camp in Lookout Valley and took up our line of march on the Chattanooga road, following the First Brigade of this division. After passing around the foot of Lookout Mountain we left Chattanooga on the left, passed through Rossville, and reached Gordon's Mills at about 3.30 p. m., when we encamped for the night, having marched the distance of fifteen miles. On the 3rd of May we occupied substantially the same position taken the previous afternoon. A slight change was made for the purpose of getting more favorable ground on which the encamp. On the 4th, at 6.30 a. m., the brigade marched from Gordon's Mills to Pleasant Grove Church, near Taylor's Ridge,and took a position, formed in two lines, deployed on the right of the division, near the East Chickamauga Creek. The distance marched was eleven miles. The brigade occupied this position until the morning of the 6th. During the time a substantial bridge for infantry was built across the creek by the brigade pioneers. On the 6th the brigade marched at 5 a. m. from Pleasant Grove Church to Leet's Tannery, on Pea Vine Creek, a distance of six and a half miles, and took up a position in our lines deployed, with one regiment in reserve, which position the brigade marched from Leet's, through Gordon's Gap, passing Gordon's Springs, to Woods' Store, on the road leading to Buzzard Roost Gap, a distance of fifteen and a half miles. Here the brigade was put in position in a single deployed line. The Thirty-third Massachusetts was detached from the brigade, in pursuance of orders received from division headquarters, and directed to report to Colonel Ross, commanding Second Brigade, who occupied the crest of a hill about one mile in advance of this brigade. On the morning of the 8th I received from division headquarters an order, of which the following is a copy:

Colonel WOOD,

Commanding Brigade:

The major-general directs that, in compliance with the inclosed order, you move your brigade out in front of Colonel Ross' position and make a reconnaissance toward the enemy's position at Buzzard Roost. Guard well your flanks; keep a strong line of skirmishers well advanced; don't attack him in his intrenchments, if you should find such to be the case. If you can draw him on the Colonel Ross' position, should he follow you, do so. If he has abandoned Buzzard Roost and you get possession, look well to your right. The general will be at Colonel Ross' on the ridge.

Very respectfully, &c.,

JOHN SPEED,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Which was accompanies by instructions directing the manner in which the reconnaissance was to be made. In pursuance of the order I immediately got my command under arms and took up the line of march for Buzzard Roost Gap. After passing the Second Brigade (Colonel Ross), encamped on the crest of a hill a short distance east of Woods' Store, I threw forward an advance guard and ordered them deployed as skirmishers; at the same time I covered the flanks of the column with a line of flankers. In this way the column advanced toward Buzzard Roost Gap. When about two miles from the gap, the skirmishers in front of the column came in contact with and crossed the advanced skirmish line of Carlin's brigade, of Johnson's division, of the Fourteenth Corps. The brigade was in position about 100 yards in the rear of this skirmishers line and