Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 08.djvu/403

Rh not been defended by the engineers, nor had any work been done on it between the cliff and the Cravens house. Beyond the Cravens house there was no practicable line which was not enfiladed by the enemy's batteries except the covered way prepared by General Jenkins, and the flank of that was exposed to the infantry attack. On the afternoon of the 20th (I believe) I visited the works below the Cravens house in company with Captain Henry, of the division staff, and spent some time in their inspection. These works being a mere rifle pit, would be of no service when the enemy were once in possession of the Cravens house, as they would then be taken in flank—almost in reverse. On the 22d of November my own brigade was ordered to report to me, and was moved from the top of the mountain to the slope and placed in the position which I had desired General Walthall to take. On the 23d it was ordered to the foot of the mountain out of any command to take, with Cummings' brigade, the place on the line which had been occupied by Walker's division. My position and that of Major-General Stevenson were thus each weakened by a brigade. On the same day a brisk fire of artillery and small arms was heard coming from the extreme right. It was supposed to be a struggle for wood. Late in the afternoon of the 23d General Stevenson was placed in command of the forces west of Chattanooga creek—Lieutenant-General Hardee having been removed to the extreme right; and on the same night orders were received and distributed to prepare three days' cooked rations and to hold the troops in readiness to move at a moment's notice, in order to avoid anything like a surprise along the line. At 7½ o'clock P. M. I ordered Captain Henry, of the division staff, to visit the chief of "picket," and to direct them to be unusually vigilant in watching the movements of the enemy, and to guard against surprise. About 9 o'clock A. M. of the 24th I received a note from General Walthall to the effect that the enemy were moving in heavy force towards our left; that their tents had nearly all disappeared, and the pontoon bridges been cut away. Shortly afterwards I received another note from him to the effect that he was mistaken as to the number of tents that had disappeared, but that many of those which could be seen on previous days were then not visible. The original of both these notes were immediately dispatched to General Bragg, and copies to General Stevenson. I also sent a staff officer to order Generals Moore and Walthall to hold their commands under arms ready for action. I walked out on the road towards the Cravens house to a favorable