the first line of rifle-pits and there halt and await orders, the
movement to commence at three o'clock, at a signal of six guns
fired in rapid succession from Orchard Knob.

There was some little delay attending the preliminaries of
the movement, and it was not until after half-past three that the
commands having moved out and taken the alignment were in position
for the advance, when the guns sounded one, two, three, four, five,
six. With this the troops, impatient all the day with being kept
in the breastworks while Sherman's men were hard at work, eagerly
pressed onward, divisions, brigades, and regiments striving each
with the other for the advance. With the first movement Bragg at
once hurried reinforcements from his right and left to strengthen
his troops in his works to resist the advance on his centre.
Here his line was under the command of Breckinridge, who had his
own division under Lewis, Stewart's division, and part of those of
Buckner and Hindman under Patton Anderson. The enemy had originally
four lines of breastworks. The first one on our front was captured
by Thomas on the 23d, when Orchard Knob was taken. This left three
lines of rifle-pits remaining. The second one was about half a
mile to the rear of the first, near the foot of the ridge. From
here to the top was a steep ascent of some five hundred yards,
covered with large rocks and fallen timber. About half way up the
ridge a small line of works had been thrown up. On the crest of
the hill Bragg's men had constructed their heaviest breastworks,
protected on our front by some fifty pieces of artillery in position.
As our troops advanced, each command cheering and answering back
the cheer of the others, the men broke into a double-quick, all
striving to be the first to reach the rifle-pits at the foot of
the ridge, held by a strong line of the enemy's troops. The rebels