Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-12-16
The Storming Of Mission Ridge.
a Vivid Description.
From the War Cores ondens OF tina Louisville


At early dawn a reconnaissance was ordered
t by General Hooker, and the report came back
that the mountain Lookout was clear 4
/ glad, hearty round OF cheers greeted the an
/ nouncement, and in a few moments the stars
and stripes were proudly floating from the
highest peak. The rebels well knew the dan
/ ger which threatened their rear, and under
cover of the night prudently retired across
the upper extremity of the valley of Mission
Ridge.
| The great obstacle had been surmounted /;
! and, as the announcement was carried along
| the line, it greeted with deafening shouts
! OF JOY, and inspired the hearts of all 10 great
/ er exertion and greater daring. The bloody
| work Was not yet over. Night was but an in
| terysl; aud the clear bright sun of this brac-
/ ing, frosty morning would but unfold again
/ the
. shrili, changing curtains OF war;
| Orchard Knoll was occupied BY Generals
! Grant, Hunter, Thomas, Reynolds, Palmer.
| Granger Whipple, Wood, Which, and scve-
| raj others whittier they had come to witness
| the elimination of this series of signal tri-
| jumps. The frosty mantle that covered the
/ earth at dawn had dissolved, but the air was
! yet cold and raw. The enemy's artillery on
| the summit of the ridge opened a terrific fire
! on the knoll, and for time swept il with 4
| torrent of screaming missiles. 4 few well
aimed shots from our artiilerists upturned Il
/ rebel gun, and dropped few shells among
| the rebel batteries, when the firing ceased
| Hooker, finding Lookout Mountain desert
! ed pushed his column across Chattanooga
| Valley and assembled Mission Ridge in the Vi
| entity of Rossyille. Forming in line of bat
| tie, with his right, under 0sterhaus, holding
the eastern slope, Geary the centre, and John
son the left toward the summit, he prepared
! TO sweep down against the rebel flank
At LOT O'Clock the General ordered our
| picket lines, between the knoll and the rebel
rife pits, advanced, and a brisk little Skin
msh ensued, in which both sides suffered
some loss, and both took prisoners, but the
| object of the advance was attained. In this
skirmish it was chat Major Irwin, of the 9th
| Ohio, while in advance of the line, was
killed by ball from rebel sharpshooter.
| Thi. was the only fighting the centre dur
ing the forenoon.
The enemy, completely nonplusSed kept
| marching his troops from right To left, as if
doubling whether the attack would be ON
Tunnel Hill or on the center. Sherman had
been fighting continually from early dawn,
Smelling the rebel battery on Tunnel Hill,
and diminishing with the rebel infantry on
the slope and in the valley near the Tunnel
Gen. Corse determined to carry the heights
oy storm, but his band of daring heroes were
scattered from the crest by the sleet of mis-
sjles that ploughed their ranks 'le leaves be-
fore hurricane. In this assault the brigade
lost many of its best men and the General
himself was seriously wounded. LOOMS with
his brigade was ordered through the woods
between .he railroad and the ridge to drive
the rebels up the slope or push them through
the Tunnel. Loomis met with a firm resls-
lance, and his slow advance induced the or
dering up of Gen. Matthias TO his support
About / o'clock Baird was detached from
the right and ordered TO the support of Loo
mis-, which eventually threw Gen Baird to
the extreme left of the Army of the Cumber-
land, it stood in line of battle before the
heights. Matthias came to the support of
Hoomis rs rapidly possible, but his assis-
lance was not required, the enemy having re-
tired through the Tunnel
Tunnel Hill battery yet frowned from its
lofty aerIe deiantly on the troops below, and
shelled our line at viii along the base of the
ridge. Gen Matthias received permission to
storm the heights. The troops who had
fought and won imperishable honors at Cham
pion Hill, Raymond, jackson, and Vicksburg,
were trontcd toward the hill and shown the
work. There was no skulking, no tagging
no struggling. Not muscle twitched with
fear, not cheek was blanched. They were
heroes every inch, and they needed only the
command and all that bravery could do might
be expected.
The enemy at the summit perceived the
object and poured down hail Of bullets The
men were trctful and feverish under this des-
ultOrv fire, and chafed and swayed like a
high-bred steed TO 90. Once on the way an
Indifference to thickening dangers that is the
GROWING virtue of the veteran, possessed
them as one man. Steadily boldly they as
sended the hill. necessarily, mercilessly pour
the bullets down. Deaths messengers seem
to have lost their wonted terrors, and upward
moves the line. Il nears the crest. The ar
tillery is silent. The line haIts. All is tran
quill az death itself. The men are crawling
up They near the guns. voice is heard
along the line, and in an instant it is up and
| charging forward A long line of smoke
shoots out, roll of musketry follows, another
and another succeeds, and now the broken
| fragments of that stalwart band come fleeing
| down the hill.
A fresh brigade moves out, catches the
| fragments, reforms them, and all go up the
| hill together Here is a fresh offering, and
| silently, steadily move the troops. Nearing
| the crest they again crouch before the bat
| terry, and again crawl stealthily toward the
guns.
Bragg saw troops moving up towards our
| left We have twice assaulted the heights
and twice been repulsed. Bragg concludes
| that the seyereSt struggle will be there and
| his troops pour rapidly forward to the left.
Grant, possessed OF that rapidity of thought,
| and QulCh, ShreWd comprehension that makes
the brilliant General, prcceives an advan-
| tage.
The rebel troops have been pouring for an
| hour past constantly to the lett. He deter
mines if the assault is unsuccessful, 10 hazard
| grand advance against the ridge itself.
True, formidable line of rife pits at the
! ba swarm with troops. These must be car
| ried, and then, after this terrible cost, we
have the heights, too prccipitous and too lofty
almost to be scaled, and then continuous
| line OF carefully constructed breastworks,
| bristling with numberless batteries and gilt
| tering with bayonets to overcome.
/ so matter, the die is cast and the work
must be accomplished or defeat furl our ban
ners by nightfal
| / watch again the stormers near the crest.
| Again that deathlike ominous silence reigns.
| Again that voice that dooms many brave
| man 20 death is heard. Like panthers the
| men dash forward at the prey, but that mer-
CHESS slcet of bullets cuts through their ranks
like the sickle through the grain. The line
| waivers, but catching like a staggering man,
| it recOyers and returns. Another volley leaps
| from the rebel infantry, and the line crumbles
| from right TO left, and again is put to flight.
| Horses come back riderssS. Hundreds strew