having then been extended to Whiteside's, from which point, after department headquarters were established near Trenton, the signal telegraph line connected with it and extended to the mouth of Murphy's Cove, signal communication was attempted to be established from this point to headquarters, but it was found impossible, as the enemy held Lookout Mountain. When, however, General Beatty's brigade advanced to the top of the mountain, this was established, and from the same point constant communication kept with this brigade as it advanced toward Chattanooga.

After reaching Chattanooga, officers were immediately sent to the point of Lookout Mountain for observation, and soon after a station communicating with department headquarters, through this station on Lookout Mountain, was established at Rossville.

Communication from department headquarters to headquarters Fourteenth Army Corps was established up Lookout Valley as rapidly as possible.

The delay and length of time consumed in getting this line in working order to corps headquarters at Stevens' Gap, on south side of Lookout Mountain, was occasioned by the length of time necessarily consumed by the officers in coming from the stations assigned them on this line.

It was opened to Deer-head Cove on the 13th of September, and on the following day, by using the signal telegraph to connect stations across the mountain, the line was completed.

On the 12th instant a station for observation was established on top of mountain, communicating with a station at headquarters Twentieth Army Corps, then near Alpine; valuable information regarding the movements of the enemy was thus obtained and sent to Major-General McCook.

Stations communicating with our advance in Chattanooga Valley were established at Ringgold, Gordon's Mills, and Alley's house, headquarters Twenty-first Army Corps, at different times. When department headquarters were established at Crawfish Spring on the 16th instant, communication with Major-General Crittenden at Alley's house was opened via High Point, on Lookout Mountain. On the 17th, from the same point, communication was opened with Major-Generals Thomas and McCook, the former near Alley's house and the latter at Pond Spring. The signal telegraph connected General Thomas with General McCook, and from the headquarters of the former a communicating station with station of observation at Stevens' Gap. During the night of the 17th three more officers were sent to High Point, so that the movements of the enemy could be more closely watched and these observations and the official messages passing over our lines be more easily transmitted. Communication was at the same time opened with Summertown, the communicating station with Rossville. These lines were all worked during the 18th and 19th. On the night of the 19th a station communicating with High Point was opened near the battle-field, and kept open on the 20th. The station at Crawfish Spring was also kept open as long as the cavalry on our right were there.

The observation of the movements of the enemy on the battle-field or communication by signal between different parts of the army on the field was totally impossible on account of the dense timber. The same reason, together with smoke and dust, prevented our officers on

16 R R-VOL XXX, PT I