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confusion and retreat, the Federal cavalry by which it was assailed at Cowan.
When it reached Chattanooga it was stronger than when it retired from Shelbyville; furloughed men and volunteers joined it en route, and in many instances ran the gauntlet of Federal pickets, scouts and cavalry.
In addition to the Tennessee brigades of Cheatham, John C. Brown's and Bushrod Johnson's were composed exclusively of Tennesseeans, and Bate's, Polk's and Smith's were largely Tennessee troops; and these, with the artillery and cavalry from that State, constituted a force too strong and too spirited to ‘march under guard,’ unless they had been led by the vaunting ‘hero of the battle above the clouds.’
The Knoxville campaign, under Lieut.-Gen. James Longstreet, was participated in by Bushrod Johnson's brigade; the Fourth, Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Tennessee cavalry under Brig.--Gen. W. Y. C. Humes; Dibrell's cavalry brigade; Freeman's, White's, Rhett's and McClung's batteries, and the First Tennessee cavalry, Col. Onslow Bean. General Johnson, with his own and Gracie's brigade, reached the front of Knoxville on the 27th and 28th of November, 1863.
On the 29th he moved to the attack on Fort Loudon in support of the assaulting column under Brigadier-General Humphreys, Gracie on the right.
The command approached to within 250 yards of the enemy's fortifications on which the assault was made, and was soon under fire.
At this time Gracie was withdrawn by the lieutenant-general commanding, and an order made for Johnson to halt.
The attack was abandoned, and Johnson occupied, with his skirmishers, the advance rifle-pits, distant 250 yards from the enemy's fort.
During the assault on Fort Loudon, Johnson's brigade lost Lieut. S. W. Ross, Forty-fourth, and Private J. P. Hicks, Seventeenth, killed, and 19 officers and men wounded.
On December 4th, at nightfall, Johnson's command withdrew from the line of investment in front of Knoxville and moved with Longstreet's corps to Bean's Station and
Atlanta, Ga. 1899.
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