by its own command, as the numbers of the troops would not admit
of communication being kept up between them or of their forming
one line.

About midnight a regiment that had been ordered by Howard to hold
the Chattanooga road across Lookout Creek, had a slight skirmish
with the advance of the enemy. This was a portion of Longstreet's
corps getting into position for a night attack on the two encampments.
Dividing his command into two detachments, Longstreet, about an
hour later, with his strong one on his left, assaulted Geary's camp
with a fierce attack, driving in his pickets and then charging on
the main command. Geary immediately formed his men in line, and for
three hours with heavy fighting maintained his position, although
enveloped on three sides by the enemy, repelling every attack, and
finally charged on the rebels and drove them from beyond his front.
The enemy here attacked in greatly superior numbers, and were only
defeated by the skill and coolness of Geary, aided by the bravery
of his troops. As the sound of the heavy fire which the enemy
opened on Gary rolled down the valley, Hooker ordered Howard to
double-quick his nearest division, Schurz's, to Geary's assistance.
The division was started at once, but before it had proceeded
far it encountered the other detachments of Longstreet's command,
which opened on our troops with a volley of musketry. Hooker now
determined that he had two fights on his hands. At once detaching
Tyndale's brigade, Howard charged the rebel lines on the hill to
the left with it, pushing on the other brigade to Geary. By this
time Steinwehr's division of Howard's corps had arrived on the
ground, and it was then discovered that the rebels were trying to
surround Howard's camp and that they occupied a hill to the rear
of Tyndale's brigade. Hooker ordered Colonel Orland Smith with