Upon arrival at Lee and Gordon’s Mills I found the ford over Chickamauga Creek temporarily uncovered, through the hurried movement of Wood to the assistance of Davis’s division.  The enemy was already present in small force, with the evident intention of taking permanent possession, but my troops at once actively engaged him and recovered the ford with some slight losses.  Scarcely had this been done when I was directed to assist Crittenden.  Leaving Lytle’s brigade at the ford, I proceeded with Bradley’s and Laiboldt’s to help Crittenden, whose main line was formed to the east of the Chattanooga and Lafayette road, its right trending toward a point on Chickamauga Creek about a mile and a half north of Lee and Gordon’s Mills.  By the time I had joined Crittenden with my two brigades, Davis had been worsted in an attack Rosecrans had ordered him to make on the left of that portion of the enemy’s line which was located along the west bank of the Chickamauga, the repulse being so severe that one of Davis’s batteries had to be abandoned.  Bradley’s brigade arrived on the ground first and was hastily formed and thrown into the fight, which up to this moment had been very doubtful, fortune inclining first to one side, then to the other.  Bradley’s brigade went in with steadiness, and charging across an open corn-field that lay in front of the Lafayette road, recovered Davis’s guns and forced the enemy to retire.  Meanwhile Laiboldt’s brigade had come on the scene, and forming it on Bradley’s right, I found myself at the end of the contest holding the ground which was Davis’s original position.  It was an ugly fight and my loss was heavy, including Bradley wounded.  The temporary success was cheering, and when Lytle’s brigade joined me a little later I suggested to Crittenden that we attack, but investigation showed that his troops, having been engaged all day, were not in condition, so the suggestion could not be carried out.

The events of the day had indicated that Bragg’s main object was to turn Rosecrans’s left; it was therefore still deemed necessary that the army should continue its flank movement to the left, so orders came to draw my troops in toward the widow Glenn’s house.  By strengthening the skirmish line and shifting my brigades in succession from right to left until the point designated was reached, I was able to effect the withdrawal without much difficulty, calling in my skirmish line after the main force had retired.

My command having settled down for the night in this new line I rode to army headquarters, to learn if possible the expectations for the morrow and hear the result of the battle in General Thomas’s front.  Nearly all the superior officers of the army were at headquarters, and it struck me that much depression prevailed, notwithstanding the fact that the enemy’s attempts during the day to turn our left flank and also envelop our right had been unsuccessful.  It was now positively known, through prisoners and otherwise, that Bragg had been reinforced to such an extent as to make him materially outnumber us, consequently there was much apprehension for the future.