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this command heard along the entire line.
After advancing briskly about fifty paces, perceiving my men were not yet all up, I checked the movement for a moment to close up the line.
The enemy's canister was thrown too thickly, however, to permit an instant's halt here, and at my command the men promptly commenced the ascent of the
Ridge.
This was very steep, and covered with stumps, logs, etc. The advance was made steadily, though of course slowly, and the nature of the ground prevented any attempt at the preservation of lines.
When about two thirds of the ascent had been accomplished, I saw that the face of the hill where my battalion was moving was concave, and exposed to fire from the rifle-pits at the top, while a battery to the right enfiladed the line.
To the left, fifty paces, the face of the hill was convex, and a part of the left battalion was moving up well covered, To take advantage of this, I closed to the left most of my men, and with the rest, who were now within thirty paces of the enemy's rifle-pits, opened a fire upon the battery to the right, which was throwing canister very rapidly.
The fire of my men was very effective, the rebel gunners firing but two shots after we opened upon them, when they deserted their pieces and ran. Half a dozen men of the Forty-first regiment, who were farthest to the right, at once seized the battery, and, turning it upon the enemy, added materially to the panic which had now seized them.
The party to my left, before alluded to as moving up the convex face of the hill, had entered the enemy's rifle-pits, and the portion of my battalion to the right of this was fast forming in them, when, going forward to look down the opposite slope, I discovered the enemy rallying just under the crest.
Sending the colors of my regiment forward to the crest, the men were ordered to advance, when they dashed upon the enemy without waiting for command, and drove him entirely from the position.
To the right, the enemy still held out, and my battalion, with others of the brigade, advanced along the ridge several hundred yards, when it was halted, and prepared to defend the place should the enemy attempt to retake it. No further fighting occurred, and the evening was spent in collecting the artillery which had been captured.
On the night of the twenty-sixth, the battalion returned to camp at
Chattanooga, and on the twenty-eighth marched with the brigade for
Knoxville, reaching its present camp on the seventh instant.
No praise is extravagant when applied to the officers and men whose bravery and zeal carried the enemy's works, under such heavy loss, on the twenty-third, and climbed the apparently impregnable heights of
Missionary Ridge on the twenty-fifth.
I have particularly to thank
Major Williston, Forty-first infantry, Ohio volunteers, and
Captain Bowman, Ninety-third Ohio volunteer infantry, for efficient and gallant services, and, without exception, the subordinate officers of both regiments for gallantry in action and faithful performance of duty at all times.
Corporal G. A. Kramer, company I, Forty-first infantry, Ohio volunteers, deserves especial mention for turning the first gun on the enemy when the
Ridge was carried, and for capturing the flag of the Twenty-eighth Alabama regiment.
On the twenty-third,
Sergeant D. L. Sutphin, Ninety-third Ohio volunteer infantry, took a rebel flag on the
Ridge, making two taken by the battalion.
It would be presumption in me to speak in commendation of
Colonel Wiley, or to say more than that the loss to himself is less than the loss to the service.
Major William Birch, Ninety-third Ohio volunteer infantry, a brave and faithful soldier, fell on the twenty-third, while leading his men to the assault.
The loss of the honored dead demands their country's mourning; but the manner of their death will be mentioned with just pride always.
The following is a statement of the casualties:
Ninety-Third Ohio.
| date. | killed. | wounded. | missing. | total. |
| | Off. | Men. | Off. | Men. | Off. | Men. | |
| November 23, | | 12 | 3 | 42 | | | 57 |
| November 25, | | 3 | 2 | 19 | | | 24 |
| | | | | | | | |
| Aggregate, | | 15 | 5 | 61 | | | 81 |
Number engaged November twenty-third--commissioned officers, 9; enlisted, 194.
Total, 203.
Number engaged, November twenty-fifth--commissioned officers, 6; enlisted, 126.
Total, 132.
Forty-First Ohio.
| date. | killed. | wounded. | missing. | total. |
| | Off. | Men. | Off. | Men. | Off. | Men. | |
| November 23, | | 10 | 3 | 47 | | | 60 |
| November 25, | 1 | 7 | 2 | 18 | | | 28 |
| | | | | | | | |
| Aggregate, | 1 | 17 | 5 | 65 | | | 88 |
Number engaged, November twenty-third--commissioned officers, 14; enlisted, 230.
Total, 244.
Number engaged, November twenty-fifth--commissioned officers, 11; enlisted, 175.
Total, 186.
Aggregate engaged, November twenty-third--commissioned, 23; enlisted, 424.
Total, 447.
Aggregate engaged, November twenty-fifth--commissioned, 17; enlisted, 301.
Total, 318.
Aggregate casualties, November twenty-third--killed, commissioned,--; enlisted, 22: wounded, commissioned, 6; enlisted, 89.
Aggregate casualties, November twenty-fifth--killed, commissioned, 1; enlisted, 10: wounded, commissioned, 4; enlisted, 37.
Total killed, 33; total wounded, 136.
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
R. L. Kimberly,
Lieutenant-Colonel Forty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry. To
Captain John Crowell,
Assistant Adjutant-General Second Brigade, Third Division, Fourth Army Corps.
