Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1863-12-09
Array csrrespomdeneeof the Sara""aA Repa0licas.
The Battle of Missionary Ridge.
ARMY OF TENNESSEE,

Array Correspondeneeo the odrd"hdH fepaotcdh
The Battle of Missionary Ridge.
ARMY OF TENNESSEE,
Chickamauga, NoEember25, Midnight.
The Confederates have sustained to-day til,
most ignOminious defeat Of the whole war.
defeat ior wh;cl there is but little excuse o.
palliaticn. For the first time during Oul
struggle for national independence, our def q
is cbarge.ble to The troops themselves, anc
not to the Eiunders ard i~ncompetency Of then
leaders. II is difficult tor one to realize how
a defeat so complete c,uld; have occurred Oh
or ,und so favorable, notwithstanding tue great
disparity in the forces OF the two hostile ar-
mics. The ground was uore in our favo,
than it was at. Fredericksburg, where Gen.
Longstreet is said -ts'have estimated that Lees
army YVES equal to 300. 900 &. eli. And yet We
gained The battle OF Fredericksburg and los,
that Of Missionary Ridge.
The Federal army was marshalled under
Grant, Thomas, Huoker and Sherman, and
did not number less than $4,000 veteran
troops. The Confederate army under Bragg,
Hardee and Breckenridge, did not number
half so many. Longstreet's Virginia divisions
and other troops had been seht to East Ten
nessre. Had these been present, with their
steady leader at the head of Them, We should
have woa a victory quite as complete rs our
defeat has been. As 1t was, we ous hi to have
won the day, aud should have done so if OFF
men had d7ne rs we'll ss usual. Possibly 6
mistake was committed when Long,treet was
sent away, and possibly it would have been
better not to have accepted battle to-day.
hut re,reatad last night. Gen. Bragg thought,
however. that there Was MT time, after the
loss IF Lookout, to get his army safely over
the Chickamausa a-tnight, and that it would
be better, occupying so strong a POSITION, TO
fight i. out. But what could lie expect from
hattie where the odds were 50 muck against
him Not only did Grant have nearly three
to- ore in numbers, but the geograp bical Con-
fgurat,on Of the ground, in mareuveling an
army, was as favorable us he could desire.
Nature had provided an ample protection for
bis TANKS and rear, and rendered bis front al
most i~mpregnable. BE possessed the addi-
tional advantage of being able te
his army upon the chord of a serui-circle,
whilst Bragg could moye upon the arc.
Grant deployed his immense MA SEES in two
leavy lines of hattle, and sometimes in three,
supported BY large reserve forces. The spec
tacle was magnificent, as viewed from the
crest Of Missionary Ridge. He advanced first
against our right wing, about ten O'Clock,
where he encountered that superb sol iier,
Lieut.. Gen. Hardee, who commanded on the
right, while Maj. Gen. Breckenridge comman
ded on the left. Hurdles command embrac-
ed C!eburne's, Walkers, commanded by Gen.
t;ist, Gen. Walker being absent, Chta,ha,u's
and Stevenson, divisions. Breckinridge's EN-,
braced his old division, commanded By Brig.
Gen. Lewis, Stewart's, part of Backner's, and
Landmarks, commanded by Fat on Anderson.
The enemy's first assault upon ,Hsrdee was
repulsed with great slaughter as was his Sec
ond, though made with double lines supp ,rted
with heavy reserves. The wave of battle like
the wave Of the sea when it dashes against a
.rock-bound coast, beat, and hisse,l, and strug-
glcd in vain, for the brave men who guarded
our right were resolved never to Weld one
which they colitended were fearful; for while
the enemy advanced in two and even three
massive lines, their own army consisted ol
only che long and weak line, without supports
Yet they not only repu'sed every attack, but
captured seven flags, about three hundred
prisoners, and remained masters of the ground
until night, when they were ordered to retire
carrying off all their guns, losing no prisoners
and bus s small per centage of killed and
wounded. The. whole command behaved we'll
and especially that model soldier, Maj. Gen
Cleburne, q true son of the Emerald Isle, ano
his heroic division. Gen. Hatdee saved til,
army from a disastrous rout, and added fresl
l.urels to his brow.
The attack on the left wing wasnot mad
until about aoon- Here, Us on the right, tn
enemy wss repulsed; but he WAS obstinate
aud fought with great ardor and Confidence
returning TO the Charge again and again 4
the haidsomes. style, until once of Our brle
AIDES near the centre. raid to be Reynold-
gave Way and the Fedora, flag was- pisute
GA Missionary Ridge. The enemy was NJ
slow in a~railing himself of the great advar
tagss Of his .S- position. In g few tniaut.
he turned upon our sflnks' and poured int
them q terrible coGlndins FIRE, Which s1o
threw the Confederates on his right and lie
into confusion. Under this confusion, Il
already extensive gap in our lines grew. wide
aud wider, and the wider it grew the faSt'
the ,pultitudinous foe rushed iutothe 5awair
cha+m. The confusion extended until it ina
" assumed the torrn Of q panic. Seeing tt
enemy in possession ofa portion ofthe height
the men hastily concluded that the day W.
gone. and that they had best save theuiSelvt
Just at this time the alarm was incr:ased
AN artillery battery which. rushed down u
hill to the river for y fresh supply OF aurIn
nitioa; the men, however, supposed they We
living FROM tue field. and that all Was lo
Nearly the whole left wing eventually BEGAN
involved, and gave VISA p.rtiou ut it ret
,;ng under orders, buL the gre,tcr pArt in
u~nmitignted r1ut. .4@,n::pI
General Bragg did all he eoall to rally t
flg,tivrs and re fprtn the broken lide.' y
exposed him-elf in the m.st urguar,;ed ms
..I OF nne time il lacked az if ha Won