The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1863-12-10
THE WAR FOR THE UNION
Detailed Official Report.
HEADQUARTERS, CHATTANooaA.l I
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force holding il. Tho troops msrchct
out, formed in order and advanced IL line
Of battle, as If on parade. The rebels
watched the formation gnd movement
from their picket lines aud rife pits, and
from the summit OF Mission Ridge, five
bundled feet above us, aud thought |,
was a review aud drill, So openly aud
deliberately and so regularly was i
done.
AZ the line advanced, proceeded by
skirmishcrs, aud at two O'Clock p. NJ,
reached our picket lines, they opened a
rafting vollcy upon the rebel pickctsi
who returned il aud ran into their ad.
vanced lines Of rlle-pits. After them
went our skirmishers, and into them,
along the center of the line, which Gen.
Thomas had quickly deploycd.
Until we opened fire, prisoners assert
that they thought the whole movement
was n review and general drill, ,.and that
il was too late to send to their camps FOR
reinforcements, and that they were over
who lined by force of numbers. II was n
surprise in open daylight.
At three i. NJ, the important advanc-
cd position Of Orchard Knob and the
lines right and left were in our posses
sion, and arrangements were ordered for
holding them curing the night. The
next day, at daylight, General Thomas
had 5000 men across the Tennessee, and
established on its south bank, and COM
menced the construction ofo pontoon.
bridge, about six miles above Chattanoo-
ga. The rebel steamer Dunbar, repaired
at the right moment, rendered effective
aid in this crossing, carrying over 6,000
men.
by nightfall General Thomas had
seized the extremity of Mission Ridge
nearest the river, and was intrcnchini-
himself. General Howard. with brg
gndc, opened communication with him
from Chattanooga on the south side of
sSsSsa s5s Iyss u StliHFgpSR 4SS fsS4l aid Gen.
ter.
General Hooker scaled the slopes OF
Lookout Mountain from the valley OF
Lookout Creek, drove the rebels around
the point, captured 2,0C0 prisoners, and
established himself high up the mouEtuin
side in full view of Chattanooga.
This raised the blockade, md now
steamers were ordered from Bridgeport
to Chattanooga. They had before run
only to Kellcy's Ford, whence ten miles
of hauling over the mountain roads and
twice across the Tennessee upon pom.
toon bridges brought us our supplies.-
All night The point of Mission Ride, on
the extreme left, and the side of Look.
out Mountain on tie extreme right, blOz
cd with the cnmp.frcs of legal troops.
The day had been one of dense mist
and rains, and much OF General Hooker
battles had been fought above the clouds
which concealed him from our view, bu
from which his muske,ry was heard.
At nightfall the sky cleared and tn
full moon, the traitors doom, shone upol
the beautiful scene until A. M
Twinkling sparks upon the mountain sid
showed that picket skirmishing was 60
ing on then it ceased.
A brigade sent from Chattanoog
crossed the Chattanooga Creek nn,
opened com munication with Hooker.
General Grants headquarters, durin
the afternoon of the 23d and day Of tn
oath, we've in Woods rcdoubt, cxcep
when, in the course Of the day, he rod
olong the advanced line, visiting th
headquarters of the various commander
in Chattanooga Valley.
At doylight on the 25tb, the stars nm
stripes were discovered on tife peak
Lookout. The rebels had evacuated th
mountain.
I General Hooker moved to descend tn,
mountain, and striking Mission Ridge a
the Rossvillc Gap. to sweep on bot
sides and on its summit.
The rebel troops were seen, Us 500
as il was light enough, streaming by rec
iments and bricades, along the nuro'
summit Of Mission Ridge, either .concer
trating on the right TO overwhelm She
man, or marching for the railroad to rails
the seize.
They had evacuated the valley I
Chattanooga would they abandon th'
of Chickpmnuga The twcnty-poun'
{ ers and rifed guns Of Woods redoul
: opened on Mission Ridge, and orctar
Knob sent lis compliments to'the Sldg'
which, with rifed Panous, e'swere'
: and the cannonpde, thus c'mmence'
continued oil day.
Shot and shell screapd from orchar
Knob to Mission Ridge and from Missio
Ridge 10 Orchard Knob, and froi
Woods redoubt ger the heads af Ger
erals Grant am Thomas and their stat
: who were VIII US in this favorable pos
j. Ition, wherethe whole battle could b
e seen as ian amphitheater.
Thcaesdquarters were under FIRE a
-day ing. Cannonading and musketr
q W e herd from General Sherman.
n General Howard marched the lit
" Army Corps TO join him. Thomas scr
out skirmishers. who drove in the rebs
pickets and chased them into their IA
trenebmen,s at tho foot Of the Mssio
Ridge. ,ft2 f N