ntains
commenced. We reached the Sequatchie Valley at Thurman, marched down the
valley and crossed the Tennessee River on flat boats at Shell Mound and
held the advance on the direct line south of the Tennessee River to
Chattanooga. The 26th Ohio was the advance regiment marching in column and
company E the advance guard, and came around the point of Lookout Mountain
in a skirmish line, extending far up the slope to near the upper palisade.
After we came in sight of the city--or town, as it was at that time--and
demonstrated that the enemy was gone, a regiment of mounted infantry
passed us. We, however, took possession and did the patrol duty, gathering
in many prisoners during the afternoon and night of September 9th. On the
following day we followed up the line of retreat of Bragg's army, passing
through Roseville Gap in Missionary Ridge, thence on the Lafayette Road to
Lee and Gordon's Mills at a ford of the Chickamauga River, where we
remained until September 19th, skirmishing daily. For the purpose of
demonstrating the severity of loss and that the reader may more fully
comprehend them, I will here, after its two-year-and-three-month service,
all of it in actual war, most of it in very hard campaigning, show its
strength: January 1st, 1863 (previously stated 63 enrolled), increase by
promotion and transfer, three;[4] making 66; discharged in 1863, previous
to September 19th, 11 men; there were on detached service at division
headquarters 2; at Columbus, Ohio, one; musicians 3; to the 8th Indiana
Battery 2, to Pioneer Battalion 3, teamsters 3, absent temporarily 1,
absent sick 8, present with the company 32. Company E went into the battle
of Chickamauga with 2 officers and 30 enlisted men. We plainly heard the
roar of battle nearly four miles to our left, down the stream from us, or
to the north (the Chickamauga flows north and we were on the west bank of
the stream, fronting to the east), early in the forenoon, Saturday,
September 19th. This continued growing nearer until about 3 p. m., when we
were ordered double quick to the left following the Chattanooga &
Lafayette road in the direction of the heavy fighting, for near two miles
or to the Vineyard farm. The regiment formed line of battle in the
ordinary way of that date, two ranks touching elbows, in the timber facing
east about 60 feet east of the road and parallel to it. We had no
supporting line and were the extreme left of the brigade. In our rear
across the r