The National tribune., 1881-08-27


in Providence kept their powder dry, and played
on. 1t was the second day of the Drama it was the
second act | was hearing; it was the touch on the
enemy's left. The assault upon Lookout had be-
gun! Glancing at the mighty crest crowned
with precpce. and now hung round about,
three hundred feet down, with curtain of clouds,
my heart msgave me. 1t could never be taken.
But let me step aside Just here from the simple
story of what saw, to detail concisely as can,
Hooker's admirable design. His force consisted
of two Brigades of the Fourth Corps, under the
command of General Cruft, General Whittakers
and Colonel Grose's; the First Division of the
Twelfth Corps under General Geary, and Oster-
haus in reserve 1t was formidable business
they had in hand: to carry mountain and scale
precipice near
TWO THOUSAND FEET HIGH,
in the teeth of battery and the face of two in
trenched brgades. Hooker ordered Crutt to move
directly south along the western base of the noun
tain, while he would remain in the valley close un-
der Lookout, and make grand demonstration with
smal-arms and artillery. The enemy, reused out
by all this Sound and fury were to come forth
from their camps and works. high up the western
side of the mountain, and descend to dispute
Hooker'S noisy passage; Crutt, when the roar be-
hind him deepened into confusion worse con
founded to turn upon his heel, move
Obliquely up the mountain upon the enemy's
camps in the enemy's rear, wheel round the mon
ster, and up to the white house ! have already
described and take care of himself while he took
Lookout.
Hooker thundered and the enemy came down
III WI
and Colonel Ireland of Geary's command on the
left, having moved out from Wauhatchie, some
five miles from the mountain at five in the morn
ing, pushed up to Chattanooga Creek, threw over
it a bridge made for Lookout Point and there
formed the right under the shelf of the noun
tain, the left resting on the creek. And then the
play began; the enemys camps were seized his
pickets surprised and captured, the strong works
the Point taken, and the Federal front moved
on Charging upon him, they leaped over his
works as the wicked twin Roman leaped over his
brothers mud-wall the Fortieth Ohio capturing
his artillery and taking Mississippi regiment,
and gained the white house. And there they stood,
'twixt heaven and-Chattanooga But above
them, grand and sullen, lifted the precipice; and
they men, and not eagles. The way
strOwn with natural fortifcations and from be-
hind rocks and trees they delivered their fire con-
testing inch by inch the upward way. The sound
of battle rose and fell; now fiercely renewed, and
now dying away. And Hooker thundered on in
the valley and the echoes of his howitzers bound
ed about the mountains like volleys of musketry.
THE CURTAIN OF CLOUD
was hung around the mountain by the God of
u Il IL - ~
temple that could not be rent. A captured col
Onel declared that had the day been clear, their
sharpshoOters would have riddled our advance
like pigeons and left the command without a
leader but friend and foe were wrapped in a
seamless mantle, and two hundred will cover the
entire Federal loss. while our brave mountaneers
strewed Lookout with four hundred dead and
captured a thousand prisoners.
Our entire force bore themselves bravely not a
straggler in the command they all came splendid
~ up to the work, and the whole affair graced
with signal instances of personal valOr Leuten-
ant Smith, of the Fortieth Ohio, leaped over the
ticking OF clock, seized sturdy foe by the hair,
and gave him the heel of the Colt over the
head Colonel Ireland was slightly wounded.
ana halof AcIOn, OF the onlO, was SnOI
through the heart while leading a bayonet charge
And now returning to my point of observation
| was waiting in painful suspense to see what
should come out of the roaring caldron in the
valley, now and then confess, casting aneye up
to the big gun of Lookout less it might toss
my way, over its left shOulder-I a
and bearing arms but Faber's
pencil, Number 3" when something born
and appeared the shOrn side of the noun
tain. below and to the west of the white house
1t was the head of the Federal column! And
there it held, as if it rveted to the rock and
the line of blue, a halfmile long, swung slowly
around from the left like the index of a mighty
dial, and swept up the brown face of the noun
tain. The bugles of this city of camps were
sounding high noon, when in two parallel columns
the troops moved up the mountain, in the rear of
the enemy's rife-pits, which they swept at every
fire.
All, WISH YOU HAD BEEN HERE.
1t needed no glass to see it; it was only just be-
yond your hand. And there in the centre of the
huttered the blessed flag. "My God.
what flag is that?" men cried And up steadily |
il moved could think of nothing but gallant |
grandly lifting upon the great bill
lows and riding out the storm. 1t was a scene
never to fade out Pride and pain struggled in my |
heart for the mastery, but faith carried the day
believed in the flag and took courage. Volleys of