The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-12-11
GENERAL THOMAS ARMY.
GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF THE
FIRST TWO DAYS. BATTLES.
How Lookout Mountain was Cap.
tured.
SUMMIT OF LOOKOUT, Nov. "a, Il

SUMMIT OF LOOKOUT, Nov. "a, 1868.
CAPTURE OF LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN
1t has been my fortune to participate in
and describe several engagements since
the outbreak of the rebellion Under Or
binary circumstances it is exceedingly DIFF
ficult to trace the progress of battle.
We know that it opens on the right, for
instance, and that it rolls along the line to
the centre, and then to the left, and, per-
haps back again. We know this because
the fire slackens on the right and increases
on the left. Very seldom is the looker-on
so circumstanced that he can see the ini-
tial point of battle-can put his finger on
certain spot and say, fright here the
pickets fired, here they fell back to the
rifle-pits, there the artillery opened fiery
mouthed upon them-at this point we
took the first line of rifle-pits-at that the
second, and here, right here, we gained
the victory The point of observation is
usually lower than the battle-ground, and
then hills and valleys, forest and streams
intervene to obs!ruct the view. To-day l
stationed myself on high hill above the
smoke of guns and cannon, where the
railroad, the valley, Lookout Creek, and
| the broad mountain side lay unrolled like
map before me. l wish l was able to
draw the mountain in profile and present
it in these columns. 1t is impossible, and
/ must content myself with a bare de-
| scriptiOn.
At half past three O'Clock, Tuesday
morning, we were awakened by the guard
who introduced messenger from General
Hooker. He bore written order to Gen.
Oruft to send Gen. Whitaker's brigade at
the earliest dawn Of day to Manhatchie, to
cooperate with Gen. Geary. The order
was sent as directed. Again at O'Clock
we were ordered to move Colonel Cross
brigade into the Valley road Immediately
We received the order at six and before
seven we had breakfasted and were in mo-
ton. Gen. Osterhaus' division was unable
to cross the river at Browns ferry, because
of the damage to the pontoon bridge, and
it was also placed in position with General
Hooker's troops. This was the position:
Osterbaus' on the left, Gross on the centre
and Geary and Whitaker on the right.
| Lookout Mountain, from the valley, stands
| up boldly against the sky two thousand
| feet at the summit, and showing on it's ex-
IRENE point precipitous rocky face, at
! whose base the mountain gradually recedes
and tapers gradually down until it strikes
the river. Between Lookout Valley and
the Mountain, or what is better, in the
middle of Lookout Valley is series OF
hills from one hundred to three hundred
feet high, all of which are opposite the
butt end of Lookout, and command it at
different angles. Between these hills and
the mountain proper, winds Lookout
Greek, emptying into the Tennessee near
its base. The railroad also strikes the
Tennessee at tho base of Lookout. The
bridge across the creek was burned
Our picket lines on the west side of the
creek, and the rebels on the east side.
| Upon the western slope of Lookout, from
its point to Wauhatchie, vas stationed
brigade of rebel soldiers-Gen. Walthals
brigade, Oheathams division, Hardees
army corps-consisting of the 9th, Oath,
Saith, 3Oth, 39th and S7th Mississippi, and
10th and 18th Alabama infantry. There
was a strong picket line on the creek, with
reserves in rife pits behind, and the bal
way up the mountain.
The order was given for Col. Gross
brigade to advance in line of battle, take
possession Of patch of timber, and build
bridge across thu creek near the railroad.
This was the only point where we could
cross the stream opposite the centre, and
the railroad being in the possession of the
enemy, it was work of no little difficulty.
Two regiments were detailed for this duty
the S4th and 10Th Illinois. When they
advanced, they were sharply received, and
the bullets whistled merrily. No one was
hurt, however, and our boys soon made
the attempt to fire on tt'em--a dangerous
undertaking-an the rebel pickets were
ments, whence, with impunty for time,
they poured their leaden missiles among
the brave Illinoisans.
By this time three batteries had been
placed upon as many hills overlooking the
valley, and soon these opened upon the
rebel sharpshOoters a terrible, diroct and
enfilading fire, which in the course of half
an hour caused them to abandon their
rifle pits and seeks the cover of the tim
Der further up tie mountain, where along
the road they had constructed line of
pits and earthworks. Meantime along the
centre, the firing and skirmishing was
rapidly increasing, and volies were given
and received. All this time it was COM
paratively quiet at WauhatcLie. We could
hear occasional shots, but nothing like the
tumult going on in front. Few knew
what was doing there. We looked. There
were singular dark lines just this side of a
clump of cedars; with the naked eye we
could not tell if they were fences or SOL
diers. We swept the glass and there we
saw the solid compact lines of blue emery
ing from the dark evergreens. Gan it be
possible that Geary and Whitaker are
sweeping the slope of the mountain? We
looked again and doubt was removed.
There was line clean up to the bottom
of the rocky cOrnet-another just behind
and little lower, until the last line of
blue rested on the creek.
They advance, gradually, and it appears
painfully, over the rocky steep, now
crawling over some projecting boulder,
and then pulling themselves up by some
hanging shrub and bush. We can see the
lines of gray, and we wait in breathless
expectation for the crack of the deadly
rifles. We wait not long. Away up on
| the mountain we see faint puff of blue