The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-12-19

'ne ridge rive distinct lines OF breast
works filled with sharpshooters stared us
In the hace. These had to be stormed
Mission Ridge is about 600 feet high
very steep and covered with loose Quartz
rock about the size of ordinary McAdam
Inc rebels had also cut away the timber
ana the whole surface was covered with
tree tops and loose brush. Their first line
OF works were about 600 yards in advance
OF the foot OF the bill and were abandoned
before We got near them The second
line was about 300 yards fartherou. These
also offend no resistance. The Sd line was
along the foot Of the hill and were occu.
pied by strong picket out post who de-
hvered their 6re and then fell back. The
4th line was strong lunette, half way up
| the side OF the ridge just abou; long enough
10 cover the front of our regiment In
this was posted the 4t., Florida sharp
shooters. The 5;h line was on the crest
Oh the ridge and consisted of a continuous
me or we'll constructed rifle pits, and tour
! batteries arranged at convenient intervals
| The whole OF breckenridge division were
/ posted In these works in eur immediate
front. The formation of the ground was
such that 10 approach this part of their
lines we came directly in range Of their
batteries. Under those circumstances
| much solicitude was felt by all the com>
niancing Generals as to this portion Of the
line
| About o'clock tho order to move on
the enemy works was given. The col
onn started forward wi h quick pace,
which was soon exhilerated into n run and
amid shell, grape, canister aud rifle bal 5.
with deatsnIng cheers, on We swept until
we reached the third line Of their deien-
iSr <f 81 l..
ment, brief rest was taken At the word
forward another cheer rent the air and on
to the 4th line we rushed and as we near
ed 1t the terrified rebels rushed up the mil
IN wild confusion, casting away guns, cart
rldgeboxes, blankets and everything that
/ impsded their speed But MANY a poor
grayback was made TO bite the dust while
struggling up the hill side On reaching
the 4ti line perfect storm Of bullets came
from the top of the hill But we sheltered
ourselves again under The emoan K meut to
breathe and regain strength. While thus
pauSIng for moment to our CONSERVATION
we bstsld the extreme right OF our line
give way and fall back in confusion An
ephladinc fire had been concentrated on
the 33d Ohio regiment from two batteries.
and although doing but little damage had
the effect of PRODUCING 4 temporary panic,
which came well nigh resulting in disaster
But the ssih Ind, 10 the left of the 33d
Ohio stood their grousd nobly And when
the iiual word was given to storm the crest
ct the hill all moved forward with rush
Now commenced the harGes; part OF the
work The side of the ridge was so steep
that it was with difficulty that a,eu could
get up without seIzing hold of the
scattered underbrush. Bn. still up they
came, and before half the distance be
tween the 4th and 9th lines Of the enc
mles defences was made the gray backs
couId be seen creaHirg all 4 oag our front
from their rlH. pts sn the crest Of the
ridge. Cheer after cheer went up as we
pushed forward. untii after desperate
struggle we gained the to,, and delivered
our fire after the aaaic stricken aord-s OF
the enemy rs they fed down the on ,osite
side. Oar h,s ",> the ls.t Gi-yi0yed oa
the top OF the ridge.
Capt fitzsims:oa:, cf CO. X, leading
the left wing Of the regiment, and your
humble correspondent. in command OF Co
A, tho ri eht wing, claim the honor % first
reaching the top of the r!i-e. For the
past few months. Oh sccous.t Of personal
d ficuliy Capt. F ANA myself L4s not been
Oh very iit!flate terms Our intercourse
extended no farther than our official
Ing the top OF Mission R,i.e =; about the
same time AID beng alone we cock aivau-
tage OF ;;Ie occasion aad by q hearty shake
of the right hand buried the h.tchet,'
and sealed its tomb with three hearty
cheers for the Union.
While standing or the riage watching
tn. fleeing enemy | noticed Por;!y look
ing officer riding up and down the seat
tered lines of the rebels a. If eu.iaavoriny
to rally them. | seized riff. IN the
hands OF one of cur men and l-vslied il
AT him, taking good aim az | could -
W hen the -uu cracked noticed him thro,.
up his arms aud start oil i'll great speed
but almost simultaneously with my shot
over % others fired 3. him But he es
cap@a into the woods. That man was
John G. Breckiuridyc. and citizens and
refugees who have since come into our
lines assure us that he WAS severely If not
mortally wounded by this fl
When our troops reached the top of the
hill many were so exhausted and out Of
breath that they threw themselves upon
the ground, and for hours were scarcely
able to move around.
BY sundown the whole Of the ridge was
cleared. llooker's forces stripped it clean
at Rossvll!e, on our ri ght and /! Toward and
Sherman drove the enemy oif from our
left and ". again laid down on the battle
field to rest
The strength Of Braeg's srmy in front
of Chattanooga, on Lookout Mountain,
and within easy supporting distance WAS
about 10000 Our strength wa. probably
$4,000. The fight may be said 10 have
continued three days. Though Monday
there was little firing except alon. the
picket lines, where lfoward's corps made
the first feint on Bragg's right wing.
In storming Miosion iiidge we captured
O large number Of prisoners. small arms
and nearly all the enemies artillery, some
40 pieces. Our loss was exceedingly light,
considering the desperate nature OF the
fight. 1t will not exceed in the three daye
over 5000.
The charge up Mission Ridge is acknowl
edged to have been the most daring and
heroic achievement of the war Men who
have been at the taking of Fort Donelson,
at Shiloh, Corinth, at Vick-burs, and in
all the sharply contested fights IN the east
and west, all admit that tho stornning of
Mission Ridge eclipsed everything they
ever saw No man can see ts<. herculean
efforts required to make the top Of that
range of hills until he passes over the
ground.
On Thursday the pursuit commenced,
and all day long we followed up their
trail. About ~ ocloclS at night we caught
up with s. battery-four II To- brass Nepo
leon guns. These We at once gob;led up,
taking at the same time a number of sup
ply teams and about 200 prisoners We
then attempted to surprise their camp at
Graysvlle. but they got wind of our ap-
prosch and had left before we got up 1t
was evident that their retreat from Gravs.
vile was in the widest confusion. And
the scattered arms and accouternants. the
provisions, clothing, &c, which lined the
road indicated the utter decentralization Of
the rebel army. About midnight we biv-
Ia h., NJ, >, E. 4