having crossed the Tennessee below Chattanooga and advanced
southward on the western side of the Lookout range, was to come through
a gap opposite our present position and join us. Then the army, being
together once more, and having gained Chattanooga by McCook's flank
movement, would return to that point. To get Chattanooga was the object
of the campaign, and the movements since we crossed the river were
simply to assure the safe reunion of the several corps.

The idle days wore on until the afternoon of the 18th of September. Then
"the general" was suddenly sounded from brigade head-quarters, the
regimental buglers took up the signal, and in twenty minutes we were on
the road and moving back toward Gordon's Mills and Chattanooga. No
leisurely march this time, however, but a race which tasked even the
legs of the veterans. Two hours of this brought the command to the crest
of a ridge from which, away to the right, a wide expanse of country lay
in view. There was a broad valley running parallel to the road we were
traveling and covered by a dense growth of low oaks, which effectually
hid roads, streams, and even the few lonely habitations of the people.
But, looking from our eminence over the unbroken expanse of tree-tops,
we could see a light yellow snake-like line stretching down the valley.
It was dust from the road on which Bragg's army was hurrying toward the
Rossville Pass, through which was the way to Chattanooga and all our
communications and supplies. The line of dust extended miles down the
valley, far in advance of the point we had reached. The rest of our army
might be ahead of us and ahead of Bragg, or it might be on our left, or
even behind us, for aught we knew, but it was plain enough why we were
making such haste back toward Chattanooga.

The afternoon passed: darkness came, and still the march continued. Late
in the evening we came upon a group of tents by the roadside--Rosecrans's
head-quarters, with Rosecrans himself, and not in the best of humors, as
some of us discovered on riding up to see friends on his staff. In his
petulance and excitability the commanding general forgot to be gentlemanly,
some of them said; and they left him not at all relieved of any doubts they
had concerning our sudden and forced march.

It was long after midnight when we reached Gordon's Mills. Here the road
was full of ambulances, wagons, artillery and infantry, while in the
thickets on the left were heard the confused