Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 8.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[225] the glory is more personal than in any battle I know of. My loss was heavy, but were the dead only living, I should esteem the triumph cheaply purchased. The temporary absence, on account of wounds received in this battle, of Captain Huston, Lieutenants Zoller and Thomas, is a source of considerable embarrassment, as they are most valuable officers. My color-bearer, Corporal Murphy, was killed within a few feet of the summit, in advance of the entire brigade. I had no braver man in my command. Adjutant Johnston and Surgeon Miller have my thanks for the services rendered me, and I especially commend Sergeants Wolf and McDermont for their handsome behavior. You are respectfully referred to Major Campbell's report for those honorably mentioned in Sixth regiment Indiana volunteers.

We remained on Mission Ridge till the evening of the twenty-sixth, when we moved to Chattanooga, to prepare to set out for Knoxville, which point we reached, after ten days marching, on the afternoon of the seventh instant.

Inclosed you will please find lists of the killed and wounded of the Sixth Indiana and Fifth and Sixth Kentucky infantry.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Captain: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the battalion under my command, which includes the Forty-first and Ninety-third regiments infantry, Ohio volunteers, from the time of breaking camp at Chattanooga, November twenty-third, 1863, to the present date.

At the commencement of the operations, Colonel Aquila Wiley, Forty-first infantry, Ohio volunteers, was in command of the battalion; but the wounding of that officer, on the evening of the twenty-fifth, devolves upon me the duty of reporting the operations before I assumed command.

At noon of November twenty-third, the battalion prepared to move from its camp near Fort Wood, Chattanooga, upon a reconnoissance toward Missionary Ridge, and at two o'clock of that day marched in line of battle with the brigade upon the enemy's rifle-pits, a mile in advance of the Ridge. The position assigned this battalion was upon the right of the first line, its front being covered by the Fifth Kentucky infantry as skirmishers. The advance for eight hundred yards from Fort Wood was over open ground; beyond this was a forest, in the skirts of which the enemy's pickets were met, but gave way readily before the skirmishers. As the line advanced in support of the skirmishers, Colonel Wiley, seeing his right uncovered, sent two companies of the Forty-first regiment, under Major Williston, to act as flankers. Passing over a gentle crest, which had been occupied by the rebel pickets, and into the dense undergrowth of oak in the valley beyond, the enemy's resistance became suddenly obstinate. The skirmishers could advance no further, but the main line went steadily forward for two hundred yards without firing, though receiving a rapid musketry fire. A good line of rifle-pits on a considerable crest, a hundred yards to the front, was now distinctly visible, and in these pits the rebel pickets had been rallied. Colonel Wiley sent notice of this fact to his brigade commander, and received immediately an order to take the rifle-pits and hold the crest. Before the messenger bearing the order reached him, Cofonel Wiley had opened fire and led his battalion forward to within fifty paces of the rifle-pits. Here he met a severe fire from the front and right flank. At the latter point, the enemy's line of works bent toward his front, and enabled him to pour upon Colonel Wiley's line an enfilading fire. Near a fourth of the men were struck down here in advancing twenty-five or thirty paces, and the battalion was for a moment staggered by the withering musketry. It soon rallied, however, under the personal efforts of Colonel Wiley and his subordinates, and pressed forward over the rifle-pits. As soon as these were reached, the enemy's resistance ceased, and the men who occupied the pits generally surrendered, and were sent to the rear. A slight parapet for the defence of the position was at once constructed. The line to our right was also abandoned, almost immediately, and the battalion was left in quiet possession of the works, subject only to a cannonade of an hour from the enemy's batteries on Missionary Ridge.

During the twenty-fourth and until afternoon of the twenty-fifth, the battalion remained in the position above described. At two P. M., of the twenty-fifth, the brigade was formed to carry the enemy's works at the foot of Missionary Ridge. Colonel Wiley's battalion was assigned a position on the right of the second line. The battalions of this line were deployed, having to pass for three fourths of a mile under fire of the enemy's batteries on the Ridge, before coining upon the works at the foot. Scarcely was the line in motion before the enemy commenced a furious cannonade from the Ridge, which was continued uninterruptedly until his batteries fell into our hands. The works at the foot of the Ridge were carried by the skirmish-line, and the battalion moved up and covered itself behind them as well as was possible. While lying here, Colonel Wiley, who had incautiously exposed himself, was struck by a canister-shot, which shattered his leg. A few moments afterward, I heard the order from the brigade commander to assault the enemy's line at the summit of the Ridge, and the command of the battalion having devolved upon me, I at once ordered the men forward. Owing to the noise of the cannonade, and the fact that the men were lying flat upon their faces for cover, it was impossible to make