Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 12.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

On Monday night, the 23d November, Major-General Stevenson directed me to take command of his division, then occupying the summit of Lookout Mountain, and defending the approach at the point and on the west slope of the mountain as far as ‘Nickajack trail,’ a distance of ten miles. At 12 o'clock that night I was ordered by the Major-General to send Cumming's brigade to the base of the mountain to report to Brigadier-General Jackson, and Haggerty's battery of Parrott guns to report to Brigadier-General Anderson, on the right of the line on Missionary Ridge. Early Tuesday morning, the 24th, the passes of the mountain were re-enforced, and at 12 M., in obedience to an order from the Major-General commanding, I sent Pettus's brigade (except the Twenty-third and Thirtieth Alabama regiments) to report to Brigadier-General Jackson, half way down the mountain, leaving me only my own brigade, the Twenty-third and Thirtieth Alabama regiments, —— and battery of Napoleons.

The Eighteenth and Twenty-sixth Tennessee regiments were disposed at Powell's and Nickajack trails and the contiguous passes. Powell's trail is seven and Nickajack ten miles from the north point of Lookout. The pass at the point and those nearest to it, for two and a half miles on the west side, were held by detachments from the Twenty-third and Thirtieth Alabama regiments, while reserves from the same regiments, under command of Colonel Hundley, officer of the day, were held near the line of defense, south of Summertown, to re-enforce their pickets. One section of the battery, under charge of ——, was in position near the point, while the other section was held in position disposable between the point and the line of defense, on the south. About 12:30 I moved the Thirty-second Tennessee, the largest regiment of my brigade, to re-enforce the point and to support the artillery. At 1 o'clock P. M. the two Napoleon guns on the point opened fire upon the enemy, then passing near the ‘Craven House,’ and continued it incessantly for two hours. At the same [183] time I deployed sharpshooters from the Thirty-second Tennessee and Thirtieth Alabama down the side of the mountain, and directed a fire upon the enemy's flank. I ordered rocks rolled down the mountain also. The fog was so dense that we could not see the enemy, although we could hear his march, and guided by this and the report of his musketry, our fire was directed. His advance was quickly checked, and his fire materially abated, and doubtless the effect of the shells from the two Napoleon guns and the fire of our sharpshooters contributed largely to this end. Late in the afternoon (the hour not recollected) I reported to the Major-General commanding, in answer to a summons from him, and was informed that he had been directed by General Bragg to withdraw from the mountain. I gave orders to all the troops to be ready to move at 7 o'clock P. M. Nearly all of our wagons had been ordered the night previous to Chickamauga station for supplies, and had not returned. The consequence was that our camp equipage and a part of our baggage was abandoned. At 7 P. M. the troops, artillery and ordnance trains were quietly withdrawn to the valley by the Chattanooga road, and crossed Chattanooga creek by 10 O'clock. The Eighteenth and Twenty-sixth Tennessee regiments were withdrawn by the McCullough road, and crossed the valley and Missionary Ridge by way of Rossville, and did not form a junction with the command until late in the afternoon of next day.

I have the honor to be, Major,

Most respectfully your obedient servant,

(Signed)