This is page two of an article that William Hawthorne Gantt wrote while he was serving in the civil war.
in the battle of Chickamauga (September 19 & 20, 1863. The enemy gave way, but we followed them to Chattanooga, Tenn.
There we threw up breast works at the foot of Lookout Mt. and skirmished with them while there. About the middle of October
we cross over Lookout Mt. at night. I was in one of the skirmishes sent out. We marched up in 50 yards of the line of
battle. The first fire killed our Sergeant, George Bailey and wounded several others. We fought about two hours, the hardest
fighting I was in during the war. When the battle was over one of my company, James Floyd, I swung around my neck and I carried
him off the battlefield to safety. He was wounded in the leg. The battle was known to us as Mills Valley.
After the battle we came back over the mountain, the south side and stayed in the woods until some time in November. We then
took up the march for Knoxville, Tenn. and while on the way we had several skirmishes. One morning the same month my company
was put out on the skirmish and just about dayligh, we were in on the enemy at Manaoh Station. We routed them and captured about
30 wagons of army supplies. Being needy myself, I took a pair of boots, a blanket and some rations. We skirmished with
them until the afternoon and then we were relieved, but the line of battle came up and we had a fight at Stony Creek, while they were
on retreat to Knoxville. The next day we drove them into the city where they were heavily entrinched. We seized the place
and made several assaults, but accomplished nothing. On the 4th of December we retreated up the valley to east Tenn. I
was one of the last leaving the place, being on picket. We marched up the valley to Morristown, Tenn. and had several skirmishes
on the way. We took up quarters at Morristown and stayed there a month or more. While there, one of our company, Amos
Oshields died and we buried him there. We took up march again for Bull's Gap and from there we boarded the train to Lynchburg
and from there to Gordensville. We then took up our line of march to the bay of Wilderness. We got in hearing of the battle
the night of the 5th of the month. We were drawn up in line the next morning at daylight and ordered to fire at will.
We formed a line of battle, moved up and halted among the dead that had fought the day before. We made a charge about 9 o'clock
and the enemy gave way. General Jenkins was