resulted in the decision to attack the enemy to-morrow, if not too foggy. 6 p. m., received Special Orders, headquarters Department of the Cumberland, of which the following is a copy.* 7 p. m., issued orders to division commanders to have everything in readiness to move at 6 a. m. to-morrow. General Elliott will form his division slightly in echelon with General A. J. Smith's left, and refuse his left; General Kimball will form on General Elliott's left, slightly in echelon, with his division refusing his left; and Brigadier-General Beatty will form his division on General Kimball's left, slightly in echelon, refusing his left, or, rather, resting his left on our present line of works near the position now occupied by Streight's brigade, opposite Montgomery Hill.

December 15.-6 a.m., very foggy; cannot well form the troops yet. 9 a. m., General Smith has a long distance to swing around before we can advance, and his troops are forming slowly. 12.30 p .m., our right is now moving slowly, conforming to General Smith's movement.12.30 p. m., General Beatty ordered by General Wood to assault the works on Montgomery Hill. Colonel Post's brigade selected to make the assault. 1 p. m., Post assaults Montgomery Hill, and carried it handsomely. We captured quite a number of prisoners. Our loss in killed and wounded not large for the success. 1.30 p. m., General Thomas sent work that he has sent General Schofield to General Smith's right, to enable the cavalry to go around the enemy's left flank, and he wishes General Wood to mass his troops toward General Smith's left. Our reserves were at once massed in that direction. 2 p. m., visited General Smith on his line. Our whole line now swinging up toward the enemy's works. 2.30 p. m., General Smith carried the left of the enemy's works. At once word was sent to division commanders of Fourth Crosp to push forward. 3.15 p. m, Generals Elliott and Kimball advance, skirmishing severely. 3.25 p. m., Generals Kimball and Elliott occupy high ground,now very near the enemy's solid works. 4 p. m., General Elliott ordered to advance and take the hill in his front, on which the enemy has a strong line of works and a battery that is anything us very much. 4.30 p. m., General Elliott has not yet started, and he is again ordered to move forward. He said that he was waiting for General Smith to come up and connect with his right; he has advanced beyond General Smith's left. He was directed to move at once and cover his right with his reserve brigade. 4.30 p. m., General Kimball was ordered to take the same hill. He moved forward at once, assaulted vigorously, and captured the hill, with the enemy's works and a four-gun battery. General Elliott's division arrived upon the hill just as it was captured . General Kimball assaulted with his whole division. He captured quite a number of prisoners and four battle-flags. The enemy retreated in the direction of the Franklin pike, and formed a line along it, running at right angles to their old line of works, which they yet held from the Franklin pike to their extreme right. 5 p. mn, received directions from General Thomas to move forward eastward, toward the Franklin pike, and to reach it if possible before dark, drive the enemy, and from the corps across the pike, facing south, 5.30 p. m, the troops have just been formed-it took some time to form them, owing to the confusion following the capture of the hill-and have started in lines of battle for the Franklin pike, two miles and a half off. 6 p. m, we have reached the Granny White pike, three-quarters of a mile from the Franklin pike, and it is so dark that the troops cannot move farther without confu-

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*For full text orders (here omitted), see Part II, p. 183.

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