September；　the　objective　point　of　the　campaign　would　have　remained　in
  our　hands　without　the　battle　of　Chickamauga；　but；　as　has　been　seen；
  this　was　not　done。　　McCook　was　almost　constantly　on　the　march　day　and
  night　between　the　13th　and　the　19th；　ascending　and　descending
  mountains；　his　men　worried　and　wearied；　so　that　when　they　appeared　on
  the　battle…field；　their　fatigued　condition　operated　greatly　against
  their　efficiency。　　This　delay　in　concentration　was　also　the　original
  cause　of　the　continuous　shifting　toward　our　left　to　the　support　of
  Thomas；　by　which　manoeuvre　Rosecrans　endeavored　to　protect　his
  communications　with　Chattanooga；　and　out　of　which　grew　the　intervals
  that　offered　such　tempting　opportunities　to　Bragg。　　In　addition　to
  all　this；　much　transpired　on　the　field　of　battle　tending　to　bring
  about　disaster。　　There　did　not　seem　to　be　any　well…defined　plan　of
  action　in　the　fighting；　and　this　led　to　much　independence　of　judgment
  in　construing　orders　among　some　of　the　subordinate　generals。　　It　also
  gave　rise　to　much　license　in　issuing　orders：　too　many　people　were
  giving　important　directions；　affecting　the　whole　army；　without
  authority　from　its　head。　　In　view；　therefore；　of　all　the　errors　that
  were　committed　from　the　time　Chattanooga　fell　into　our　hands　after
  our　first　crossing　the　Tennessee；　it　was　fortunate　that　the　Union
  defeat　was　not　more　complete；　that　it　left　in　the　enemy's　possession
  not　much　more　than　the　barren　results　arising　from　the　simple　holding
  of　the　ground　on　which　the　engagement　was　fought。
  CHAPTER　XVI。
  AT　CHATTANOOGATHE　ENEMY　FORTIFIES　LOOKOUT　MOUNTAIN　AND　MISSIONARY
  RIDGEREORGANIZING　THE　ARMYREMOVAL　OF　GENERAL　ROSECRANS
  PUNISHMENT　OF　DESERTERSGRANT　AT　CHATTANOOGATHE　FIGHT　ON　LOOKOUT
  MOUNTAINA　BRAVE　COLOR…BEARERBATTLE　OF　MISSIONARY　RIDGE。
  By　9　o'clock　on　the　morning　of　September　22　my　command　took　up　a
  position　within　the　heavy　line　of　intrenchments　at　Chattanooga；　the
  greater　part　of　which　defenses　had　been　thrown　up　since　the　army
  commenced　arriving　there　the　day　before。　　The　enemy；　having　now
  somewhat　recovered　from　the　shock　of　the　recent　battle；　followed
  carefully；　and　soon　invested　us　close　into　our　lines　with　a　parallel
  system　of　rifle…pits。　　He　also　began　at　once　to　erect　permanent　lines
  of　earthworks　on　Missionary　Ridge　and　to　establish　himself　strongly
  on　Lookout　Mountain。　　He　then　sent　Wheeler's　cavalry　north　of　the
  Tennessee；　and；　aided　greatly　by　the　configuration　of　the　ground；
  held　us　in　a　state　of　partial　siege；　which　serious　rains　might
  convert　into　a　complete　investment。　　The　occupation　of　Lookout
  Mountain　broke　our　direct　communication　with　Bridgeport…our　sub…
  depotand　forced　us　to　bring　supplies　by　way　of　the　Sequatchie
  Valley　and　Waldron's　Ridge　of　the　Cumberland　Mountains；　over　a　road
  most　difficult　even　in　the　summer　season；　but　now　liable　to　be
  rendered　impassable　by　autumn　rains。　　The　distance　to　Bridgeport　by
  this　circuitous　route　was　sixty　miles；　and　the　numerous　passes；
  coves；　and　small　valleys　through　which　the　road　ran　offered　tempting
  opportunities；　for　the　destruction　of　trains；　and　the　enemy　was　not
  slow　to　take　advantage　of　them。　　Indeed；　the　situation　was　not
  promising；　and　General　Rosecrans　himself；　in　communicating　with　the
  President　the　day　succeeding　the　battle　of　Chickamauga；　expressed
  doubts　of　his　ability　to　hold　the　gateway　of　the　Cumberland
  Mountains。
  The　position　taken　up　by　my　troops　inside　the　lines　of　Chattanooga
  was　near　the　old　iron…works；　under　the　shadow　of　Lookout　Mountain。
  Here　we　were　exposed　to　a　continual　fire　from　the　enemy's　batteries
  for　many　days；　but　as　the　men　were　well　covered　by　secure　though
  simple　intrenchments；　but　little　damage　was　done。　　My　own
  headquarters　were　established　on　the　grounds　of　Mr。　William
  Crutchfield；　a　resident　of　the　place；　whose　devotion　to　the　Union
  cause　knew　no　bounds；　and　who　rendered　meand；　in　fact；　at　one　time
  or　another；　nearly　every　general　officer　in　the　Army　of　the
  Cumberlandinvaluable　service　in　the　way　of　information　about　the
  Confederate　army。　　My　headquarters　camp　frequently　received　shots
  from　the　point　of　Lookout　Mountain　also；　but　fortunately　no
  casualties　resulted　from　this　plunging　fire；　though；　I　am　free　to
  confess；　at　first　our　nerves　were　often　upset　by　the　whirring　of
  twenty…pounder　shells　dropped　inconsiderately　into　our　camp　at
  untimely　hours　of　the　night。
  In　a　few　days　rain　began　to　fali；　and　the　mountain　roads　by　which　our
