dawn, and, with scarcely an incident worthy of note, passed through Whiteside's and Lookout Valley, crossed Lookout Mountain, and encamped in the Chattanooga Valley, the distance traveled being twenty-two miles. Here I was joined by Buschbeck's brigade, which had marched from Lookout Valley during the afternoon. May 5, my division, for the first time entirely united, marched via Ross' Gap under orders to proceed to Gordon's Springs, but the roads in that direction being thronged with troops, my orders were changed, and I marched to Post Oak Church, four miles from Ringgold. Near this point the division encamped. May 6, marched thence to Pea Vine Church, which was reached before noon; here the division encamped in order of battle. May 7, leaving Pea Vine Church my command crossed Taylor's Ridge; passed Gordon's Springs, near which I met General Kilpatrick and his command. In the afternoon, in accordance with orders from General Hooker, my Third Brigade was detached to support General Kilpatrick in his movement upon Villanow. With the other brigades I reached Thornton's farm, on the Rome road, shortly before dusk. Here I encamped, my line running parallel to the road, which was commanded on my right by a section of the Thirteenth New York Battery. The night passed without attack.

MILL CREEK GAP.

May 8, I received orders as follows:

March without delay to seize the gap in the Rocky Face Ridge called Babb's, and to establish yourself strongly at that point; take your two brigades and send word as soon as you are in position. Take no wagons and but few ambulances.

Having no map of the road or country, I took a citizen as guide and moved as ordered with my two brigades and two batteries of artillery at 11 a.m. The road taken was narrow and hilly, but was by several miles the most direct to the point designated, the distance by it being five miles. On reaching Mill Creek Valley, at the foot of Chattanooga Ridge (named in the order Rocky Face Ridge), my skirmishers came upon the enemy's cavalry pickets near Babb's house. These retreated hastily across Mill Creek, pursued by my skirmishers, and made their way to the mountain crest by the only road-that leading to Dalton. My preparations were immediately made for attacking the enemy, who were in plain sight along the crest of the mountain. The entire range here is known as Chattanooga Ridge, one of that numerous class in Northern Georgia to which Mission and Taylor's Ridges also belong. Its sides, steep, covered with forest, and corrugated with ridgy spurs and formations of rock, rise abruptly from the banks of Mill Creek, which flows along its base in a northerly direction. The banks of the creek are fringed with marshy thickets, and the creek itself is a sluggish, muddy stream with treacherous bottom. John's Mountain is a peak continuous with the ridge, but rising above the remainder of it about 200 feet, and situate south by west four miles from Dalton. The main road from La Fayette to Dalton crosses Mill Creek at Hall's Mil, thence winds up the steep ascent to an elevation of 800 feet from the valley, and there crosses over the ridge. This roadway has been cut out from the mountain side and through the palisades which crest the mountain, from which fact comes the name of Dug Gap. Along the top, facing westward for miles on either side of the pass, rise palisades of rock impossible