, 1863-12-30
sToFkm1NG OF MISSION RIDGE.

"A fepOTt OV CoL Jason MAf6n, Oh Inc
74th Illinois regiment, of the part taken
by that regiment in the storming Of Mis-
sion Ridge, and made to Adjutant General
Fuller Of this State, clean up somewhat
two or three things not so well understood
before in regard to the taking of that posi-
lion. Hhas been before stated that the
rebels did not fight with their usual bra
very, and various supposed reasons have
been given for it, none'of which arc proba-
bly, the true ones. The fact seems well es-
tnbHshed by Col Marsh, as well es by pri-
vate letters from his command. In fact
SO soon as our forces had scaled the ridge
the work was done. The rebels threw
down their arms aud surrendered, or ef.
fccted quick escape; and their artillery
and small arms In great numbers fell into
our hands. Why did they not fight bet
tcrs Some Of the papers think the cause
to be their discouragement and failure OF
heart as to the rebellion But Whatever
ofwciglt may be attached to this cause,
there are others Which are obvious enough.
The truth was, the rebels did fight, or
thought they did, while they considered it
Of any use. Their fire was hot and de-
structive to our forces till we had taken
the two lines Of ride-pits at the base Of the
mountain, and were not to be despised
while our men were scaling the Ridge il
self But our boys were too much for the
1ide-pits and took them as intended. Then
came the climbing Of the hill in the face
Of the batterics Bragg had his
head quarters there and had first
assured his troops that the position was
inaccessible and could not be taken" Aad
had it been suitably defended he was pro-
badly right Why wns it not defended? :?
Not that the rebels did not intend to defend
il, md not, probably, that they did not fire
guns enough till they saw it did no good
But they had difficulty to contend with
which even good gunne1s are slow to mas
ter. They were firing down steep de-
clivitys md men in such cases always fire
too high. Probably all their bullets went
oycr our heads, with moderate amount
Of exceptions And being blinded by the
smoke; and our men breaking ranks for
the sake Of getting better cover, were able
to creep up the hill side, Ill! they came at
once upon the works, to the intense aston
ishmcnt Of tho rebel forces. The effect
upon them wns now such as was natural
From being oycr-oonfdcnt they were ut
once orer-despondcnt. Thinking the as
cent impossible, yet seeing it scaled, the
inference WIS easy, that the force was
Overwhelming, md resistance was useless.
Hence the day was OURS at once
Col. Marsh Claims great credit for the
74th, and TINT it was the first to plant its
colors upon the snemy's works. Without
q doubt the boys did bravely and well, yet
in SO long line, and over such variety Of
surface, it might be difficult to decide who
was exactly first in such a case. We arc
glad to see that certain other regiment
from another State, scaled this mountain
in right gallant style; for We have boen
told that the same regiment ran away at
tho battle of Stone River without firing
scarcely a gun. The boys are better off,
cered now, it seems Col Marsh was &C.
vercly wounded in the shoulder, when near
the crest of the Ridge, and is now at home
at Rockford on furlough. The 74th lost
three Killed and near fifty wounded