division
relieving that of General Negley. The 26th Ohio was about one-fourth mile
southwest of the Brotherton house, it being the extreme right of the
division. The losses of the previous day had shortened the division line
until we failed in filling the space vacated by Negley, and in order to do
so extended to the right to reach the left of McCook, until our line
became attenuated. We heard the roar of the battle to our left gradually
coming nearer; we were heavily skirmishing with the enemy while in this
condition about 11 a. m. when General Wood received written orders from
General Rosecrans "to close up on Reynolds and support him." A division
line of battle, as we formed at that time, was half a mile or more.
Reynolds commanded the 2nd division at our left, Brannon's intervening.
Hence Wood, when he executed the order, moved in rear of and parallel to
Brannon, we being the extreme right of Wood, by moving in column to the
left, the 8th Indiana Battery in our immediate front. When we had marched
nearly half a division length, the battery, in its difficulties, having no
road in the timber, much of it heavy underbrush with bad ravines to cross,
delayed the two regiments in the rear, while the head of the column was
hastening to the support of Reynolds. This had left us far in the rear. In
this condition we received the enemy's charge. Naturally and rightly, all
that could followed the head of column as per orders. We of the 26th Ohio
and 13th Michigan, in the extreme rear, were compelled to stop and repulse
the charge, thereby becoming isolated from all our commands and in the
center of that one-half-mile gap that was created by a mistaken order and
resulted in dividing the army. As soon as the battery extricated itself
from its difficulties, Colonel Young, our regimental commander, ordered us
to fall back. It was useless sacrifice to do otherwise. We were halted
several times at favorable localities to check the enemy, and that gallant
band of heroes, if you please, held its organization under as trying
circumstances as war produces, its last stand being made upon the side of
a spur of Missionary Ridge, where a tablet now stands to mark its heroism.
Here we held position for nearly an hour, aided by the 8th Indiana and 6th
Ohio Batteries. To our left the right of Brannon's division was flanked
and to protect itself swung back to the north. To our right the left of
Davis' division was flanked and to protect itself swun