the gap on the road leading through the hills to Chattanooga so thoroughly blockaded with batteries and ammunition trains as to (in the confusion) prevent their farther progress. I turned my attention to extricating the artillery from the jam by drawing them out in columns, piece by piece, on either side of the road until I had the satisfaction of seeing every carriage of all kinds in motion. While this was being done one of the enemy's guns was throwing solid shot into the gap. About 300 or 400 yards to the rear 800 or 1,000 men had been collected, for whose support I put one section of the Second Minnesota Battery in position so as to cover the road from the farther advance of the enemy, and remained there myself until General Davis came up and announced his intention to overtake the advance of the scattered troops going to the rear, where he would rally them for the purpose of marching them to the support of General Thomas, who was then holding the enemy in check. In less than two hours General Davis had collected about 1,500 men, with whom and the Eighth Wisconsin Battery he marched toward the front, but night closing in before he could reach the field, in obedience to orders, he countermarched and bivouacked his troops near Rossville about 11 p.m. The Second Minnesota Battery was the only battery of the division that was under fire on the 19th and 20th instant.

The number of casualties were: Wounded, First Lieutenant A. Woodbury, severely; Private Fordis Averill, slightly.

The men of the battery without exception behaved well. Lieutenant Woodbury's conduct was particularly commendable.

Respectfully submitted.

WM. AUGUSTUS HOTCHKISS.

Captain and Chief of Arty., 1st Div., 20th Army Corps.

Captain T. W. MORRISON,

Assistant Adjutant-General, First Division.

Numbers 86.

Report of Colonel P. Sidney Post, Fifty-ninth Illinois Infantry, commanding First Brigade.

HDQRS. FIRST BRIG., FIRST DIV., 20TH ARMY CORPS,
Chattanooga, Tenn., September 28, 1863.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the First Brigade, First Division, Twentieth Army Corps, since crossing the Tennessee River:

On the 30th day of August, in compliance with the order of Brigadier-General Davis, commanding division, I crossed the pontoon bridge at Stevenson, and made the laborious march over Sand Mountain, camping September 4 at Valley Head.

On the 9th, the infantry of the Second and Third Brigades having moved forward on Lookout Mountain for the purpose of making a reconnaissance toward Alpine, in accordance with General Davis' instructions to guard and hold the several roads belonging to this mountain pass., I moved the Twenty-second Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry, commanded by Colonel M. Gooding; the Seventy-