, which were poorly adapted to the defense of the position.

Early on the morning of the 25th of November, the Eighty-fourth and Seventy-fifth Illinois were advanced on the left to make a reconnaissance, and captured some rebel guards, camps, baggage, and several boxes of arms near the road from Chattanooga up the mountain to Summertown, and found that the main force of the enemy had evacuated Chattanooga Valley. These facts being reported, the whole force under General Hooker moved about 10 a.m.toward Rossville, situated at the base of Missionary Ridge, 5 miles distant from Chattanooga, at which place the La Fayette road passes through a gorge in the ridge, having to rebuild the destroyed bridge over Chattanooga Creek. It was after 2 p.m. before our advance, General Osterhaus' division, reached the rebel lines strongly posted in the gorge. The attack was soon made, however, and the advanced division forced the passage, routed the enemy, and moved forward through the gorge. As my advance approached the passage in the ridge, General Cruft directed me to move up the point of the ridge to the left and at right angles with the road. As we ascended the point of the ridge, a brisk fire was opened from the summit upon some cavalry escort in our front. They soon found other quarters, and gave way for our infantry-the Ninth Indiana. Colonel Suman was in advance, and seemingly by intuition came into line with skirmishers in front, supported by the Fifty-ninth Illinois, Major Hale, in double-quick on the left, the Eighty-fourth Illinois and Thirty-sixth Indiana in the second line, the Seventy-fifth Illinois and Twenty-fourth Ohio forming the third line. By the time the rear lines were formed, the advance line had charged and driven the enemy from two lines of barricades, visiting the enemy with severe punishment, killing and wounding a large number and taking all the balance prisoners that were behind the barricades. Two regiments of General Whitaker's brigade soon came up on the left of my second and third lines on the slope of the ridge, General Geary's division advancing still farther to the left in the valley; at the same time General Osterhaus' division was advancing on the east side of the ridge to my right.

We continued the advance, meeting and driving more of the enemy northward on the ridge; at the same time heavy firing was going