Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 07.djvu/170

162 hundred and ninety-five; total, three thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine.

At daylight of the 18th my command moved from Catlett's gap and that neighborhood in the Pigeon mountain, and the same afternoon took position on the east bank of the Chickamauga near Glass' mill, and composed the extreme left of the infantry of the army. I immediately threw the Second Kentucky across the ford to skirmish with the enemy and reveal his position—the Sixth Kentucky being placed in close supporting distance at the mill. Adams' brigade was sent by order of Lieutenant-General D. H. Hill to a ford a mile and a half above, where the enemy, as the cavalry reported, threatened to cross. It was so late when these dispositions were made that nothing satisfactory was developed that night.

On the morning of the 19th, Slocomb, with four guns, Cobb, with two, and the remainder of Helm's brigade were moved across Glass' ford to ascertain the position of the enemy, while the two rifled pieces of Slocomb's battery, under Lieutenant Vaught, took position on a bluff upon the east side of the stream. An artillery engagement ensued, much to our advantage, until the enemy, who occupied the better position, brought forward a number of heavy guns and showed the greater weight of metal. While the engagement was progressing I received an order from Lieutenant-General Hill to withdraw my command if it could be done without too great peril, and take position about three miles south of Lee and Gordon's mill, on the road leading from Chattanooga to Lafayette, and so as to cover the approach to that road from Glass' mill and the ford above, leaving a regiment and section of artillery to observe those crossings.

The movement was made in good order—Colonel Dilworth, with the First and Third (consolidated) Florida and a section of Cobb's battery being left in observation. Our casualties, which fell upon Slocomb, Cobb and Helm, were twenty-two killed and wounded. The loss of the enemy in killed alone, as shown by an examination of the ground after the 20th, was nearly equal to the sum of our casualties. Although the enemy was in considerable strength at the fords above referred to, the result showed that it was a covering force to columns passing down the valley to unite with the centre and left of his army.

Soon after taking up the new position I was ordered to relieve Brigadier-General Patton Anderson's division, which was facing the