driven became clearer, he was dispatched in that direction, and soon found the enemy had dislodged Van Cleve from the line, and was forming there even while Thomas was driving their right. Orders were promptly given Negley to attack him, which he soon did, and drove him steadily until night closed the combat.

General Brannan,having repulsed the enemy in our extreme left, was sent by General Thomas to support the center, and at night took a position on the right of Reynolds.

Colonel Wilder's brigade of mounted infantry occupied during the day a position on the La Fayette road, 1 mile north of Gordon's Mills, where he had take position on the afternoon previous when, contesting the ground step by step, he had been driven by the enemy's advance from Alexander's Bridge.

Minty's cavalry had been ordered from the same position about noon of the 19th, to report to Major-General Granger, at Rossville, which he did a daylight on the 20th, and was posted near Mission Mills, to hold in check the enemy's cavalry on their right, from the direction of Ringgold and Graysville.

The Reserve Corps covered the approaches from the Chickamauga toward Rossville and the extension of our left.

The roar of battle hushed in the darkness of night, and our troops, weary with a night of marching and a day of fighting, rested on their arms, having everywhere maintained their positions, developed the enemy, and gained thorough command of the Rossville and Dry Valley roads to Chattanooga, the great object of the battle of the 19th of September.

The battle had secured us these objects. Our flanks covered the Dry Valley and Rossville roads, while our cavalry covered the Missionary Ridge and the Valley of Chattanooga Creek, into which latter place our spare trains had been sent on Friday, the 18th.

We also had indubitable evidence of the presence of Longstreet's corps and Johnston's forces, by the capture of prisoners from each, and the fact that at the close of the day we had present but two brigades which had not been opportunely and squarely in action, opposed to superior number of the enemy, assured us that we were greatly outnumber, and that the battle the next day must be for the safety of the army and the possession of Chattanooga.

THE BATTLE OF THE 20TH.

During the evening of the 19th the corps commanders were assembled at headquarters at Widow Glenn's house, the report of the positions and condition of their command heard, and orders given for the disposition of the troops for the following day.

Thomas' corps, with the troops which had re-enforced him, was to maintain substantially his present line, with Brannan in reserve.

McCook, maintaining his picket line till it was driven in, was to close on Thomas, his right refused, and covering the position at Widow Glenn's, and Crittenden to have two divisions in reserve near the junction of McCook's and Thomas' lines to be able to succor either.

Plans having been explained, written orders given to each and read in the presence of all, the wearied corps commanders returned about midnight to their commands.

No firing too place during the night. The troops had assumed position when day dawned. The sky red and sultry, the at-