The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1866-09-13

on ItuIn.
On the 23d of October, 1868, all being
ready, General Hooker crossed the river
at Bridgeport with the 1lth corps under
General Howard, and boldly pushed for
Ward va INTO the gloomy recesses of Lookout
laliey. This corps, composed almost eu-
tlrely OF Germans, was still suffering un-
der the demoralizations of Chaucellors-
VILE, and only numbered about nine thou
sand men, but about four miles in the
rear followed about two thousand two
hundred of the I'd div of the 18th corps.
a splendid body of veterans, with bronzed
faces and iron nerves, under the imme-
dia.e command of the indomitabe Geary
himself, proudly bearing the ''white STAR
destined to be the "star of the east" and
OF hope to the nation aad to the Lacquer
ed army ahead. SO exhausted had be-
come the means Of transportation at this
time, that the Quartermaster at Bridge
port could only furnish Geary's whole
command some four mule teams. which.
with scout improvised train, picked up
on the route from Nashville. was all the
command had for their rations and muni-
tlons On this expedition. The positions
3
They were supposed to be in large force
at Trenton, and might come in on their
rear, after they had passed the junction
or descend on their fanks from the heights
of Lookout, for we did not then know that
this was impossible, and hence moved
with cautious step. Hooker and the IIth
corps unincumbered and we'll in the ad-
vance, and Geary with his bronzed vete-
mas guarding the trains, repairing the
was and coming on as fast as thew
could, never in the history of this.
nor indeed of any war, did there hang
more momentous events on the success
of an enterprise. The failure of one of its
parts would involve the failure of the
whole, and the failure of the whole the
loss of Thomass army, and the loss of the
latters the loss of Tennessee and Ken
tucky, and with them the probable loss
of our cause, with results before which
the heart and Imagination stand apalled.
But Hagen was successful and not only
surprised the enemy, but after routing
him, spanned the river with his pontoons,
and proceeded to fortify his position, and
established his communications with Gem
cral Hooker and the 11th corps, which
arrived in due time, the emeny's outposts
retiring before them
The read from Chattanooga to Bridge
! port crosses the road that leads from the
town to the summit of Lookout, and then
winding round the point of the mountain
close under its frowing battlements, leads
down into the valley, and crossing the IA
nous Wauthatchie creek by bridge, fol-
lows the railroad track on towards Bridge
port. just below this bridge a fork from
the road led off to the left, up the valley
to Browns Ferry, where Hagan had made
his lodgment. Hooker, coming up the
valley, followed this road, and leaving
the fork unguarded,. encamped about a
mile from It, above and towards the river.
Some three miles below thebridge, as YOU
came down, another road sprang of at
right angles and led down through the
gorge of Raccoon mountain to Kelly's
landing, and about three hundred wards
further down the railroad forked, the left
branch following the bend of Lockout off
to Trenton, and the right through the
appendages of Raccoon mountain off to
Bridgeport, some twenty odd miles dis
tant.
As [ said, Hooker's command, being
unineumbered, he formed junction be-
fore dark and quietly went into camp
!, His instructions to Geary were to come
on as fast as possible, and if he did not
overtake the llth corps to encamp at the
fork that led of to Kelly's Landing, un-
, less night sooner overlook him, in which
case he was to bivouac for the night and
/, come on next morning. 1t so Glanced
that he reached the Forks just at dark,
but without Knowing it,) and made
hasty bivouac around some farm houses
in the margin of an old field on the north
of the road, while his wagons were park
ed in wood on his left, and his artillery,
consisting oftwo sections of Knap's Penn
+ sylvania battery, was on Knoll in the
centre of his camp. Geary, ever vigiliant,
knew he was in face of an enterprising
! foe, yet he hardly suspected that General
t Hooker had uncovered and. left unguard-
, ed the road leading down to him from the
summit OF Lookout, but rather expected
danger from the rear on the Trenton side,
and made his dispositions accordingly
Sentries were posted and the men had
there suppers, but weary as they were,
they seemed impressed with some great
impending danger yet how little did they
realize its magnitude, or dream of the
mighty results that hung suspended in
the gloom olthat Autumn night twas fit
. ting time for the phantom of Ruin to bat
tie with the exaltation of patriotic reso-
luton.
The men were ordered to sleep on their
arms, and it was well they did, for while
J Geary's hardy veterans were vending
5 their way up the valley, and while the sun
yet cast long shadows before them, a
, group of Confederate officers stood on
0 one of the boldest projecting crags, hang
o..o,. H. ,aari,r nnn 60