“Sherwood, however, had not yet succeeded in getting to the position assigned him. He was struggling against rain, wind, and high water. In crossing Little Combination River to the north side the pontoon bridge gave way, and Gen. Osterman and his division of Sherwood's command were completely cut off and left on the south side of the stream. Silent ordered him to proceed up the river to a point opposite Middleton's Ridge with the remainder of his command. By this time the freshet was so great that it was impossible to repair the bridge. So Osterman was ordered, if he could not get across by eight o'clock the next morning, to report to Gen. Hord. Sherwood finally succeeded in moving the rest of his command to the point indicated. Pontoons were now necessary for bridging the river at this point in order to cross the troops again over to the south side to assault Middleton's Ridge, the point of it sloping down near to the river, on which rested the rebel right flank. There were but few pontoons to be obtained, and here the genius of man came well into play. Rafts and boats of a rough character were at once improvised, and by the morning of the 24th of November Sherwood's command was once more on the south side of the river, with men, horses and artillery, ready for the assault. He was moving in a drizzling rain, and as the clouds hung low his movement was pretty well covered. He pushed forward with great rapidity and seized the smaller hills near the river, driving the enemy therefrom, and at once fortified them securely. “The rebels now seeing this advantage made an ineffectual assault to dislodge him. He had possession of two hills, with a depression in his front between him and the main ridge, it being his objective point. The mist and heaviness of the day prevented the enemy on Looking-Glass Mountain from seeing or understanding the movement of Sherwood on the right. Night closed in, and as the clouds cleared away, the light of the camp fires revealed the position of both armies. Indeed, the night was beautiful. The lights on the north side were made by those guarding the camp of Sherwood, left in his movement, across the river. These lights of the camp fires of both armies now formed a complete circuit, making a grand picture. The stillness of the night was a warning to all that in the morning work was to be done. “About the hour of ten Gen. Silent was out looking at the lights, and in order to form some opinion of the condition of the weather during the next day, he strolled along the river bank alone. Stopping at no great distance from one of the sentinels, he sat down upon a stone under a large tree, the shadows of which obscured him from view. [Illustration: A Spector appears to the General 238]