Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-12-10
A GRAPHIC ACCOUNT


suboned report from Of its special correspondents
at Chattanooga Of Gen Grants recent operations in that
vicinity which terminated the defeat Of the Confederate
army under Gen, Bragg. This account was written on
the battlefield and graphically describes the series OF
struggles which resulted in this important victory.
THE SITUATION PRECEDING TIE BATTLE.
To correctly understand the details of the battle the
reader must remember that immediately after the battle
Of Chckamauga our troops were closely Invested Chai
tanooga Bragg's line extended from where Missionary
Ridge 10 the river four miles above To tho base
Of Lookout Mountain the river, three miles below
town Soon after Gen. Grant assumed command, Gen.
H0Okers and Towards Corps were thrown across the
ut Bridgeport marched upon the south side to the
ley running southwark at the we tern base Of Lockout
Mountain, and strongly entrenehed there Inc enemy
Ill held the whole line around the town Hooker com
municated with Chattanooga by crossing The river on
pontoon at Browns Ferry where Lockout Valley opened
to the river thence Moccasn Point around which
the distance is five mes) about mile IT, another
pontoon Il. the lower end "t the town Steamboats,
from Bridgeport to Kely's Ferry, eight miles below
Chattanooga with supplies which were conveyed thence
through gap of Raccoou Mountain past Hookers camp,
by the road crossing the pontoons mention
ed before by this route our troops were relieved IRON
threatened starvation, and supplies we're accommodating
slowly.
On the evening of the l4th Gen Sherman and stall ar
rived at Bridgeport lie proceeded to Chattanooga That
night BY steamboat FIR conference with Gen Grant and
others and returned the 18th BY this time his whole
corps camp by, and early in the morning Gen
ENiugs division crossed the river without baggage or
transportaton with five days cooked rat0ns in their ha
versacks md srGck boldly out on tho Trenton road by
which portion OF Gen. Rosecrans' army marched to
Chckamauga He drove the enemys skirmishrrs and
outposs from Trenton the 10Th with but little oppos
ton and Threatened the passes and rear OF Lookout In
the afternoon of the 2Oh he made tnt OF ascending the
mount ani actually effected Judgment some distance
the de His orders were to alam and deceive the
enemy in every way possible but on account 10 allow
himself IT, be entrapped, drawn into general engage
ment His presence there in force and the anxiety which
characterized his movements appeared to operate as de-
sgned the enemy Bragg seemed TO think advance
Of the main ary by that route intended and accord
iugy threw heavy force that direction from his centre
and right All this plainly dscernble from Chatta
nooga He troops could be plainly seen moving 10 the
direction Of Rossye to the Of Lookout The next
day many 81 them returned Possibly h. undeceiyed
possibly feared his centre was left too weak
In the time the residue of Gen. Sherman's corps
pushing to opposite Chattanooga prepara DRY to lay
ing potoUn the river, at the mouth of Chicka-
manga river and carrying the upper end OF Missionary
Ridge j Smiths division lett Bridgeport on the 18Th,
and Was IN camp IN ravne two miles 10 rear OF and OPP
posile Chattan ,uga by daylight Of the. ooh. M l..
Stph's followed next day and night Osterhaus division
Temporarily commanded by Brig Gen Charles X Woods)
should have been at the heels Of the former but heavy
set H. making he roads and mountain torrents almost
| impassable and their arrival delayed, When just
ready to Browns Ferry poutoon, the bridge gave
from pressure Of high water aud drtwoOd aud they
unable To time t0 join their proper command
in the attack that followed but attached themselves to
Gen. Honkfrs command and participated largely in the
attack on Lookout. Ewing abandoned his position at
Trenton IN The night and marched rapidly down lookout
Valley, and joined his corps on Sunday night the 22d
All o Shermans corps had to pass in sight OF the enemy
signal station Lookout Mountain, but most Of them did
| 80 in the night and were not discovered
The approach of DseI as division alarmed the rebels
and put them the alert. Constant signalling going
on between their stations, ard troops in motion
on Missionary Ridge all day long Bragg evidently began
tn expect attack but undecided from which quar-
ter 10 expect it. la the forenoon h. would troops
from flank to the other, aud in the afternoon
| them back again Greht cOumotion observable in
tbu AZ, hot
deceive him to the intended attempt to above,
Towards corps moved from Lookout Valley by day
| light to Chattanooga, though expecting an
assault ourselves at most would assault the rebel lines
from the front.
THE RECONNAISSANCE OF MONDAY.
So much SIR observable on Monday among Bragg
troops that mary officers Inclined Ia the opinion he
evacnatng, and The account gt9 by desere! ahrr con
our lines therefore resolved upon to ascertain II
sbe the strength and position of the rebel troops and for
the purpose OF still further covering the movements Of
Gen. Sherman Accordingly, Mt two o'clock L. Nj on
Monday, the I'D troops dppoyed into their rrspec
tive positions and little later the whole line nd-
vanced aud the rebel cutposts driven in This the
signal for general artillery attack The OF Forts
Wnod and Negey and Moccasin Point opened a furious
cannnnade sust ue by smaller batteries and field pieces
10 which the rebels replied with Yigor, From the high
ground Of Fort Wood the view magn icent. How
AIDS corps moved around in front in column to the
trruIe left Changers fell into thu centre PaImers took
the right. under the base rf Lookout The whole plain
for miles gigantic living, moving kaleidoscope. The
troops marched to their places with the air and precision
If veterans with every heal held HIGH aud every banner
and battle flag thrown IT, the breeze Hearts s~ elIed
with emotions too big for uttsrance; hut the profound
scnce and stern resolve 4" every counensnce gave pro
mise Of the morrow.
After sharp sklrmish in n belt of timber lying
between outp0ss and Orchard Ridge "a considerable
rtgr in front nf centre and half way to the foot OF
Missionary RdgeD the rebels driven into their rifle
pits ITS summit and formed in line Of battle,
partially covered by the timber. Sheridans division,
rtult nj uFH
lively Woods division, lin the ceatTr had the most to
contend against aud advanced furthc,t Hagens and
Wiicbs brlgades especially distinguished themselves,
carried Orchard Ridge by assault little before dark
W bout heavy loss.
This gave possession of all the high ground in front
Of MISSIONARY Ridge and drove the enemy into their nan
line Of rh'pts few hundred yards in front Of the base
Of the ridge This nr continuous clear around
aud seemed formidable. Firing ceased at dark. How
the Rebels busrd Themselves il not certainly known, but
| orr boys commenced erecting brrastwurks immediately.
All ngttong the axe pick and shovel ndustriousIy
Piled, and Tuesday morning dawnel line Of orthca-
tons that would have delighted Todtlebeu. A double
row OF logs and "ose stones covered with earth the
excavation # which made considerable ditch aud added
TO its strength Part o this line had been taken from the
enemy the night before at the pont of the bayonet and
whs their advanced rh"pt We had only tn add to its
h. light aud dig hitch The other side should front
outward, when 1t was completes cold chilly mist aud
rain settled down upon the contcudng hosts during the
night The morning oggy and the day drizzy, but
not cold.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. CROSSES THE RIVER.
In obedience to orders, Gen Sherman moved up the
north sdr Of the river Ia opposite the mouth of Chcka
river, which emptes to the Tennessee from the
souh"ard Gen. Giles A Smiths brigade, Of Gen M L.