Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 10.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[376] Brigadier-General Gracie and of Colonels Trigg and Kelly, of a battalion of artillery to each division, and a battalion of reserve artillery, under Major S. C. Williams. Brigadier-General Johnson's brigade having been detached several days before, by orders from army headquarters, was engaged under its gallant commander under the orders of another corps commander, and did not report to me until two days after the battle.

On the morning of the eighteenth, I moved from a point on Peavine Creek, midway between Peavine Church and Rock Spring Church, under orders to cross the West Chickamauga River at Thedford's Ford, after Major-General Walker's division had succeeded in crossing below me. Part of my route being common with that of Walker's column, my march was somewhat retarded by the encounter of the two columns, but, notwithstanding this, I occupied, about two P. M., with Stewart's division, after a brisk skirmish, the crossing at Thedford's Ford, and with Preston's division, without opposition, the crossing at Hunt's or Dalton's Ford. In this position, holding both banks of the stream, I awaited the movements of Walker, on my right.

At daylight on the nineteenth, under instructions from the commanding General, I crossed my entire corps to the west bank and formed it in line of battle — Stewart on the right (on the left of Hood's division), facing south-west, in the direction of Lee and Gordon's Mill; General Cheatham's division, as I was informed, being directed to sustain me in the proposed advance. About noon, when the enemy's attack on Walker had been met, and Cheatham's division, which had been sent to sustain him, had become hotly engaged, Stewart's division was detached, by the orders of the commanding General, to support Cheatham. For the operations of his division until he again came under my orders, on the following afternoon, I refer to the report of its able commander.

In obedience to the orders of the commanding General, I remained with my remaining division to hold the extreme left of the line. With this view, I deployed Preston's division on a line extending from an abrupt elevation on the bank of the river along a ridge in a north-west direction — the flanks well sustained by artillery. Considerable skirmishing took place towards the right of this line — the enemy falling back in a south-west direction — and the troops were considerably exposed to artillery fire during the day. Being informed by a staff officer of the commanding General that General Hood, who had advanced to my right, was hard pressed, and being requested to reinforce him as far as I could, I immediately, about three o'clock P. M., sent to his assistance the brigade of Colonel Trigg. The gallant and successful charge of this brigade drove back the advancing enemy and relieved the left of Hood, which was outflanked and retiring before the enemy's heavy attack. During the day both Stewart's division and Trigg's brigade had penetrated the enemy's line and passed beyond the Chattanooga road; but at night both were drawn back into positions which would conform to the general line, which had pushed forward during the day's action. During the night of the nineteenth I materially strengthened the position on the left by intrenchments.

On the morning of the twentieth. Lieutenant-General Longstreet assumed command of the left wing. About two o'clock in the afternoon he, in person, ordered me conduct Preston's division, leaving one regiment and a battery to hold the left, to the Chattanooga road. Between three and four o'clock it was formed as follows: Gracie's and Kelly's brigades in two lines, at right angles to the road north of Brotherton's, and just in rear of Poe's, commonly called the “burnt house;” Trigg's brigade just south of Brotherton's house, and supporting Williams' artillery. At this time Stewart was in line, his left advanced in front of Preston's right, his right receding, forming an obtuse angle with Preston's line. In his front was a heavy breastwork of logs, on the summit of a slight ridge heavily wooded and strongly held by the enemy's infantry and artillery. His right flank was opposite the angle of this work; his centre, facing towards the north-west, was opposed to the flank of the work, which was perpendicular to the road. On Stewart's right, in front of the face of the work, and parallel to the Chattanooga road, was Cleburne's division, of Hill's corps. Brigadier-General Law's brigade, of Hood's division, was in line perpendicular to the road to the left, and slightly in advance of Preston, and close by the burnt house (Poe's), near which was a battery of Hood's artillery. A personal reconnoissance, in company with the Lieutenant-General commanding, showed an advantageous position for artillery in front of Poe's burning house, from which point the enemy's main line, which fronted eastward and was situated a little to the east of Kelly's field, was exposed to an enfilade fire, or rather to a fire slightly in reverse. His right flank, as before stated, was thrown back at right angles to the road, and was located behind log breastworks, in the heavy wood between Poe's and Kelly's fields. As the enemy's right had been beaten back, it had, by a conversion on this angle of their work as a pivot, been gradually driven to assume a position also at right angles to the road, his right resting on a chain of heights beginning near Snodgrass's house, about a fourth of a mile west of Kelly's house, on the road, and extending westward about one mile to the Crawfish road. These heights constitute the southern spurs which terminate Missionary Ridge, are covered with open woods, have a gentle but irregular slope on the south, the north and the east, and their summits are fully a hundred feet above the level of the surrounding country. A little after four o'clock P. M., under instructions from the Lieutenant-General commanding, I ordered Preston, with Gracie's and Kelly's brigades, to support Kershaw's brigade in the attack on the heights near Snodgrass's