the Sixty-fourth Ohio, Colonel Alexander McIlvain commanding; the Sixty-fifth Ohio, Lieutenant Colonel H. N. Whitbeck commanding, and the Sixth Ohio (Independent) Light Battery, Captain Cullen Bradley commanding, started from Shellmound on the left bank of the Tennessee, with three days' rations in haversacks,and one wagon for brigade headquarters, and one wagon per each regiment, and moved by the River road in the direction of Lookout Valley, via Whiteside's. My brigade having the advance of the division, the skirmishers and flankers of the leading regiment exchanged a few shots with the enemy's scouting parties, but suffered no casualties. We encamped about nightfall in the vicinity of Running Water Brook near Whiteside's. Whiteside's is a railroad station in a gorge of Raccoon Mountain, and is about 8 miles from Shellmound.

About 6 a.m. on the morning of the 6th instant, my brigade was again ordered to take the advance and proceed in the direction of Wauhatchie Station. This station is located in Lookout Valley at the junction of the Trenton and Chattanooga Railroad with the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad,and about 8 miles from Chattanooga.

We had scarcely left our camp in the Running Water Valley when our skirmishers became engaged with those of the enemy. We drove the foe steadily before us, the resistance becoming more stubborn as we approached the vicinity of Wauhatchie Junction, which we reached about 1 p.m. Soon after entering Lookout Valley the signal stations of the enemy on Lookout Mountain were plainly to be seen. From these stations all of our movements could be observed, and from the lively manner in which the signal officers of these stations appeared to be engaged we inferred that information concerning our number, movements, &c., was being transmitted to the enemy at Chattanooga. The position taken up by the division near Wauhatchie, though the strongest in that vicinity, was an untenable one against a superior force. As this division was in the immediate vicinity of what was reported to be an overwhelming force of the enemy and 14 miles from any re-enforcements, and as the best information that could be obtained and the inference to be drawn from the enemy's signaling all seemed to indicate that an attack upon our little command was imminent, the general commanding very wisely resolved to fall back a short distance to a stronger position.

About 10 p.m. on the night of the 6th, the retrograde movement commenced and the division took up a position on the Whiteside's road a short distance west of the junction of the same road with the Trenton and Chattanooga road and about 1 1/2 miles south of Wauhatchie. We remained in this position until the following morning, when, after a little reconnoitering of the ground, a much stronger position was found near by and on the direct wagon road from Trenton to Chattanooga.

From this point my brigade started about 1 p.m. on the 7th instant to make a reconnaissance in the direction of Lookout Mountain. As I have already submitted a detailed report of said reconnaissance, I would respectfully request that the same be considered a part of the operation of my brigade, and will not encumber this with a repetition of it.

Nothing of special interest occurred on the 8th instant. The trains coming up, the haversacks were replenished with three days' rations.

On the evening of the 8th instant, the general commanding the