Numbers 181.

Report of Colonel Frederick Knefler, Seventy-ninth Indiana Infantry.

HDQRS. SEVENTY-NINTH REGIMENT INDIANA VOLS., Before Chattanooga, Tenn., September 28, 1863.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report that on the 18th of September, 1863, the regiment left camp at Crawfish Spring, and marched with the brigade to Gordon's Mills, on Chickamauga Creek. The regiment was then placed in position in reserve of the Ninth and Seventeenth Kentucky Regiments, which were posted on the bank of the creek on the left of the brigade of General Wood's division. Remaining there for a short time the regiment was ordered to take a position on the left of a hill occupied by artillery. Toward dusk the regiment was ordered to move forward and take position on the left of the Thirteenth Ohio Regiment, which was supporting a section of artillery. The regiment remained there during the night. No firing occurred during all that time.

On the morning of the 19th, the regiment was again moved back to its original position, in reserve of the Ninth and Seventeenth Kentucky Regiments. About 1 o'clock on Saturday the brigade moved forward toward the left of the army. Upon arriving near the position, the regiment was placed in the front line of the brigade on the left of the Nineteenth Ohio, supported in the rear by the Seventeenth Kentucky, and ordered to keep on the line with the Nineteenth Ohio. After penetrating the woods, and shortly after the firing commenced, my attention was directed by Lieutenant Mounts to a battery in front and covering the left wing of my regiment. The order was given to disable the men and horse; the battery was covered with a heavy fire; the order to charge was given, which was promptly obeyed, and the battery captured. It consisted of four guns and caissons. The artillery officer commanding it surrendered to me, and, together with the men who were not killed or wounded, were sent, to the rear as prisoners. The horses with but few exceptions were killed or wounded, lying in the traces perffectly unmanageable. The regiment here suffered considerable loss, but not what it might have been had opportunity been given the enemy to discharge the pieces, as upon examination by our artillery officers they proved to be double shotted with canister.

Before we had time to remove the guns, the brigade was flanked on the right and compelled to give way. The regiment fell back on a line with the Nineteenth Ohio, which was on the right, but immediately making a stand, I sent men to haul out the guns to prevent the enemy, who were rapidly approaching, from taking possession and using them. We succeeded in bringing them out by hand, with the assistance of a few men from the Ninth and Seventeenth Kentucky, and placing them on the road in rear of the brigade. After a short time, the enemy attacked the whole line in force and drove it back upon the road. The Seventh Indiana Battery and some others opened a heavy fire; a force was rallied to support the batteries, which did good work until our artillery was compelled to abandon the position, when all fell back. By dint of hard exertion I succeeded in rallying a large number of men of different commands, and placed them upon the roads in rear of the hospital, from which they were ordered by General Beatty to occupy the crest of the hill, where they remained for the night, and were organized and put in shape. We