The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1863-12-25

SHELL MOUND, Tenn, Dec. 4th. !
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. Y
Il MIR. EDIRoR Since last writinl
we have changed camp. On the Is
iof November We broke up camp q
Chattanooga and moved to this place
we reached here on the evening of th
next day. With one eXception--ra
tons the men were worse Off her,
: for few days than they were at on
former camp. All our baggage hat
L hcen left, and it was some DAYS he
fore IL came up. In the mem tim,
the men contrived various shelters 70
b. their comfort, with the aid of shelter
tents, came boards from old camps
and ncighboring houses. Soon VIZ
were ordered to construct winter
, quarters, and the men went eagcrl,
; to work, and with true Northern cn
e crgy soon found comfortable quarters
some building cabins with boart
roofs. Our regiment had to do very
heavy duty all the timc--some days
men were put on fatigue duty that
had just came off picket. A circle oi
heavy earth castworks was soon
thrown around our camp, from the
river below to point on the river
half mile above. In the center OF
the, ,camp, and Immediately on the riv-
cr bank n scmicircular fort was con
Structcd; first tearing down an old
depot that occupied the ground, and
using the foundation stone for q por.
ton Of the inner wall of the fort -
We have six pieces of artillery in this
fort that completely sweep the plains
around the camp, also 4 pass leading
TO the same. Our camp is on the
mound knowr as "Shell Mound" :" so
called from its being one vast colcc-
tion OF shells of different kinds. Not
far from our camp is the famous cave
"Nicll-a-Jack;' its entrance is in this
state, but most of its course is in AL
ALBANIA. a large stream of the purest
water flows from it. 1t had been ex-
tensivcly worked hy the rebels, prior
to our first occupation Of this place,
rs source Of nitre. East Tennessee
was of great value to the rebels on
account of its vast deposits of nitre,
all of which is now lost to the South,
rs we permanently occupy that terri
tory. You have, ere this, heard of
the late series of battles in front of
Chattanooga. ] must tell you some
thing Of the part horne 10y this regi-
mcnt. Our Notifications were scarce
ly finished at this place, when, on the
22nd of November, we received or
dcrs to be ready to move at O'clock,
\. NJ, of the 23rd, with six days ra-
tions and one hundred and fifty
rounds Of cartridges. We movnd at
inc Ilme designated. leaNlng all need
less baggage in camp, also tents, and
men unfit for duty. We were not APP
priced of where we were going, but
bent our steps toward Chattanooga.
After y very hard days march we AZ
rived, late IN the evening, ut the head
quarters of General Hooker. TO whom
we were ordered to report. Tired
and weary We lay down hy our camp
fires to mock sleep for the NIGHT
Many were the speculations thatnight
ms TO our probable part in the cam
paign now before us, and which we
felt sure would open on the morrow.
Early on the next morning, and be-
fore the men had finished n scantv
meal, the call to ''fall in was sound
ed. and ere day had dawned We were
on the move. Our position that hight
had been about four miles West of
the point of lookout. Our brigade.
commanded by Brigadier General
Whitaker, and the 3rd, commanded
by Colonel Grose, both silently re-
traced our route of the previous night
until we had gone three or four miles,
and after being joined by Colonel
Ireland's brigade OF General Geary's
division of the 10Th Corps, we halted
behind hill, hiding us from Lookout,
and formed in line the respective
commands, all under the command Of
General Geary. 1t soon became ap-
parent that we were to move against
the rebels, but the idea of taking the
mountain, existed alone with the gen
eral officers. Before leaving this
place the men stripped themselves of
their knapsacks and everything that
would impede their movements, and
left the goods in charge of guards
The morning had been very foggy,
with fine rain or mist, and had COM
pletcly hidden us from the rebes.--
About ten o'clock we moved forward,
with our ranks well closed up, and
every man at his post. Slowly the
long dark column wound its serpent
like form over the brow of the hill
and emerged into narrow valley at
the foot of the mountain, through
which runs q small creek, known as
Lookout Creek. We crossed this lit
tie stream on mill-dam, and imme-
diately commenced to ascend the
slope of the mountain. The General
commanding our brigade now inform
ed us of the object of our movements,
and quickly it few along the lines,
and was iepeated'to each new battal'
ion as it arrived and formed in line
of battle. Lookout Mountain is q
range of some thirty miles, running
from North East to Sonth-W est
The whole mountain, with its slopes
and part Of the adjacent valleys was
in the hands of the rebels. The por-
tion of this mountain that we must
traverse was very rough, and cone
shaped, Our lines were formed at