returned to the centre of their rear, they were being led by many stands of regimental colors.  There seemed to be a rivalry as to which color should be farthest to the front; first one would go forward a few feet, then another would come up to it, the color-bearers vying with one another as to who should be foremost, until finally every standard was planted on the intermediate works.  The enemy’s fire from the crest during the ascent was terrific in the noise made, but as it was plunging, it over-shot and had little effect on those above the second line of pits, but was very uncomfortable for those below, so I deemed it advisable to seek another place, and Wagner’s brigade having reassembled and again pressed up the ridge, I rode up the face to join my troops.

As soon as the men saw me, they surged forward and went over the works on the crest.  The parapet of the intrenchment was too high for my horse to jump, so, riding a short distance to the left, I entered through a low place in the line.  A few Confederates were found inside, but they turned the butts of their muskets toward me in token of surrender, for our men were now passing beyond them on both their flanks.

The right and right centre of my division gained the summit first, they being partially sheltered by a depression in the face of the ridge, the Confederates in their immediate front fleeing down the southern face.  When I crossed the rifle-pits on the top the Confederates were still holding fast at Bragg’s headquarters, and a battery located there opened fire along the crest; making things most uncomfortably hot.  Seeing the danger to which I was exposed, for I was mounted, Colonel Joseph Conrad, of the Fifteenth Missouri, ran up and begged me to dismount.  I accepted his excellent advice, and it probably saved my life; but poor Conrad was punished for his solicitude by being seriously wounded in the thigh at the moment he was thus contributing to my safety.

Wildly cheering, the men advanced along the ridge toward Bragg’s headquarters, and soon drove the Confederates from this last position, capturing a number of prisoners, among them Breckenridge’s and Bates’s adjutant-generals, and the battery that had made such stout resistance on the crest-two guns which were named “Lady Breckenridge” and “Lady Buckner” General Bragg himself having barely time to escape before his headquarters were taken.

My whole division had now reached the summit, and Wagner and Harker —­the latter slightly wounded—­joined me as I was standing in the battery just secured.  The enemy was rapidly retiring, and though many of his troops, with disorganized wagon-trains and several pieces of artillery, could be distinctly seen in much confusion about half a mile distant in the valley below, yet he was covering them with a pretty well organized line that continued to give us a desultory fire.  Seeing this, I at once directed Wagner and Harker to take up the pursuit along Moore’s road, which led to Chickamauga Station —­Bragg’s depot of supply—­and as they progressed, I pushed Sherman’s brigade along the road behind them.  Wagner and Harker soon overtook the rearguard, and a slight skirmish caused it to break, permitting nine guns and a large number of wagons which were endeavoring to get away in the stampede to fall into our hands.