[CHAP. XLIII.

Numbers 241.

Report of Major John P. McGuire, Thirty-second Tennessee Infantry.

HDQRS. THIRTY-SECOND TENNESSEE REGIMENT,
December 29, 1863.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor respectfully to submit the following report of the part taken by this regiment in the recent action of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge:

On the morning of the 24th ultimo, this regiment, together with tow other regiments of the brigade (the Third and Forty-fifth Tennessee Regiments), were ordered under arms and marched from their encampments on Lookout Mountain to a point near Summertown at which the road reaches the summit of the mountain. Here the brigade was halted, and this regiment detached and ordered to report to Brigadier-General Brown, commanding Stevenson's division, at Lookout Point. Reaching this point, Company A, Lieutenant Pigg, was deployed as skirmishers, and the remainder of the regiment held in line of battle until about 2 p.m., when the skirmishers were ordered in without having been engaged with the enemy, and the regiment ordered to rejoin the brigade at the point where it was halted in the forenoon.

Here it remained until about 10 p.m. when orders were received to march off the mountain by the road leading in the direction of Chattanooga. We reached the valley and bivouacked about 1 a.m. the 25th. The command was allowed to rest for a few hours, when, about dawn, the line of march was resumed for the right of the line on the ridge. We reached our position at the tunnel about 9 a.m. Brisk skirmishing was then going on on our right. This regiment was soon in position. Company A, Lieutenant Pigg, and Company I, Captain Summers, were advanced as skirmishers, and soon became engaged with a heavy line of the enemy's skirmishers posted near the base of the ridge. Heavy skirmishing continued with those two companies until about 11 o'clock, when the enemy were discovered to be advancing a second and very heavy line of skirmishers. Orders were received to re-enforce our skirmishers, which was accordingly done with Company G, Captain Hall, and Company H, Lieutenant Fogg; hence these tow lines were checked and repulsed. Soon afterward a brigade of the enemy advanced against our position, which, with some assistance, was likewise repulsed after a sharp engagement.

At about 2 p.m. our line being contracted, Companies A and I were ordered in, and Companies G and H relieved by Company B, Lieutenant Aaron Smith, and Company F, Captain Young. These two companies, after being hotly engaged for about two hours, were ordered to rejoin their regiment and brigade, when the whole was moved back and formed on the summit of the ridge. Orders were soon received, and the command moved by the left flank toward the center, but unfortunately did not reach its destination until it was too late to turn the tide of the victory to Southern arms.

In this action this regiment lost 1 killed,* 16 wounded, and 1 missing, which constituted the losses of the battles of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge.

Officers and men all did their duty.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. P. McGUIRE,

Major, Commanding.

Captain H. J. CHENEY, Assistant Adjutant-General.

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*Lieutenant J. T. Pigg.

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