The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1863-12-10

Or marching for the railroad to raise
the seige.
They had evacuated the valley of
Chattanooga would they abandon
that of Chickamahga? The twenty
Founders and rifed guns Of Woods re-
doubt opened on Mission Ridge, and
Orchard Knob sent its compliments to
the Ridge, which, with rifed PARROTS,
answered, and the canonade, thus com
menced, continued all day.
Shot and shell screamed from Orch
ard Knob to Mission Ridge, and from
Mission Ridge to Orchard Knob, and
from Woods redoubt over the heads of
Generals Grant and Thomas and their
staff, who were with us in this favora-
BILE position, where the whole battle
could be seen as in an amphitheatcr.
The headquarters were under fire all
day long. Canonading and musketry
were heard from General Sherman.
General Howard marched the 11th
Army Corps to join him. Thomas sent
out skirmishcrs, who drove in the rebel
pickets and chased them into their
intrenchments at the foot Of the Mis-
sion Ridge.
General Sherman made an assault
against Bragg's right, intrenched on Il
high knoll, next to that on which Gen.
Sherman lay fortified. The assault
was CALAMITY made. They reached the
edge ofthe crest and held their ground
for, it seemed to me, an hour, but were
bloolily repulsed by the reserves.
A general advance was ordered and
a strong line of skirmishers followed by
Il deployed line battle some ten miles
in length. At the signal of the leader
(shots from the headquarters on Orch,
ard Knob they moved rapidly and
orlerly forward.
The rebel pickets discharged their
muslets and ran into their rife-pits,-
Our skirmishcrs followed on their heels
The line Of battle was not far behind,
and we saw the grey rebels swarm out
of the ledge line of rifle pits in numbers
which surprised us, and over the base
Of the hill; a few turned and fred their
pieces but the greater number colec-
ted in the many roads which cross OBJ
liquely up its steep face and went on
to the top. Some regiments pressed on
and swarmcd up the steep sides of the
river Here and there color was ad-
vanced beyond the lines. The attempt
appeared to be most dangerous, but
the advance was supported, and the
whole line ordered to storm the nights,
upon which not less than forty pieces
Of artillery, and no one knew how
many musllets, stood ready to slaugh-
ter the asSailants.
With cheers answering cheers the
men swarmed upward They gather
ed to the points least difficult ofascent,
and the line was broken. Color after
color was planted on the summit, while
musket and canon vomited their thun-
der upon them.
A well directed shell from Orchard
Knob exploded a rebel caisson on the
summit, and the gun was seen gallOp-
ing to the right, its driver lashing his
horses: A party of our soldiers inter
ceptcd them and the gun was captur-
ed with cheers.
A fierce musketry fight broke out
to the left, where, between Generals
Thomas and Sherman, mile or two
of the ridge was still occupied by the
rebels.
Bragg left the house in which he had
held his headquarters, and rode to the
rear as our troops crowded the hill on
either side of him, General Grant
proceeded to the summit, and only
then did we know its hight. Some of
the captured artillery was put into po-
sition, artillcrists were sent to work the
guns, and caissons were searched for
ammunition. The rebel log breast
works were torn to pieces and carried
to the other side Of the ridge, and used
in forming barricadcs.
A strong line of infantry was form
cd in the rear of Baird's line, who was
hotly engaged in musketry contest
with the rebels to the left, and secure
Judgement was soon effected. The 9TH
er assault, to the right of our center,
gained the summit, and the rebels
threw down their arms and fed. Gen.
Hooker, coming into favorable posi-
ton. swept the right of the ridge, and
captured many prisoners.
Bragg's remaining troops left carly
in the night, and the battle of Chatta-
nooga, after three days of mancuvcring
and fighting, was won. The strength
of the rebellion in the center was bro
ken; Burnside relieved from danger;
East Tennessee. Kentucky, and Ten
nessee rescued Georgia and the South
west threatened in the rear, and an
other victory added to the chapter of
"UntoHditional Surrender Grant"
Tonight the estimate of captures is
several thousand prisoners and thirty
pieces of artillery. Tho loss for so
great victory is not severe.
Bragg is firing the railroad as he
retreats toward Dalton. Sherman is
in hot pursuit
To day I viewed the battle field,
which extends for six miles along Mis-
sion Ridge and for several miles on
Lookout Mountain. Probably not so
we'll directed or well ordered a battle
has been delivered during the war
But one assault was repulsed, but that