Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-12-10
THE VICTORY AT CKICKAMAUGA.
A Well Planned and Well Fought Battle.
GRAPHIC ACCOUNT By Q. NJ. {. MEles.
HEADQUARTERS, CHATTANOOGA
THURSDAY. Nov. 26, 1863

| lue ioFce HOlulnS IL. Inc troops marched
out, formed IN order, and advanced in line OF
patte as II On parade. The rebels watched
the formation and movement from their picket
lines and rifle pits, and from the SUBMITS OF
Mission Ridge, five hundred feet above US,
and thought it was review and drill so
yopenly and deliberately, SO regularly was il
all done. The line advanced, preceded by
sklrmlshers, and at o'clock in the afternoon
reached our picket lines and opened a rafting
Volley upon the rebel pickets, who replied
/ and ran INTO their advanced line of rife pits.
Alter them went our skirmishers. and into
| them, along the centre of the line of %. 900
troops which General Thomas had so quickly
| displayed. Until We opened fire, prisoners
4 assert that they thought the whole movement
was review and general drill, and that it
was too late to send to their camps for rein
torcements, and that they were overwhelmed
by force OF numbers. 1t was a surprise in
open daylight. ...e.safE &c.,.
AT III the afternoon the important ad-
| Vaneed position of Orchard Knob, and the
! lines right and LETT, were in our possession.
| and arrangements were ordered for holding
them during the night The next dav at
| daylight, General Thomas had 5000 men
across the tennessee, and established on its
| south bank, and commenced the construction
1
| Chattanooga. The rebel steamer DaNbar was
repaired at the right moment, and rendered
effective aid in this crossing, carrying over
| 5000 men. By nightfall General Thomas had
seized the extremity of Missionary Ridge
| nearest the river, and was intrenching him
| self. General Howard, with brigade, OPEN
ed communication with him from Chattanoo-
| ga on the south side of the river. Skirmish
| ing and cannonading continued all day on the
lett and centre. General Hooker scaled the
slope of Lookout Mountain, and from the val
ley of Lookout creek drove the rebels around
| the point, captured some 1000 prisoners, and
| established himself high up the mountain
side, IN full view of Chattanooga This raised
| the blockade, and now steamers were ordered
from Bridgeport to Chattanooga. They had
run only to kelley's Ferry, whence ten miles
OF hauling over mountain roads, and twice
across the Tennessee on the pui.toon bridges,
brought Us our supplies.
All night the point of Missionary Ridge, On
the extreme LETT, and the side of Lookout
Mountain, on the extreme right, blazed with
| the camp fires of loyal troops
The day had been one OF dense mists and
| rains, and much OF General Hooker's battle
was fought above the clouds, which conceal
ed him from our view, but from which his
musketry was heard. At nightfall the sky
cleared, and the full moon, ''the traitors
DOOM" shone upon the beautiful scene until
one o'clock in the morning, when twinkling
sparks upon the mountain side showed that
picket skirmishing was going on. Then it
ceased. brigade sent from Chattanooga
crossed the Chattanooga creek and opened
communication with Hooker
General Grants headquarters during the
afternoon of the 23d, and the day of the 24th,
were IN Woods redoubt, except when in the
course OF the day ne rode along the advance
line, visiting the headquarters Of the several
commanders in Chattanooga Valley.
At daylight on the 25th, the stars and
stripes were deserted on the peak of Look
out. The rebels had evacuated the noun
tain. Hooker moved to descend the noun
tain, and, striking Mission Ridge at the Ross
vile Gap, to sweep both sides and its sum
init. The rebel troops were seen IS soon as it
was light enough, streaming regiments and
brlgades along the narrow summit Of Mission
Ridge, either concentrating the right to
overwhelm Sherman, or marching for the
railroad and raising the siege. They had
evacuated the valley of Chattanooga would
they abandon that of Chickamauga.
The 2O-pounders and 41-inch rifles of
Woods redoubt opened on Mission Ridge.
Orchard Knob sent its compliments to the
s., q,
and the cannonade, thus commenced, con-
tnued all day. Shot and shell screamed
from Orchard Knob to Missionary Ridge,
and from Missionary Ridge to Orchard
Knob, and from Woods redoubt, over the
heads of Generals Grant and Thomas and
their stats, who were with us in this favora-
bic position from whence the whole battle
could be seen as in amphitheatre. The
headquarters were under fire all day long
Cannonading and musketry were heard from
General Sherman, and General Howard |
marched the 18th Corps to join him. Gen
eral Thomas sent out skirmishers, who drove |
IN the enemys pickets, and chased them into |
their Entertainments, and at the foot of Mis-
sion Ridge Sherman made an assault against |
Braggs right, intrenched on high knob
next to that on which Sherman himself lay |
fortified. The assault was calamity made. |
Sherman reached the edge of the crest and |
held his ground for, it seemed to me, an hour, |
but was bloodily repulsed by reserves.
A general advance was ordered, and |
strong line of skirmishers was followed by |
deployed line of battle, some two miles in |
length. At the signal of leaden shots from |
the headquarters on Orchard Knob, the line |
moved rapidly and orderly forward The |
rebel pickets discharged their muskets and |
On their heels. The line of battle was not
far behind, and we saw the gray rebels swarm
out Of the ledge line of rife pits that sur
prised US and over the base of the hill. A
few turned and fred their pieces, but the /
greater number collected into the many roads
which cross obliquely up its steep face, and
went on to their top. Some regiments passed
on and swarmed up the steep sides Of the
ridge, and here and there color was ad-
vanced beyond the lines. The attempt ap,
peared most dangerous, but the advance was
and the whole line was ordered to
storm the heights, upon which not less than
forty pieces of artillery, and no one knew
now many muskets of artillery stood ready to
slaughter the assaiants. With cheers an
'werlng to cheers, the men swarrned upward
They gathered to the points least difficult of
scent and the line was broken Color after
color was planted On the summit, while mus
let and cannon vomited their thunder upon
hem.
4 well directed shot from Orchard Knob |
EXPLODED rebel caisson on the summit, and
he gun vas seen galloping to the right, its
river lashlng his horses. A party of our
oldlers intercepted them, and the gun was
aptured, with cheers.
A fierce musketry fight broke out to the
eft, where, between Thomas and Sherman, l
mile Or two of the ridge was still occupied t
y the rebels. '
Bragg left the house in which he had held t
lis headquarters, and rode to the rear as our '
roops crowded the hill on either side of {
i'm. t
General Grant proceeded to the summit d