By the night of the 23d Sherman’s command was in a position to move, though one division (Osterhaus’s) had not yet crossed the river at Brown’s Ferry.  The continuous rise in the Tennessee had rendered it impossible to keep the bridge at that point in condition for troops to cross; but I was determined to move that night even without this division.  Orders were sent to Osterhaus accordingly to report to Hooker, if he could not cross by eight o’clock on the morning of the 24th.  Because of the break in the bridge, Hooker’s orders were again changed, but this time only back to those first given to him.

General W. F. Smith had been assigned to duty as Chief Engineer of the Military Division.  To him were given the general direction of moving troops by the boats from North Chickamauga, laying the bridge after they reached their position, and generally all the duties pertaining to his office of chief engineer.  During the night General Morgan L. Smith’s division was marched to the point where the pontoons were, and the brigade of Giles A. Smith was selected for the delicate duty of manning the boats and surprising the enemy’s pickets on the south bank of the river.  During this night also General J. M. Brannan, chief of artillery, moved forty pieces of artillery, belonging to the Army of the Cumberland, and placed them on the north side of the river so as to command the ground opposite, to aid in protecting the approach to the point where the south end of the bridge was to rest.  He had to use Sherman’s artillery horses for this purpose, Thomas having none.

At two o’clock in the morning, November 24th, Giles A. Smith pushed out from the North Chickamauga with his one hundred and sixteen boats, each loaded with thirty brave and well-armed men.  The boats with their precious freight dropped down quietly with the current to avoid attracting the attention of any one who could convey information to the enemy, until arriving near the mouth of South Chickamauga.  Here a few boats were landed, the troops debarked, and a rush was made upon the picket guard known to be at that point.  The guard were surprised, and twenty of their number captured.  The remainder of the troops effected a landing at the point where the bridge was to start, with equally good results.  The work of ferrying over Sherman’s command from the north side of the Tennessee was at once commenced, using the pontoons for the purpose.  A steamer was also brought up from the town to assist.  The rest of M. L. Smith’s division came first, then the division of John E. Smith.  The troops as they landed were put to work intrenching their position.  By daylight the two entire divisions were over, and well covered by the works they had built.

The work of laying the bridge, on which to cross the artillery and cavalry, was now begun.  The ferrying over the infantry was continued with the steamer and the pontoons, taking the pontoons, however, as fast as they were wanted to put in their place in the bridge.  By a little past noon the bridge was completed, as well as one over the South Chickamauga connecting the troops left on that side with their comrades below, and all the infantry and artillery were on the south bank of the Tennessee.