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

[461] and Seventeenth Tennessee regiments, composing this brigade, and Company E, of the Ninth Georgia battalion of artillery, a battery of two howitzers and two small rifle pieces, commanded by First Lieutenant W. S. Everett, in an affair at and from Ringgold to Chickamauga Creek, on the seventeenth and eighteenth instant, and at the battle of Chickamauga, on the nineteenth and twentieth instant.

By order from Brigadier-General Johnson, this brigade moved at three P. M. on the seventeenth instant, from its encampment, three miles south of Ringgold, on the Ringgold and Dalton road, in the following order: Twenty-fifth, Forty-fourth, Twenty-third, and Seventeenth Tennessee regiments. On our approaching Ringgold, a supply train on its way to Ringgold had been reversed and was rapidly returning. At this juncture I received an order from General B. R. Johnson to form the brigade in line of battle at the foot of Taylor's Ridge, and throw forward skirmishers to hold Ringgold. The Twenty-fifth Tennessee regiment, being in front, took position on its right flank, to protect the wagons, rapidly moving to the rear. The brigade was formed in line of battle at the foot of Taylor's Ridge, the Forty-fourth and Twenty-fifth Tennessee regiments on the right of the road, and the Twenty-third and Seventeenth Tennessee regiments on the left. A company from each regiment was sent, in charge of Major Davis, to hold Ringgold, with a detachment of Scott's cavalry on my flanks. A section of the battery was placed on my extreme right on elevated ground, where I ordered it to open upon the enemy's battery, posted on the hill above and to the northwest of Ringgold, which had fired two shots into the town. After firing eight rounds I dislodged the enemy, who was pursued by Colonel Scott's cavalry, with a section of Everett's battery, six miles. He (Colonel Scott) having reached their encampment, a few rounds of grape and canister were fired among the enemy's camp-fires, when Colonel Scott, with the section of artillery, retired. The brigade rested on their arms, in line of battle, during the night. Rations were cooked and in haversacks by day-light on the morning of the eighteenth instant, when we took up the line of march to Leek's tan-yard. After marching a short distance, the line of march was changed. The brigade countermarched and followed the enemy in the direction of Chattanooga, and, having reached Keeler's (over-shot) mill, we found that the enemy were near us. The brigade was formed in line of battle and skirmishers thrown forward, together with the left wing of the Forty-fourth Tennessee regiment, under General Forrest, followed by the right of that regiment, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel McEwen, Jr. Lieutenant Everett fired a few rounds on the enemy, under direction of General Forrest. The skirmishers of the seventeenth Tennessee regiment engaged the cavalry pickets of the enemy, killing three men and mortally wounding one. The enemy's skirmishers having been driven back, the Twenty-fifth, Twenty-third, and seventeenth regiments were moved forward, crossing Peavine Creek, some six hundred yards from our first position into and over a corn field where these regiments were drawn up in line of battle. The enemy had taken his position in the corn field opposite, running to a high ridge near the junction of the Graysville and Lafayette, Ringgold and Chattanooga roads. A section of the First Missouri battery, Bledsoe's, having been placed in position on my left by Generals Johnson and Forrest, in rear of the Seventeenth Tennessee (the Forty-fourth was now brought to the right of the Twenty-fifth Tennessee regiment), the firing from this battery drove the enemy from his position, and, after shelling the woods in our front, I again received an order to advance in line of battle. My skirmishers were kept deployed at a distance of two hundred yards, which distance they kept, passing over the ridge (a strong position) and forward to Reed's Bridge, across which the enemy had moved and taken position in the woods beyond. Before reaching the bridge, Reed's, the Seventeenth Tennessee was detached and sent by General Forrest to the left to attack a force of the Federals at their principal encampment. Before gaining this position, however, the enemy fled. The skirmishers of the Twenty-third Tennessee, whilst approaching Reed's Bridge, became engaged, and the Twenty-third Tennessee regiment voluntarily pushed forward with a yell and drove the enemy from the bridge before it could be destroyed. Here the Twenty-third Tennessee had five men wounded, one of whom, Private A. Melton, color-bearer, when obliged to give up his colors, called upon his successor to carry them forward “ahead of every thing else.” Skirmishers were immediately sent over the bridge and deployed, followed by the Forty-fourth, Twenty-fifth, and Twenty-third Tennessee regiments, which filed to the right some three or four hundred yards, through a corn field. The enemy now opened a battery upon the bridge, one of its shells wounding Lieutenant Hastings, of the Seventeenth Tennessee, which regiment was returning to rejoin the brigade and crossed the bridge under the enemy's fire of artillery. A section of First Missouri (Bledsoe's) battery, of the reserve artillery, opened fire and drove the enemy's battery from its position.

The brigade moved forward in line of battle, changing direction to the right, and moved in line to Alexander's Bridge, where we were halted and remained for the brigade on our left (Gregg's) to come up.

Gregg's brigade moved forward, followed by Johnson's, which after marching some six hundred yards, the Forty-fourth Tennessee was detached to guard our wagon train. Having marched some two and a half miles by the flank, Gregg's brigade became engaged with the enemy. We changed front forward on left company, left battalion, and moved up on line with other troops on our left, and rested on our arms