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

About eleven o'clock, A. M., of the twentieth September, Brigadier-General Jackson received orders from the General commanding the army to go to the support of Lieutenant-General Hill. For an account of the action of this brigade, whilst detached from my command, your attention is directed to the report of Brigadier-General Jackson.

At two o'clock, P. M., I received orders to proceed with my command to the extreme right of our line, where I remained until six. P. M., when a general advance of the whole line was ordered. Jackson's brigade, on the left of General Walker, was now actively engaged, and his ammunition being nearly exhausted, General Maney, with his brigade, was ordered to relieve him. Wright's brigade was ordered to form on Maney's right, and to advance with the entire line, now in motion. These brigades encountered but slight resistance. The enemy, now fiercely assailed at all points, yielded the field to us and fled in disorder.

At two o'clock, P. M., on the twenty-first, I moved my command in the direction of Chickamauga Station, and bivouacked for the night near the old Mission House, on Chickamauga Creek.

Early on the morning of the following day, I was directed by Lieutenant-General Polk to move in the direction of Chattanooga, and arrived at the foot of Missionary Ridge at ten o'clock A. M. I soon ascertained that the enemy occupied the crest of the ridge in force. After making the necessary reconnoissances, Maney's brigade on the right, and Smith's on the left — the latter was now commanded by Colonel A. J. Vaughan--were deployed and ordered to carry the position held by the enemy, which was done, after a spirited engagement of a few minutes. The position was found to be one of much natural strength, increased by breastworks made of stone and fallen timber; but the enemy, now demoralized by a succession of disasters, made but a feeble resistance, and fled in great haste.

In concluding this report, I beg to mention an act of daring and heroism on the part of Colonel S. S. Stanton, of the Twenty-eighth Tennessee Volunteers. During the engagement of the nineteenth, his regiment, exposed to a close and heavy fire, wavered for a moment, and seemed to be in the act of falling back, when the intrepid Colonel seized the colors of his regiment, and, rushing to the front, called his men to follow him. Inspired by his heroic example, the regiment re-formed on the colors, and at once recovered the ground they had lost. Whilst the colors were in the hands of Colonel Stanton, they were pierced thirty times by the enemy's balls.

The officers of my staff--Major James D. Porter, Jr., Assistant Adjutant-General; Major John Ingram, Assistant Adjutant-General; Major Melancthon Smith, Chief of Artillery; Major Joseph Vaux, Jr., Assistant Adjutant-General; Captain Thomas F. Henry, Assistant Inspector-General; Dr. F. Rice, Chief Surgeon; Lieutenant F. H. McNairy, Aid-de-Camp; Lieutenant J. Webb Smith, Aid-de-Camp; Major S. H. Brooks and A. L. Robertson, volunteer Aids-de-Camp; Major John A. Cheatham, Chief of Ordnance; Major G. V. Young, Chief Quartermaster; Major B. J. Butler, Chief Commissary--all deserve honorable mention for the proper performance of the duties assigned them.

My escort--Company G, Second Georgia cavalry, Captain T. M. Merritt--were, under my orders, employed in collecting the small arms abandoned by the enemy, and deserve honorable mention for the industrious performance of their duty.

Respectfully, Colonel,

Your obedient servant,

It was composed of the Second, Fourth, Sixth and Ninth Kentucky, and Forty-first Alabama regiments, with Cobb's battery, under the command of Brigadier-General B. H. Helm; the Thirteenth, Twentieth, Sixteenth, Twenty-fifth and Nineteenth Louisiana; Thirty-second Alabama, and Austin's battalion of sharpshooters, with Slocomb's battery (Fifth Washington artillery), under the command of Brigadier-General Daniel Adams; the First, Third and Fourth Florida; Forty-seventh Georgia and Sixtieth North Carolina regiments, with Mabane's battery, under the command of Brigadier-General M. A. Stovall. My effective strength was, of enlisted men, three thousand three hundred and ninety-five. Total, three thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine.

At daylight of the eighteenth, my command moved from Catlett's Gap and that neighborhood, in the Pigeon Mountain, and the same afternoon took position on the east bank of the Chickamauga, near Glass's Mills, and composed the extreme left of the infantry of the army. I immediately threw the Second Kentucky across the ford to skirmish with the enemy and reveal his position, the Sixth Kentucky being placed in close supporting distance at the mill. Adams' brigade was sent, by order of Lieutenant-General Hill, to a ford a mile and a-half above, where the enemy, as the cavalry reported, threatened to cross. It was so late when these dispositions were made that nothing satisfactory was developed that night.

On the morning of the nineteenth, Slocomb,