On the Union side the entire force except five brigades had been engaged. Of Bragg's army three divisions and one brigade present had not been engaged, and two brigades did not arrive until the second day. At the close of the first day's battle the Confederate line ex tended from Hall's Ford to Jay's Mill. The Union line was brought back nearer to La Fayette road, which was the axis and the ob jective of the battle. The Confederate line ex tended far beyond the Union left. Counting by brigades, the Union line was overlapped on its left by four brigades of cavalry, two fighting dismounted, and two brigades of infantry, and on its right by two brigades of infantry. The Confederates had 15 brigades in their reserves, counting Longstreet's second and third lines, Law's and Kershaw's divisions, at the centre. The Union army had five, an overlapping force for the Confederates of four brigades, and an excess of 10 in the reserves. The Union line had strengthened its front by logs, stumps, stones and fence rails. Counting by divisions from left to right, it was formed as follows: Baird, Johnson, Palmer and Reynolds east of the La Fayette road; Brannan, Negley, Davis, Sheridan and Wilder's Mounted Brigade west of it, with Wood and Van Cleve in reserve. The Confederate line, from right to left, was thus composed: Pegram and Armstrong of Forrest's cavalry, Breckenridge, Cleburne, Stewart, Bushrod Johnson, Hindman, Preston, with Walker, Liddell, Cheatham, Law and Ker shaw in reserve.
The Confederates attacked about 9 o'clock. Breckinridge moved against Baird; the left brigade, striking Baird's rude works, was broken on them and its commander mor tally wounded. The other two brigades swung around full in the Union rear, but were driven back after sharp fighting. Cleburne and Stew art assaulted in succession and were both re pulsed. At 11 o'clock Negley, in rear of the Brotherton house, had been replaced by Wood from the reserve, and sent to the left. Brannan, on the left of Wood, had also been ordered to the left, but the Confederate attack developing on his front, he did not move. Upon the sup position that he had gone, Wood was ordered to close on Reynolds, the next division to the left of Brannan. Wood moved promptly to find Reynolds. This left a gap, just as Longstreet, with a column of three divisions, Bushrod Johnson in the front line, .Law in the second and Kershaw in the third, was moving to attack Wood's position. This broke the Union centre. Davis' and Sheridan's divisions to the right of the break were rushed toward the gap, but failed to restore the line, and being attacked in front and on both flanks by Johnson's and Hindman's troops were forced off the field in confusion. Rosecrans, Crittenden and McCook, being with the right wing, were driven off the field with that portion of the army which left it. Brannan's divisica, the first on the left of the break, swung back nearly at right angles, and took position on Snodgrass Hill, a quarter of a mile in the rear, on which also rallied other portions of the Union army that had been scattered or broken. At noon Forrest's cavalry, opposite Cloud's, had crossed La Fayette road and captured the field hospitals of the Union left wing.
The four divisions of Baird, Johnson, Pal mer and Reynolds maintained their lines around Kelly field. At 1 o'clock General Thomas had formed parts of Brannan's, Wood's and Neg ley's divisions, with various fragments, on Snodgrass Hill. Negley had left at noon with
two regiments of infantry and 40 guns. General Thomas then found himself with only one bat tery. About 1:30 the hill was assaulted by five brigades, that of Fulton overlapping Bran nan's right and gaining the valley in his rear.
At this juncture Gordon Granger arrived from McAfee's Church with Whitaker and Mitchell's brigades of Steedman's division, and promptly attacking, drove the Confederate force, which had crossed the ridge, over it again, and ex tended General Thomas' line for a half mile along the crest. About the same time Van Derveer's strong brigade arrived from its suc cessful charge on Breckinridge in the Kelly field and strengthened Brannan's line. Long street's assault continued with little intermission until sundown. Finally 11 Confederate brig ades were participating in the attack on Snod grass. For its defense Thomas at the last had five brigades and about one-half of two others. There was little fighting on the Kelly field line after 1 o'clock, though Bragg ordered a gen eral attack for 3. It was not delivered until about sundown. At 3 Longstreet, from Snod grass Hill, asked Bragg for re-enforcements, but was informed that the right wing had been so beaten back that it could be of no service to him. Longstreet's last assault was with troops that had not been engaged. Their attack began at 4:30 and lasted until 6. They gained a salient of the Union line and held it for an hour, with a loss of 36 per cent, but were finally dislodged by Gen. Charles H. Grosvenor's regi ment.
At 5:30 General Thomas began withdraw ing his army. The four divisions on Kelly field retired in succession from right to left. Reynolds and Palmer were not attacked. The Confederate attack ordered for 3 o'clock was delivered just as Johnson and Baird were leav ing their lines, and some captures were made, though both reached the forest west of the La Fayette road without disorganization and followed the rest of the left wing through Mc Farland's Gap to Rossville. At 7 o'clock the Snodgrass Hill line began to retire from left to right. Steedman's withdrew at 6, sundown. Fighting in his front had ceased. An hour later Trigg and Kelly, passing over the ground which Steedman had occupied, captured the greater part of three Union regiments which were temporarily attached to the left of his line, and by mistake had not received notice of the withdrawal. The last volley of the battle was fired by troops of Van Derveer's brigade at Kelly's and Trigg's lines, which, after captur ing the isolated troops, attempted to move on Van Derveer's position. Davis' division, which had been cut off at noon, reached a point on its return near General Thomas' right at sun down. General Sheridan, who had continued to Rossville, marched toward the field from that point, reaching Cloud's an hour after sun down. Both of these divisions acted as sup ports for the flanks, while the troops were being withdrawn. General Thomas withdrew the army without molestation through McFarland's . Gap to Rossville and during the night placed it in strong position in the gap at Rossville, along the adjacent crests of Missionary. Ridge and across the valley to Lookout Mountain. It was thus firmly established between Bragg and Chattanooga. Holding his lines through the next day, at night he withdrew toward Chatta nooga.