New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-12-04

Ferry cncampcd at an easy distance from The of
intended operations.
when Gen. Bragg followed timdly The hickon army
Of Gen Eosccrans It's retTea-not 10 say discrcerly
nirhi-in;o Chattanooga, instead d pursuing that
part which did moi make its oscapo-Gor not dong
which Ac has been so much hlmod)-hc halted Tie nan
body of his army on the morning of The 23d OF Septem'
her ON Missionary Ridge Immediately in front Of our
works bu; mainly crcng round from the LEFT 10 the
center Of line his right resting On the river about
three miles above Chattanooga. Tie Railroad
to Clcvclaud-aboui twenty milcs-conIccting there
with the main line from Knoxville 10 Atlanta.
and the read 10 Dalton, come forty miles,
connecting there with the same Inc, entered
Chattanooga through Missionary Ridge, 50 that Their
terminus 10 De- near Erag;s headquarters Ia sehi
of our works the lon II was on tie first named
road that Lonsirocts corps departed lately for Easi
Tennessee and oyer them Bragg has received most o.
his supplies and maintained his connection. moi Only
with East Tennessee but with Georgia. The road 10
Knoxville once cut, The connection even rendered
precautions II plain that the situation OF affairs III
East Tennessee especially with the hctcls would all nj
once become materially changed Should tie main line
connecting East Tennessee ana Georgia be broken or
seriously mcnacod. hy driving the Rebels from Mission
ary RIDGE or 10y our gaining foothold on the south
side Of the river The flank Of the Rebel position, The
principal questions in the would he. how would
Loucstroct get ont Of East Tennessee, and how far
would Bragg Ice compelled TO retreat
To realize his OF any part Of this state Of things II
would be necessary 10 cross the river above Chata
nooca with heavy force and assai the Rebels in their
flank. To drive them from Missionary Ridge would be
10 render the work complete. IL in addition To these,
Lookout Mountain should fall into hands little or
nothing further oould be desired.
Here We have what presume were some Of the lead
ing ideas that entered into the plan ms originally pro
posed by Gen. Smith and which, it is understood at
once impressed themselves Gen. Grants ready mind
and received the cordial assent Of Gen. Thomas
Now let me proceed briefly to give the reader some
idea Of the topography Of the situation.
Missionary Ridge is a lire Of hills ranging from 100
to feet in hight sweeping round from Cha,tnoosa
Valley on our center 20 left 70 less than one mile Of
the river above Chattanooga and sloping westwudy
toward The town thus confronting line Of dcensos at
the point where The Ridge approaches tie river II
backs up toward the cast a general line with and
from one to two miles from the river, toward which The
hills haze another slipping bu, rather abrupt face. On
the westward slope Bragg planted lis works on the
north or river slope De does not seem 10 have con
s,rucied permanent works
To cross the river and assa the Rebels Oh their flank,
willie Gen. Thomas opened upon them IN front was the
plan. The point where the Rebel line clrclng round
Chattanooga stuck tie river above tie town. VA
about mile below the place Of the crossing proposed
10 b. made. from AZ point 20 the Ridge Ia be car
ricd the distance ~ about the same. over river bot
tom quite even. somewhat timbcIcd but generally cll
tiyat-d
Rebels has a narrow bottom, annually oYeiio~ed. nDi
skricd 10y sharp r ard Lnob cut by fa'inc. hai a.
ford practicable approaches 10 The u'cr BACK I" tns
silrnc ~ ILLS aro Knobs is I0iliAs aha "'4'u e"'N
NV with GOOD ruHds over which most ui Tie loEcrf
tie poalolns the artillery and tie other appointment
fr The movement lad been transported uAoDtci' cd
Tocro.s Gen. Shclmaus force IN short time as
possible p0n'ours FOR bridges only short distance
81 art where tie river is about LOO feet vide had been
prepared and taken flAff Decides iAivpila y" iHN4'
ilc the passage ~ infantry IN addition to these ~
/ tn.hc fcparliion,-peAminaiiy involving an I'M.
