), ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁still ▁snow ing ▁on ▁the ▁morning ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 6 th . ▁ ▁Colonel ▁Phil ander ▁P . ▁Lane ▁was ▁the ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 1 th ▁Ohio ▁Infantry . ▁His ▁regiment ▁depart ed ▁from ▁its ▁Summer ville ▁camp ▁on ▁November ▁ 2 4 ▁with ▁ 5 0 0 ▁men . ▁The ▁inf antry ' s ▁departure ▁point ▁and ▁route ▁were ▁different ▁from ▁Pa xt on ' s ▁caval ry . ▁Lane ' s ▁inf antry ▁march ed ▁through ▁a ▁rain ▁storm ▁on ▁November ▁ 2 5 , ▁and ▁reached ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁Cold ▁Kn ob ▁Mountain ▁that ▁evening — where ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁snow ▁storm . ▁Lane ' s ▁report ▁mentions ▁fro zen ▁equipment ▁and ▁estimated ▁that ▁about ▁ ▁of ▁snow ▁was ▁on ▁the ▁ground . ▁ ▁Pa xt on ' s ▁caval ry ▁met ▁with ▁Lane ' s ▁inf antry ▁at ▁a ▁point ▁on ▁Cold ▁Kn ob ▁Mountain ▁around ▁no on ▁on ▁November ▁ 2 6 . ▁The ▁two ▁colon els ▁con ferred , ▁and ▁Lane ▁decided ▁that ▁his ▁regiment ▁was ▁not ▁in ▁condition ▁to ▁continue ▁the ▁mission . ▁His ▁men ▁were ▁wet ▁and ▁cold , ▁and ▁they ▁began ▁their ▁return ▁to ▁their ▁camp ▁in ▁Summer ville . ▁Pa xt on ▁also ▁considered ▁ending ▁the ▁mission , ▁but ▁decided ▁to ▁continue ▁after ▁being ▁convinced ▁by ▁Major ▁Pow ell . ▁Pow ell ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁lead ▁the ▁advance ▁guard , ▁and ▁selected ▁Lieutenant ▁Jer em iah ▁David son ▁and ▁ 2 0 ▁men ▁from ▁Company ▁G