About 10 o'clock A. M., I received from Brigadier-General Jackson, the communication (B) written him by General Walthall, and, soon afterwards was informed by the men at the point that there was some picket firing on Lookout creek. I immediately rode to the point to see what was going on. The enemy had, by felling trees, constructed three (3) temporary bridges over the creek, and in a short time forced a passage. The troops, as they crossed, formed to cover the passage of the remainder. I immediately sent a staff officer of General Hardee's, Major W. D. Pickett, who happened to be with me, to General Jackson, to inform him of what I had seen, and to direct him at once to place all of his troops in position. He reached General Jackson, I suppose, a little after eleven (11) o'clock A. M. I caused the picket at Smith's trail to be largely increased, and a strong force to be posted as sharpshooters along the crest of the mountain. The artillery, with trails raised, opened with spirit and effect, and was used until the enemy advanced so close under the cliff that the guns could not be sufficiently depressed for the shots to take effect.
General Walthall's pickets and skirmishers extended from the turnpike bridge of Lookout creek to the railroad bridge, and thence making nearly a right angle across the northwest slope of the mountain to a point near Smith's trail. The enemy, as Walthall mentions in his report, had threatened to force a passage of the creek on his right, but their real movement was upon his left. A large force had moved up the creek, under cover of the fog, crossed above, and passing along the western slope, attacked him successfully in flank and rear. Their advance on the flank and from the front was gallantly contested, but though their front line sometimes wavered, they pressed on, Walthall falling back to the line which I have before mentioned, but with very heavy loss in prisoners, owing to the enemy's taking him in flank and rear. Finding that the fog was becoming so dense that the troops on the northern point of the mountain could not see the enemy moving upon Walthall, I gave orders for Pettus, with my only disposable force, to move down and report to Brigadier-General Jackson. He started at 12½ o'clock, and reached the scene of action a little past one (1) o'clock, relieving Walthall on the left of Moore's line. This position was held by Moore, Walthall and Pettus until about 8 o'clock P. M., when Walthall, and part of Pettus' command, were relieved by Clayton's brigade, commanded by Colonel Holtzclaw, which was sent to cover the movement to the right. Moore and Holtzclaw retired from the position about 2 o'clock A. M., on the 25th.
Early in the day the appended communication (D) was received from General Bragg. A perusal of it will show how highly important he on that day considered my making such dispositions as would effectually prevent a severance of the troops which I commanded from the main body of the army.
About the time that the attack was made upon Walthall, the enemy massed a considerable force upon the Chattanooga road, in
