marched down the Chattanooga road another mile, and, halting in a large open field on the left, I succeeded in collecting together nearly 600 men of the division, and was ordered by Lieutenant-Colonel Lodor, of General Crittenden's staff, to march into Chattanooga. On nearing Rossville, I learned that General Van Cleve had established his headquarters there, and sent forward to notify him of my approach. I then received orders and went into camp with division at Rossville.

At 1 a.m. of the 21st instant, I marched with the division on the Valley road, arriving at Chattanooga at 4 a.m., and bivouacked until daylight, when I again moved with the division to a ridge on the left of Fort Cheatham and 1 mile east of town, resting in line until 1 p.m. Three of my regiments were then ordered to occupy and hold the approaches to the town; respectively, the Thirteenth Ohio on Missionary Ridge at the gap of same name, the Forty-fourth Indiana at Shallow Ford Gap, one-half mile to the left of the Thirteenth Ohio, each 4 miles from town, and the Fifty-ninth Ohio at Chickamauga Bridge, 6 1/2 miles out and 3 miles to the left of the Forty-fourth Indiana, the first two regiments being in command of Lieutenant-Colonel Aldrich, of the Forty-fourth Indiana, and the latter in command of Lieutenant-Colonel Frambes, while the Eighty-sixth Indiana, in command of Major J. C. Dick, was placed as a reserve to the line of pickets in our front. For the operations of my regiments while thus detached, you are referred to the reports of their commanding officers, copies of which are herewith forwarded. The Forty-fourth Indiana and Thirteenth Ohio, under Colonel Aldrich, held the gaps until noon of the 22nd unmolested, when they were attacked by a brigade of the enemy's cavalry, dismounted. The Thirty-ninth Indiana, in command of Colonel Harrison, mounted infantry, being unable to protect his flanks, Colonel Aldrich retired from his position, in accordance with orders from Colonel Swaine, commanding the outposts, and fell back in good order, fighting, reaching our picket line at 1 p.m. I then assigned the two regiments of Lieutenant-Colonel Aldrich positions behind the railroad, with the Eighty-sixth Indiana, about 100 yards in rear of the line of sentinels. I remained quietly in this position until about 4 p.m., at which time the enemy was observed getting a battery in position on the railroad, about 600 yards to my left, and immediately opened upon my line. This caused some confusion, when I was ordered by Colonel Swaime to fall back inside the fortifications, which I did in good order. I was then ordered to relieve the pickets with the Forty-fourth Indiana and Eighty-sixth Indiana. I went forward and deployed the Eighty-sixth Indiana as sentinels or skirmishers, relieving the old line, and left the Forty-fourth Indiana in reserve in two battalions. Soon heavy skirmishing commenced along my whole line, but I maintained my position until 12 p.m., when I was relieved by the Ninety-ninth Ohio and Seventy-ninth Indiana, and marched within the fortifications and bivouacked, finding my command in an exhausted condition.

At 2 p.m., finding the enemy in considerable force in the valley west of Missionary Ridge, I endeavored to communicate with the Fifty-ninth Ohio at the Chickamauga Bridge in order to have them fall back, knowing he would soon be in Colonel Frambes' rear. To this end I sent one of my staff officers with Colonel Harrison and 200 mounted infantry, who offered to go to Colonel Frambes' assistance. He was enabled to go out but a mile, when he came upon a force of the enemy. His ammunition being exhausted, he could not go