Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1863-12-10
BATTLES Or CHATTANOOGA.
Three Days Fighting.
GRAPHIC HISTORY OF EVENTS.
Unsurpassed Bravery Of the
Army.
Enduring and Glorious Record

ARMY
Enduring and Glorious Record
The Cincinnati Gazette cnntalns a com
plctc and graphic description Of the opera
tions Of the army Of Gen. Grant in front Of
Chattanooga, on the 23d oath, 25th, and
26th Of November, by which Bragg's army
was defeated and driven from Lookout Noun
tain and Mission Ridge and hurled back
into Georgia in broken and demoralized
masses. We make room for the most in
teresting parts Of it below.
Events of Tuesday, Nov. 24th.
SHERMAN UP.
At last SHERMAN was up" pontoon
boats, one hundred and ten in number, had
besn safely lodged in the North Cbicamau
ga; twenty more were concsalsd in ravine
near Caldwell's Ford, just below the mouth
Of the South Chieainauga; numerous wagon
loads of lumbsrfo bridging we're in the same
vicinity. The 18th army corps, Major-Gen.
Frank Blair commanding, was well massed
behind the hills the division of JEFF. G.
Davis, Of the 14th corps, was prepared to
support it, and all things we're in readiness
for crossing the river.
CROSSING THE TENNESSEE.
1t was 2 O'Clock on the morning of the
Gath of November when the feet of boats
carrying brigade Of Morgan l.. Smith s
division, pushed carefully out Of the Chica-
mauga, and dropped quietly down the Ten
hessse. So perfectly was the thing man
aged, so exquisite were the arrangements for
silence and secrecy, that even our own pick
cts along the bank of the river did not know
when the boats passed. Before daylight
they had reached their destination; and the
soldiers jumping on shore, formed as soon
as possible, and advancing rapidly captured
the rebel pickets who were sleeping uncon-
sciousy by their fires.
WE PREPARE TO STAY.
No sooner was this accomplished, than
our boys who had landed fell to intrenchng
themselves with the industry Of beavers,
while the boats began to take over ether
troops, and worknen carried vigorously for
ward the building of the pontoOn bridge.
Just after daylight | was over to the left
of our line, upon the North side of the river
to witness the crossing As | passed along
the river behind Strinter's Ridge, saw that
the tents of Shermans men were nearly al
deserted, only few invalids, suffers clerks
aud teamsters being left in the camps Pass
ing on, finally camo 10 point where, from
the road descending the ridge you can catct
glimpse Of some open ground in the vicin
ity of Caldwell's Ford, Here spectacle o
surpussirg beauty met my eyes.
A SCENE OF BEAUTY.
Two score of boats were plying back anG
forth across the somewhat swollen river
each one carrying from tho Northern to tht
Southern shore from a dozen to twenty sol
dlers. The splendid pontOon bridge already
stretched half way across, and the pioneer,
were just commencing work upon its South.
ern end. Flfty-six pieces Of artillery, ssme
brass and giitloring, some iron and sOmber
were ranged along the shore and upon the
sides Of the hills, to protect the crossing
while ten thousand soldiers, constituting Q
splendid army, with music, banners, horse,
and equi pments, we're massed upon the leve
ground by the river, ready and anxious to &c
over. While was gazing at those already
there, the fine brigade commanded by Gen
John Beatty marched in column across tht
ridge, and entered the plain below. About
the same time, Col. Dan. McCook's ant
Gen. Morgan's brigades could be seen nd
vancing to the rendezvous down the river
from the Chicamauga, near which they haC
been stationed, to protect the pon.oon fee
while it lay in that creek. The whole seen,
WAS calculated to impress the beholder will
sense of beauty and power, and make hin
feel that this time, at least, the Union arm.
would be irresistible. Gen. Sherman him
self superintended the landing, as he did al
the subsequent opel ations of his troops.
VIEW FROM THE SIGNAL STATION.
A quarter of mile down the river from
CaldwelPs Ford, rises high hill, the high
est in that vicinity; and on the summit o
this was one Of our signal stations. By
series Of tacks, now this way, now that,
urged my horse half way up, fastened hin
there, and climbed on foot to the top. Al
the region around Chattanooga was visibl
from this eminence, and, looking from il
ono might get some idea of the immensely
the grandeur, the complication, and, at th
same time, the simplicity, of the operation
going on below. Those operations had 70
their thsater the whole county, from Wau
hatchie in Lookout Valley to tho mouth @
the North Chicamauga, distance Of twelv
miles! And one uiaster mind, with subol
dinates at once able and intelligent, wa
overseeing and directing the whole.
ROAR OF BATTLE IN THE NIGHT.
While was on this bill, it began to raj
gently; q thick mist ovsrspread Lookou
rolled in immense columns up the river, an
gradually filed the entire basin of Chatti
nooga. The last object upon whish my sigl
rested was Sherman's men still advancin
toward the North end of Mission Ride
without interruption, and extending the
lines gradually TO the right, until at last the
came into communication with the left win
Of Gen. Howard's corps; the last sounds
heard were the crash Of musketry and thu
der of artillery in the direction Of Looko,
Mountain, which told that Gen. Hooker ha
assailed the position from which the enen
II had so long insolenty menaced our army.
As descended the hill could scarcely r
press an emotion of terror as the sound
battle toward the right became more ar
, mere awful and continuous, until it SCENE
: ns If some tremendous torrent had sappt
the foundations Of Lookout, and the mou
tain itself was orumbling into ruin D.
lsoldiers we're storming Lookout