They enemy's attempt was to hold my corps in check while he destroyed Geary. He did not succeed.

Respectfully,

O. O. HOWARD,

Major-General.

Major-General BUTTERFIELD,

Chief of Staff.

HEADQUARTERS ELEVENTH CORPS,
Lookout Valley, November 1, 1863.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of operations of this corps since the 27th ultimo:

In accordance with instructions of the major-general commanding, the Eleventh and Twelfth Corps left Bridgeport at sunrise on the 27th of October. One battery had been located at Rankin's Ferry, one full regiment at Battle Creek, and the transportation of the corps at Bridgeport. A portion of General Steinwehr's command already occupied Shellmound. A company of the Fifth Tennessee Cavalry and another of the First Alabama reported to me for the march. With this cavalry, supported by infantry, every approach from the right flank was carefully guarded during the passage of the column. The corps reached Whiteside's and was encamped by 8 p.m. A regiment, strengthened by a detachment from another from General Schurz's division, was detached at Shellmound and ordered to hold the pass toward Trenton, near Gordon's Mines. Small squads of the enemy's cavalry were driven before us and a few prisoners taken during the march.

At daylight on the 28th, the column moved in the same order as the day before, General Steinwehr's division leading. There was some little delay in crossing a mountain ridge just this side of Etna, battery wheels being broken by the roughness of the road, so that as soon as the head of the column debouched in the Lookout Valley a halt was called and the troops massed until the corps came up. The march was then continued with scarcely any interruption until we reached Wauhatchie. About a mile south of that point scouts and cavalry were met by a fire form the enemy concealed in the thick underbrush at the base of a spur from the ridge that extends along the southern bank of the Tennessee River. This point is at the fork of the Brown's Ferry and Chattanooga road. It was impossible at first to tell the strength of the enemy.

In accordance with instructions of the general commanding, I directed General Steinwehr to move forward cautiously with his leading brigade, covered by skirmishers, deploy a portion of his other brigade to the east of the railroad, threatening the enemy's left, and General Schurz to move a brigade toward the right of the position of the enemy. The movement had hardly begun when the enemy gave way and fled across Lookout Creek, burning the railroad bridge. Five or 6 men of Colonel Buschbeck's brigade were wounded.

The column again took up its line of march and effected a junction with the Chattanooga troops, already on the south and west shores. During the march from Wauhatchie to this point the enemy shelled the troops and train from the top of Lookout Mountain. One man was killed and 1 wounded. Here the corps was encamped with its left resting on the shore ridge of the Tennessee and its right at the foot of the Raccoon Mountain. A small portion of General Geary's division was halted at Wauhatchie. Strong outposts

7 R R-VOL XXXI, PT I