ajor Miller, in a former
battle, had been permanently disabled, but no other field promotions
were ever made, so the gallant little Battalion was commanded in
future by senior Captains.

By morning of the 19th of November the enemy had retired within the
walls of Knoxville, and the investment of the city completed. During
the nights our sharpshooters were advanced a little distance at a time
until they were under the very walls of the city, and there entrenched
themselves in rifle pits. The troops began building works to protect
against attacks, and laying parallels, so that every few nights we
advanced a little nearer the city.

Jenkins, with three brigades and a part of the cavalry, stretched
around the city on the north and to the river on the opposite side
of us. A pontoon bridge was laid across the river below the city, and
Law, with two brigades of Jenkins' Division and a battery of our
best artillery, crossed the Holston River and took possession of
some heights that were thought to command the city on the south side.
Burnside had also some strong works on the south of the Holston,
strongly guarded by infantry, dismounted cavalry, and some of their
best rifled pieces of artillery. This force was just opposite the
city, having easy access thereto by a military bridge and a pontoon
bridge. Burnside had twelve thousand regular troops in his outer
trenches, several thousand recent volunteers from Tennessee in his
inner lines, with fifty-one pieces of artillery in place, ready
for action, in Knoxville alone. Longstreet had between fifteen and
seventeen thousand, after some reinforcements had reached him, and
three battalions of artillery, inclusive of the horse artillery.

Night and day the work of entrenchment went bravely on in both armies,
each working in plain view of the other; without any disposition to
disturb the operations of either by shelling from the forts in our
front or from our works in the rear. Each commander seemed willing
and disposed to give his opponent an open field and a fair fight.
No advantage was asked and none taken on either side, and the coming
contest appeared to be one between the hot blood of the South
in assault and the dogged determination of the North in
resistance--valor, impetuosity, dash, impulsive courage against cool,
calculating, determined resistance. Greeks of the South were preparing
to meet Greeks of the North--the passionate Ionian was about to
measure swords with the