  supplies　came　were　fast　growing　impracticable。　　Each　succeeding　train
  of　wagons　took　longer　to　make　the　trip　from　Bridgeport；　and　the　draft
  mules　were　dying　by　the　hundreds。　　The　artillery　horses　would　soon　go
  too；　and　there　was　every　prospect　that　later　the　troops　would　starve
  unless　something　could　be　done。　　Luckily　for　my　division；　a　company
  of　the　Second　Kentucky　Cavalry　had　attached　itself　to　my
  headquarters；　and；　though　there　without　authority；　had　been　left
  undisturbed　in　view　of　a　coming　reorganization　of　the　army　incidental
  to　the　removal　of　McCook　and　Crittenden　from　the　command　of　their
  respective　corps；　a　measure　that　had　been　determined　upon　immediately
  after　the　battle　of　Chickamauga。　　Desiring　to　remain　with　me；　Captain
  Lowell　H。　Thickstun；　commanding　this　company；　was　ready　for　any　duty
  I　might　find；　for　him；　so　I　ordered　him　into　the　Sequatchie　Valley
  for　the　purpose　of　collecting　supplies　for　my　troops；　and　sent　my
  scout；　Card　along　to　guide　him　to　the　best　locations。　　The　company
  hid　itself　away　in　a　deep　cove　in　the　upper　end　of　the　valley；　and　by
  keeping　very　quiet　and　paying　for　everything　it　took　from　the　people；
  in　a　few　days　was　enabled　to　send　me　large　quantities　of　corn　for　my
  animals　and　food　for　the　officers　and　men；　which　greatly　supplemented
  the　scanty　supplies　we　were　getting　from　the　sub…depot　at　Bridgeport。
  In　this　way　I　carried　men　and　animals　through　our　beleaguerment　in
  pretty　fair　condition；　and　of　the　turkeys；　chickens；　ducks；　and　eggs
  sent　in　for　the　messes　of　my　officers　we　often　had　enough　to　divide
  liberally　among　those　at　different　headquarters。　　Wheeler's　cavalry
  never　discovered　my　detached　company；　yet　the　chances　of　its　capture
  were　not　small；　sometimes　giving　much　uneasiness；　still；　I　concluded
  it　was　better　to　run　all　risks　than　to　let　the　horses　die　of
  starvation　in　Chattanooga。　　Later；　after　the　battle　of　Missionary
  Ridge；　when　I　started　to　Knoxville；　the　company　joined　me　in
  excellent　shape；　bringing　with　it　an　abundance　of　food；　including　a
  small　herd　of　beef　cattle。
  The　whole　time　my　line　remained　near　the　iron…mills　the　shelling　from
  Lookout　was　kept　up；　the　screeching　shots　inquisitively　asking　in
  their　well…known　way；　〃Where　are　you？　Where　are　you？〃　but　it　is
  strange　to　see　how　readily；　soldiers　can　become　accustomed　to　the
  sound　of　dangerous　missiles　under　circumstances　of　familiarity；　and
  this　case　was　no　exception　to　the　rule。　　Few　casualties　occurred；　and
  soon　contempt　took　the　place　of　nervousness；　and　as　we　could　not
  reply　in　kind　on　account　of　the　elevation　required　for　our　guns；　the
  men　responded　by　jeers　and　imprecations　whenever　a　shell　fell　into
  their　camp。
  Meantime；　orders　having　been　issued　for　the　organization　of　the　army；
  additional　troops　were　attached　to　my　command；　and　it　became　the
  Second　Division　of　the　Fourth　Army　Corps；　to　which　Major…General
  Gordon　Granger　was　assigned　as　commander。　　This　necessitated　a　change
  of　position　of　the　division；　and　I　moved　to　ground　behind　our　works；
  with　my　right　resting　on　Fort　Negley　and　my　left　extending　well　over
  toward　Fort　Wood；　my　front　being　parallel　to　Missionary　Ridge。　　My
  division　was　now　composed　of　twenty…five　regiments；　classified　into
  brigades　and　demi…brigades；　the　former　commanded　by　Brigadier…General
  G。　D。　Wagner；　Colonel　C。　G。　Harker；　and　Colonel　F。　T。　Sherman；　the
  latter；　by　Colonels　Laiboldt；　Miller；　Wood；　Walworth；　and　Opdyke。
  The　demi…brigade　was　an　awkward　invention　of　Granger's；　but　at　this
  time　it　was　necessitatedperhaps　by　the　depleted　condition　of　our
  regiments；　which　compelled　the　massing　of　a　great　number　of
  regimental　organizations　into　a　division　to　give　it　weight　and　force。
  On　October　16；　1863；　General　Grant　had　been　assigned　to　the　command
  of　the　〃Military　Division　of　the　Mississippi；〃　a　geographical　area
  which　embraced　the　Departments　of　the　Ohio；　the　Cumberland；　and　the
  Tennessee；　thus　effecting　a　consolidation　of　divided　commands　which
  might　have　been　introduced　most　profitably　at　an　earlier　date。　　The
  same　order　that　assigned　General　Grant　relieved　General　Rosecrans；
  and　placed　General　Thomas　in　command　of　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland。
  At　the　time　of　the　reception　of　the　order；　Rosecrans　was　busy　with
  preparations　for　a　movement　to　open　the　direct　road　to　Bridgeport
  having　received　in　the　interval；　since　we　came　back　to　Chattanooga；
  considerable　reinforcement　by　the　arrival　in　his　department　of　the