Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 7.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[229] by the Widow Glenn's to the Chattanooga and La Fayette road, and take up a position near Kelley's farm, on the La Fayette road, connecting with Crittenden on my right at Gordon's Mill. The head of the column reached Kelley's farm about daylight on the nineteenth, Baird's division in front, and took up a position at the forks of the road, facing toward Reid's and Alexander's bridges over the Chickamauga. Colonel Wilder, having informed me that the enemy had crossed the Chickamauga at those two bridges in force the evening before, and driven his brigade across the State road to the heights on the east of the Widow Glenn's house, this position of Baird's threw my right into close proximity to Wilder's brigade. The interval I intended to fill with the two remaining brigades of Reynolds's division on their arrival. General Brannan, closely following Baird's division, was placed in position on his left, on the two roads leading from the State road to Reid's and Alexander's bridges.

Colonel Dan McCook, commanding a brigade of the reserve corps, met me at General Baird's headquarters, and reported that he had been stationed the previous night on the road leading to Reid's Bridge, and that he could discover no force of the enemy except one brigade, which had crossed to the west side of Chickamauga at Reid's Bridge the day before, and he believed it could be cut off, because he had destroyed the bridge after they had crossed. Upon this information I ordered General Brannan to post a brigade within supporting distance of Baird, on the road to Alexander's Bridge, and with his other two brigades to reconnoitre the road leading to Reid's Bridge, to see if he could locate the brigade reported by Dan McCook, and if a favorable opportunity occurred, to capture them. His dispositions were made according to instructions by nine A. M. Gen. Baird was directed to throw forward his right wing so as to get more nearly in line with Brannan, but to watch well on his right flank. Soon after this disposition of these two divisions, a portion of General Palmer's division of Crittenden's corps took position to the right of General Baird's division. About ten A. M. Croxton's brigade of Brannan's division became engaged with the enemy, and I rode forward to his position to ascertain the character of the attack. Colonel Croxton reported to me that he had driven the enemy nearly half a mile, but that he was then meeting with obstinate resistance. I then rode back to Baird's division and directed him to advance to Croxton's support, which he did with his whole division, Starkweather's brigade in reserve, and drove the enemy steadily before him for some distance, taking many prisoners.

Croxton's brigade, which had been heavily engaged over an hour with greatly superior numbers of the enemy, and being nearly exhausted of ammunition, was then moved to the rear to enable the men to fill their boxes, and Baird and Brannan having united their forces drove the enemy from their immediate front. General Baird then halted for the purpose of readjusting line, and learning from prisoners that the enemy were in heavy force on his immediate right, he threw back his right wing in order to be ready for an attack from that quarter. Before his disposition could be completed, the enemy in overwhelming numbers assaulted Scribner's and King's brigades and drove them in disorder. Fortunately, at this time, Johnson's division of McCook's corps, and Reynolds's division of my corps, arrived, and were immediately placed in position, Johnson's preceding Reynolds's, his left connecting with Baird's right, and Palmer's being immediately placed on Johnson's right. Reynolds was placed on the right of Palmer, with one brigade of his division in reserve. As soon as formed, they advanced upon the enemy, attacking him in flank and driving him in great confusion for a mile and a half, while Brannan's troops shot them in front as they were pursuing Baird's retiring brigades, driving the head of their columns back and retaking the artillery, which had been temporarily lost by Baird's brigades. The enemy at this time being hardly pressed by Johnson's, Palmer's, and Rey, nold's divisions in flank, fell back in confusion on his reserves, posted in a strong position on the west side of Chickamauga Creek, between Reid's and Alexander's bridges. Brannan and Baird were then ordered to reorganize their commands and take position on commanding ground on the road from McDaniel's house to Reid's Bridge and hold it to the last extremity, as I expected the next effort of the enemy would be to gain that road and our rear.

This was about four P. M. After a lull of about an hour a furious attack was made on Reynolds's right, and he having called upon me for reenforcements, I directed Brannan's division to move to his support, leaving King's brigade of Baird's division in the position at which Baird and Brannan had been posted, the balance of Baird's division closing up to the right on Johnson's division. It will be seen, by reference to Major-General Reynolds's report, that a portion of Brannan's division reached his right just in time to defeat the enemy's efforts to turn Reynolds's right and rear. About five P. M., my lines being at that time very much extended in pursuing the enemy, I determined to concentrate them on more commanding ground, as I felt confident that we should have a renewal of the battle the next morning. I rode forward to General Johnson's position and designated to him where to place his division; also to General Baird, who was present with General Johnson. I then rode back to the cross-roads to locate Palmer and Reynolds on the prolongation of Johnson's line, and on the crest of the ridge. Soon after Palmer and Reynolds got their positions, and while General Brannan was getting in his position on the ridge to the west of the State road, near Dyer's house, to the rear and right of Reynolds, where I had ordered him as a reserve, the enemy assaulted first Johnson and then Baird in a most furious manner, producing some confusion; but order was soon restored, and the enemy repulsed in fine style, after which these