Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 08.djvu/402

390 Cravens house. The ranking officer of Walker's division was charged with the line from the base of Lookout mountain east to Chattanooga creek and all the troops not at the points above named. This order emanated from headquarters Hardee's corps, and in conformity with it, as the ranking officer of Cheatham's division, I assumed command of the troops and defences at and near the Cravens house, and on the following day (the 15th November) established my headquarters at the junction of the Sumnertown road with the Mountain-side road, leading to the Cravens house, with the approval of Lieutenant-General Hardee. On the same day Brigadier-General Walthall's brigade relieved that of Brigadier-General Pettus near the Cravens house. On the night of the 16th or 17th a fatigue party was ordered to report to Lieutenant Stell, of the engineers, to commence work on the new line below the Cravens house. By direction of Lieutenant-General Hardee, I went out in person to see that the work was progressing—found that there was a misunderstanding as to the place of reporting. I walked down the road a considerable distance along the contemplated line, then went to the Cravens house and ordered the detail to be reassembled and to report to Lieutenant Stell immediately. This was at night—the work was directed to be done at night as the working party would be under the fire of the Moccasin point battery. General Walthall's troops being some distance in advance of the proposed line and exposed to the enemy's artillery fire, I ordered him on the 18th, with the approval of Lieutenant-General Hardee, to shorten his picket line as he proposed, and notice of which I promptly gave to General Stevenson, and to bring his troops in the rear (south) of the Cravens house, leaving his pickets where they were supported by one regiment. Upon inspection of the grounds General Walthall reported to me that as General Moore's troops were also in the rear of the Craven house there would not be room enough for his brigade between General Moore and my headquarters, and said that as he supposed the order I had given him was permission rather than directory, if I had no objection he would keep his troops where they were. To this I assented; giving him at the same time instruction, if attacked by the enemy in heavy force, to fall back, fighting over the rocks. I expected by the time his troops reached the Cravens house to be with them and form line of battle, with Walthall's left against the cliff and his right at or near the Cravens house, and Moore prolonging this line to the right. This was the general line pointed out by General Bragg, although it had