No. 14.

Report of Surg. Daniel G. Brinton, U. S. Army, Medical Director.

OFFICE OF MEDICAL DIRECTOR, ELEVENTH CORPS, ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND,

February 19, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report on the action of the medical department of the Eleventh Army Corps at the battle of Lookout Valley, or Wauhatchie:

On the morning of the 28th October, 1863, the Second and Third Divisions of the Eleventh Corps broke camp at Whiteside's Station, on the Chattanooga and Nashville Railroad, and followed slowly and cautiously the wagon road that leads over a spur of Raccoon Mountain into the Valley of Lookout Creek. At any moment the enemy might appear and an engagement commence. At any moment the medical officers might be called on to provide for the wounded. Accordingly, the acting medical director, Surg. Robert Hubbard, Seventeenth Connecticut Volunteers, was engaged with the surgeon-in-chief of the two divisions in looking for favorable locations for a field hospital, and in providing for the most economical employment of the medical and hospital stores on hand. There was urgent need of such economy. The command had left Bridgeport with no other transportation than the ambulances. No hospital tents were taken, and not only was there a very limited amount of medical stores, especially stimulants, on hand when they marched, but a portion of these, through an error of the ambulance officers, had been left behind.

No enemy was seen until well on in the afternoon, when the troops had passed the junction of the Trenton and Chattanooga Railroad, and entered a dense belt of woods that at this point stretched across Lookout Valley.

Here we came upon the enemy's outposts, and an irregular picket firing ensued. Our cavalry was withdrawn, the Second Brigade of the Second Division deployed in skirmish line and ordered to advance, while a portion of the First Brigade followed the railroad track on the right. The enemy made no resistance, but fired their guns toward the advancing line and hastened to make good their escape.

The casualties, from their irregular fire, amounted to 1 killed and 3 slightly wounded. A frame house, with spacious verandas, about 2 miles in the rear, had been chosen for a provisional field hospital, but only 1 of the wounded was sent there.

Before sunset the troops had reached their destined camping grounds, the Third Division being located in the valley, opposite what has since been called Tyndale's Hill, and the Second about half a mile nearer the river, on the main road. Near Wauhatchie Station, General Geary, with the Second Division of the Twelfth Corps, was encamped. The ambulances of the Eleventh Corps were parked with the ammunition train, near the Second Division. The night was clear and the moon almost full. Shortly after midnight our slumbers were disturbed by rapid musketry in the direction of Geary's command.

The Third Division of our corps was immediately ordered to move at double-quick to their assistance; but hardly were they fairly