uensc labor whcA bad been done under The dTccNgA
u Gen. Smtl--ahout 100 boats had been moored IN
North Cl.clamauga Creek. which cmpiics into the
Tennessee OIL the Union side about four miles above
Slerinal's crossing These boats, filed with men
cg. 10 De- fuatel Tie mouth % The South tllck lmau
baf few hundred yards above whore sherman
would cross Hoih sides II tho ri'er would thus be
ne time appointed fr commencing 10 lay tho bridges
was O'Clock ia, morning To cover he operation
AID our meg when ono" across. Fen IrnInan lad
planted artillery tl.t completely commanded the po
which our forces were 10 oPrnte
Withth.s preliminary sn,.gh 81 the purpose ~ the
movement aid u tlc field Of niclded opfAuon. Ut
reader come with 20 tie top On Alll hard by
r..u- .ome two hundred feet above thc river. from
which Everything connected With TIE movement can uc
seen even with the LuaImod eye
TIC incoming j. cold. misty and very unplomihine >"
~ qs the weather BIS concerned. Not so. however IN
most - other respects. Il O'Clock but guHe DARK
yet. !Of nearly ufcc ho4s "'cItlhng ias 9e'n gong
q. fr.Iy Geff. sherman and smith G. Baby } Mtl
f. t hood shortly otter midnight and awaited
tie A,ft aad a very important Stage o. NC movement
o. floating down from tAc mouth 81 Norm tMcka
fu.ygn Tie hundred and odd boats filed With nearly
300 men Tie time Cor these to leave Tie creek Was
b. IT. pasi H. and watched momcniariy expecting -
t.,i tne lrc Of TIE Rebel piokcis We wanted IA vain
The rnrr lOflll came down hhd iih'ed 30 npisflriy
.it tf rick.s we're captured in body, about rs euty
Ia number Ibls movement Has perfectly Muilc.s.
Since O'clock long pontoon Trans nave nceh winding
tAcil way 20 Tie place on ile I't'r Uhh "I,Ie ,n'
boz dges are 10 be- Laid. HE Tif"r ir'i ~ conhidriuby
swollen ald tie current ycTt rapid-hh unexpected ana
srrions circumstance. 1t viii require all the SKIN OF
Gen. smith and Die able assistants 10 maintain me
pfono.cd bridges for any length of time against
he swift current and DIM wood. Tie boats that
brought down the force from Cmckamauga 'fech have
already made three and four up between NC Two
i9cs ~ thc Iiyer icirting Owe troop. ana Ds iLs
fe tte force on the Rebel side ~ fully ODD men wei
infrcncAed. Artillery has moved up. '"e az p'n'
as been constructed and al 20 quietly ilai one ""nid
scarcely known hat anything rADAn" Anu Dee"
C,lt' Dge..er with the ponccrs and Capt. for. Of
the Michigan Engineer are making ready u Ia} lh'
D.! .dgcsiAc former across the l"hhrhH'e' te I'i''
across the Chickamaugh
Inc dusk Of The morning hls given place TO perfect
da,-raiher imperfect day. ahomd eaY 10Y u IaD'N
fde- il As d .aerccaDly cold. and, altogether MOI D.
ino wboi. one would not care 10 move about Already
sbagp mu,kctIy is heard down the river. Whore ia't
nigld We LIT Howard corps coe up to the hrD'h'
aid now cainonadug nc1r' hntanoogn makes son"i"hs
echoes up and down ihc valley. II j. evident mat we
enc 10 have hard fighting though there are thofc VINO
really believe that Bragg viii make OIL DO not 40 60
tiusie the probabilities.
our men aciOss the rIvef-cOntinually increasing III
numbershayc advanced their second line 81 ln' plh.
They dig they go and already tie hclda snow HN'b
NOT work - tie skiil Of tie engineer and The m"st
vigorous usc of pick and spade bring forth. ON the