Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 13.djvu/408

 Battle of Chickamauga. 407

its front, and I consequently had to seek further for support. I sent Captain Blackemore, who joined me here, to find and bring up General McNair's brigade, and, after riding sometime, I found on the road, approaching my command, Major- General Hindman and Brigadier-General Anderson, to whom my aid had communicated my necessities and wishes. Being informed that Brigadier- General Deas's brigade would move to support my left, and that General Anderson was then advancing to fill up the vacancy on my right, I returned to my command with a view to driving the enemy from my flank, directed Dent's battery to open fire to the rear of the emi- nence, about six hundred yards to our right, on which I had seen the United States flag floating, and on which I left Kershaw's bri- gade advancing.

More than an hour had been spent in this position, and I resolved to press forward my line, even before support reached me. I, there- fore, proceeded to form my line, facing to the north, along and m continuation of the north end of the field; Gregg's brigade on the right and Johnson's brigade on the left, extending through the corn- field south of Villetoe's house and to the Crawfish road. My line being formed, I was advised that the enemy occupied the ridge be- yond Villetoe's cornfield, and west of the Crawfish road, and it, therefore, became necessary to protect our left flank by skirmishers thrown out in that direction from Johnson's brigade. The advance commenced about the time Deas's brigade formed, facing to the west, on the ridge we had just left. I directed Brigadier- General Deas to move his brigade directly to its front until his right flank should reach the position of my left, then to wheel to the right, sweeping the ridge west of the Crawfish road, and come up and form on the left of my line of battle.

The crest of the spur of Missionary Ridge, north of Villetoe's house extends east and west in its general direction, but crosses to the south about the middle. At the east and west ends of the crest are the most elevated points of the spurs. On the slope north of the west end is Snodgrass's house, at which were the headquarters of Generals Rosencranz and Thomas during the latter part of the battle. , Towards the south the slope from the crest is gradual for some dis- tance in several places, and especially so at the west end, and termi- nates towards the cove in an abrupt, serrated declivity, presenting to our approach from the south several secondary spurs or knolls, with intervening short ravines. Along the crest of this spur the last