The 55th Ohio arrived at Bridgeport, Alabama, not too many miles from Chattanooga, Tennessee, on October 2nd, 1863. While waiting for orders to move to Chattanooga, Smith's brigade (2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 11th Corps) camped at Stevenson just south of Bridgeport and took up railroad guard duty.By the 25th of October, the 11th and 12th Corps, under the command of General "Fighting Joe" Hooker, left the Bridgeport area and marched towards Chattanooga, arriving there on the 28th. Leaving Geary's division (12th Corps) at Wauhatchie, Hooker moved the other three divisions three miles further north to Brown's Ferry. That night, rebel General Longstreet, seeking to crush Geary's lone division, ordered an attack on Wauhatchie. Law's brigade, reinforced by those of Benning and Robertson to a total of 2100 men, seized a hill controlling the road between Wauhatchie and Brown's Ferry at 10:00 p.m., in an attempt to block reinforcements to Geary. After several repulses, Orland Smith's brigade, assisted by Tyndale's (3rd Division, 11th Corps) finally drove the rebels away. Smith's men reportedly made "one of the most brilliant charges of the war" in this confused night action. However, the main rebel attack was badly botched and Geary defended himself with ease. Only a small part of the 55th Ohio took part in this action (less than fifty men) as the rest of the regiment was off doing picket duty. None of the 55th contingent was lost, however, Smith's brigade suffered 40 killed, 122 wounded and 2 captured.
Sources:
Trials and Triumphs: A Record of the Fifty-Fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry by Hartwell Osborne, 1904, A.C. Clurg & Co., Chicago.
All Brave And True by Dan Munson, 1987.