of stock he owned on the mountain.  To this I readily assented, and he started on the delicate undertaking.  He penetrated the enemy’s lines with little difficulty, but while prosecuting his search for information was suspected, and at once arrested and placed under guard.  From this critical situation he escaped; however, making his way through the enemy’s picket-line in the darkness by crawling on his belly and deceiving the sentinels by imitating the grunts of the half-wild, sand-colored hogs with which the country abounded.  He succeeded in reaching Rosecrans’s headquarters finally, and there gave the definite information that Bragg intended to fight, and that he expected to be reinforced by Longstreet.

By this time it was clear that Bragg had abandoned Chattanooga with the sole design of striking us in detail as we followed in pursuit; and to prevent his achieving this purpose orders came at 12 o’clock, midnight, for McCook to draw in toward Chattanooga.  This could be done only by recrossing Lookout Mountain, the enemy’s army at Lafayette now interposing between us and Thomas’s corps.  The retrograde march began at once.  I moved back over the mountain on the 13th and 14th to Stevens’s Mills, and on the 15th and 16th recrossed through Stevens’s Gap, in the Lookout range, and encamped at its base in McLamore’s cove.  The march was made with all possible celerity, for the situation was critical and demanded every exertion.  The ascent and descent of the mountains was extremely exhausting, the steep grades often rendering it necessary to drag up and let down by hand both the transportation and artillery.  But at last we were in conjunction with the main army, and my division breathed easier.

On the 17th I remained in line of battle all day and night in front of McLamore’s cove, the enemy making slight demonstrations against me from the direction of Lafayette.  The main body of the army having bodily moved to the left meanwhile, I followed it on the 18th, encamping at Pond Spring.  On the 19th I resumed the march to the left and went into line of battle at Crawfish Springs to cover our right and rear.  Immediately after forming this line, I again became isolated by the general movement to the left, and in consequence was directed to advance and hold the ford of Chickamauga Creek at Lee and Gordon’s Mills, thus coming into close communication with the balance of our forces.  I moved into this position rapidly, being compelled, though, first to drive back the enemy’s cavalry skirmishers, who, having crossed to the west side of the creek, annoyed the right flank of my column a good deal while en route.