Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-12-24

pursuit the battle died away in murmurs, far
down tn valley of the Chickamauga. The
sun, the golden dish of the scales that balance
day and night had hardly gone down, when up,
beyond Mission Ridge, rose the slver side for
that night it was full moon. The troubled
day was done. 4 Federal General sat in the
seat of the man who, on the very Saturday
before the battle, had sent flag to the Fed
eral lines with these words:
Humanity would dictate the removal of all
non -combatants from Chattanooga as 1 am about
to she'll the city -
Sat there and announced to the fourth corps
the congratulation and thanks, Just placed in
his hands, from the Commander of the De-
partment:
BRACES HEADQUARTERS, MISSION RIDGE.1
November 25th. 1868.
g In convey ing to You this distng uished recogn-
ton OF your signal galantry in carrying, through
a terrible storm OF iron, mountain crowned with
batteries and encircled with ritie-pits, I am con-
strained to express my own admiration of Your
noble conduct and am proud to tell you that the
veteran Generals from other fields who witnessed
your heroic bearing, place your assault and
among the most brilliant achievements of the war.
Thanks, Soldiers! You have made, this day. a.
glorious page of history.
GORDON GRANGER
There was species Of poetic justice in it
all that would have made the prince of dram
atists content. The ardor of the men had
been quenchless; there had been three DAYS
of ftful fever, and after, alas, a multitude
slept well. The work on the right, left and
center cost US full four thousand killed and
wounded. There is a tremble of the lip but
flash of pride in the eye as the soldier tells
with how many he went inflow expressive
is that " went in J." Of truth it was wad-
ing i'll deep waters-with how few he came
out ] cannot Try to swing the burden clear
of any heart by throwing into the scale upon
the other side, the dead weight of fifty-two
pieces Of captured artillery, ten thousand
stand OF arms and heaps of dead rebels, or by
driving upon it herd of seven thousand
prisoners. Nothing Of all this can tighten
| that burden single ounce, but this thought
may and | dare to utter it; those three days
work brought Tennessee to resurrection; set
| the flag, that fairest blossom in all this flow
| cry world, to blooming in its native soil once
| more.
That splendid march from the Federal line
OF battle to the crest, was made in one hour
| and five minutes but it was grander march
| toward the end of rebeldom IA glorious cam
| paign of sixty-fve minutes toward the white
| borders Of peace. 1t made that f1eeting No
| vember afternoon imperishable. Than the
assault upon Mission Ridge, know Of moth
| ing more gallant in the annals of the war;
| Let it rauk foremost with the storming of
Fort Scharnitz and Alma, that covered the
| French arms with undying fame.
Let the struggle be known as the Battle of
Mission Ridge, and when, in calmer days,
men make pilgrimages and women smile again
among the mountains of the Cumberland, they
will need no guide. Rust will have eaten the
guns, the graves of the heroes will have sub
| sided like waves weary Of their troubling, the
| and will 1ai, To
| gethcr, but there, embossed upon the globe,
| MISSION RIDGE will stand its fitting monument
| forever. BENZ. f. TAYLOR.