Letter from Orlando L. French to Lydia French

340 almost every man was fired with new energy + came promptly up to mark The boys were out of rations + were hungry + tired and fortunately we over-took our Div supply train about 9 oclock + three days rations were issued + we lay at this place until 2 oclock expecting every moment to be ordered forward- The night was very cold + fence rails plenty and the boys did not suffer + Gen Mitchel had the fever along the road + occasionally an old barn or deserted shanty ^ (for two miles) and it looked as though there was an army corps camped in there - Our route lay along the east side of Lookout mountain + between that and another range the valley being not over a half mile in width at any place -We marched 3 miles farther + bivouacked for the remainder of the night- before morning it was excessively cold + I did not attempt a snooze + at day light we were placed in line of battle to the rear across the valley as it was reported that the enemys cavalry were in sight

341 In this position we lay for twenty hours when Col Post ascertained that the right of our army which was just across the ridge east of us had fallen back + that we were four miles in advance of our other lines + that there was a road open by which the Rebs could cross + get between us + Chattanooga - Learning this we made a quiet + hasty march towards Chattanooga for four miles where we were placed in position again where we remained until 8 oclock A.M. being then only three miles from the said town - all this time no communication had been had with Gen Davis sine the Capt returned Sunday night - an attempt was now made to do so + we ascertained the fact that we were cut off from Chattanooga + that we would have to fight our way through we moved up the valley by Regt in 4 parallel collumns left in front Soon the point of the mountain on our right came in sight + just from the other side of that the enemy began

342 to (in a playful way) thru shells into us Some of which struck uncomfortably near we were here put in position and one Regt put out to skirmish with them and find out this strength - skirmishing was continued for an hour + some shells were thrown but they did not get the range + no damage was done It soon became evident ^that they did not intend to begin the engagement + Col Post ordered the Brig forward in line of battle + they evidently over estimating our strength cut dirt + run after setting fire to the bridge across Chimunga Creek running between us + the town but that was discovered + put out before it had made much progress + we soon landed within the breast works + found that the whole army had fallen back to this place- We felt very much relieved for we were in a pretty tight place as we had only forty rounds of ammunition and had they known it they could have forced us back over the mountain

sheet 3 343 I have said that the whole army had fallen back to this place while our wounded of the two days hard fighting were left on the field - a deplorable state of things but it is almost a miracle that our whole army was one annihilated as Rosecrans fought 3 times his number - Our Brigade is now larger than the rest of the Divis while either Brig was larger than ours before the fight-The 2nd Brig now numbers only six hundred men + they have but one field officer left such a slaughter was never known before yet the army acknowledge to a much greater loss in proportion We were immediately sent to the front to skirmish with the enemy + it was yet expected that they would press down on us + endeavor to crush us - we were placed in line of battle + in connexion with others formed a line or a half circle from each bank of the river South of the town + we all stationed skirmishers in the advance + went to work throwing up breast work + digging rifel pits- The enemy were in sight and annoyed us somewhat + just at night a slight attack was made on our

left which lasted for an hour during which several were wounded-firing by the skirmish-ers was continued all night The nex day we thought sure they would make an attack but all was quiet until 4 oclock two Regts of this Brig were sent out to make reconnoiscance which wakened them up beautiful + a sharp skirmish was kept up till after dark by the whole line and up to this time our position has not been changed + every night we are arroused from sleep by some sharp attack but it soon becomes quiet again but we have to be constantly on the alert- they have only fired on us with two parees of artillery Sept 30th There has nothing of importance transpired except to deliver up to us our wounded - it was arranged by flag of truce that we should send our ambulances to their lines + they put drivers ^on and give them back loaded with wounded for several nights the rebs have got into a habit of throwing shells into our head quarters we have fallen back to the 2nd line of entrenchments and are making our head quarters in