The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1864-01-16
rHEsToRMiNt: t;f MISSION RIDGE.


Ridge:
PUBLISHERS OF THE PREss:-1 notice that
the correspondent OF the Cincinnati COM
mercial claims that the 10th Ohio Nolun-
teers were the first to plant the national
flag on the top of Missionary Ridge, at the
recent storming the enemys works there.
This is an unjust claim. This honor be.
longs to the 10th regiment Illinois Vol
unteers Of the 1st Brigade, lst Division.
This regiment charged over Eve distinct
lines of the enemy's works-priv1ng their
.harpshooters before them, and planting
their flag on the enems rifie-plts on the
summit of the Ridge in advance Of all
others The SSth Indiana regiment was
tho next to follow. The position | occu-
pied commanded a view ef The whole line
and my statement can be vouched for by
by o dozen Of others who stood by me
JUSTICE.
We have some other items, in this con-
nection, which are not without interest
SALLusT the correspondent Of the Rich
aend Despatch, in his account of the battle
on Mission Ridge, after recountlng' the
ohstinacy with which both parties fought
on the right, says:
The attack on the left wing was not
made until about noon. Here, as on the
right, tho enemy was repulsed but he was
obstinate, and fought with great ardor and
confidence, returning to the charge again
and again IN the handsemest style, until
one of our brigades near the center, said
to be Reynolds, gave way, and the Feds>
raj flag was planted on Missionary Ridge
The enemy was not slow in availing him.
self of the great advantages Of his position
In few minutes he turned upon our
TANKS and Toured into them terrible en-.
filading fire, which soon threw the Confed.
crates on his ri ght and left into confusion.
Under this confusion the gap in our lines
grew wider and wider, and the wider it
grew the faster the Multitudinous foe
rushed into the yawing chasm. The CON
fusion extended until it finally assumed
the form Of q panic. Seeing the enemy in
possession of a portion Of the heights, the
men hastily concluded that the day was
gone, and that they had best save them
selves. Nearly the whole lest wing even-
tually became involved and gave way, a
portion of 1t retiring under orders, but the
greater part in unmitigated rout
Gen. Johnson's Division Ost Division,
l4,h A. c. occupied the centre of our lines.
Sherman's troops occupied the left, Hook
ers the right, and Palmers, (the l4sh A.
c. the centre But, as some troops from
the l4th corps had been sent to the right
and enc division was held in reserve,
Johnson s division was, really, the only one
engaged in the charge from the l4th corps
The 10Th lii. Regt. wa. ia the lst Brig OF
this Div. ard claims the honor Of planting
the flag spoken Of By SALLrsr, on the
ridge. 1t. Moses Osman, commanding the
right, and Capt. Fitzsimnons the left
thanking companies Of tho regiment, were
the first two persons TO leap over the last
line Of the rebels works on Tie summit of
the Ridge. They were several rods in ad-
vance of the colors
Speaking of the retreat of Bragg's army
from in front of Chattanooga, after its dis
as.rous defeat, SALLUsT mentions another
circumstance in which the 10Th played a
conspicuou. part: 1t seems. Jshnson's Di
all day Thursday, the Goth. Gen. Gist was
in command Of the rear Of the rebel col.
umn, and SAILUsT says:
AT one time the enemy got in between
hica and the main column, but he took
neigh boring road and thus esca ped ees-
truCt on. Unfortunately Fergersons bat
terry of six guns, belonging tn Walker di-
vision, was captured The loss of the bat
terry occurred soon after dark, and not far
from Ringgold. Three companies Of the
10th South Carolina, acting as special
guard TO Fergersens battery, were dis
persed, and many Of them taken prIs
oners.
This was the battery alluded - by our
correspondent, as having been captured
near Greysville, which Is but miles from
Ringgo.d. Besides the lattery, and over
go prisoners, Johnson's Division also cap,
tured and destroyed number Of wagons
snd a large amount of army stores at this
place, which Gen. Gist Was unable to carry
with him over the neigt boring road he
toek to-"
In alluding to the battle ON Taylor's
Ridge near Ringgeld, SALLusr says:
I'VE had just seated ourselves down to
enjoy our frugal dinner, when orders came
to move the trains forward. The troops
had all come up and were encamping
where it was discovered that Gen Oster-
haus Of Sherman's corps was approaching
on another road Gen. Cliburn at once
took command of the rear divisions, de-
ploying them along the summit of Taylors
Ridge with his artillery guarding the gap
By this judiclous disposition of his forces
he held the whole of Osteihaus' force at
bay for over three hours, and would no
doubt have entirely repulsed them, had
not reinforcemedts arrived under General
CarlIn"
The l04th is in Carlin's brigade and Cos.
and K, were the only two that took
part in the fight al Ringgold. They as
sendad Taylor's Ridge under the fire of
the enemy over the same ground from
which the 9TH Ohio bad been driven but
an hour before. But before they got to
the top the rebels left
From all accounts, Eo regiment in the
army did more hard wor.- and better
fighting than tho lO4th did during the
five days occupied in driving the ene-
my from before Chattanooga, and its off,
GERS and men deserve the highest praise
for the gallantry with which they aquitted
themselves.
Whenever you hear a man boasting that
his loyalty is greater than that Of his neigh.
bors, look sharp. and you will sec that in
some way or other he has, or soon expects
to have his hand IN the public crib. Here
is brace of super>loyal.st
) NJ Clark, head of Printing Bureau IN
the Treasury Department. was relic, ed to