The National tribune., 1882-07-01
BATTLE OF MISSION RIDGE.
BY MRS. SARAH MATHEWS.

The autumn's sun the days abrdge,
And shadows lengthen in the wood
Where Lookout Mount and Mission Ridge
Like sen.ines together stood,
Grand rising in the southern air,
Protective in their very forms,
Encircng Chattanooga fair,
As if to shield her from all storms.
That autumn brings a storm, alas
More fierce than any Ger she knew,
For yondcr, through the mountain-psss,
There files army clad in blue.
Her sons, with Bragg. are on the heights,
But 10, this army intervencs;
And many heart with terror bights
At thought of the portending scenes.
All ominous those armies lay
One at the top, one at the feet;
Shall we anticipate the day
When those two waiting armies meet?
Anticipate" Nay, all too soon,
Alas. too soon for some twas found
For hearts grew faint with sick ming swoon
Where ghastly forms bes;rewed the ground. s.
For ShermaR's army came one night
And crossed the river steathily-
There, stationed on the foeman's right,
He waits the morning quietly.
Next day the booming cannons roared,
AL day was heard the battles tread,
And on the hillside blood WAS poured,
Till night broods over wounded, dead.
Next morn begins an awful day;
And Sherman's men are fighting yet
Fer noon Joe Hooker came that way,
And Lookout Mountain he beset;
He pushed along the northern pass;
He climbed the eastern lodges steep;
Up, up and on, until at last
The evening dews began to weep.
Now twilight shades the earth enshrouds
And night is creeping amain-
And see! a storm is in the clouds!
Powders the lightning, blood the rain.
Onight of carnage. night of blood,
And stalking death relentless sweeps;
Fer break Of day Joe Hooker stood
Monarch Of Loollout's lofty peaks.
Morn's dusky shades hut half concealed
Grants men ensconsed near fortress wood,
While brighter lights above revealed
Bragg's army still defiant stood.
But bark six booming shots resound;
An order comes in every roar:
"Charge charge and take the foeman's ground =
And see! they wait 10 hear more;
Along the ridge, from end 10 end,
Eursts one continuous line of smoke,
While mussetry and cannon blend
As if Thor's thunders had awoke.
They're climbing up the rocky spurs,
They spring like madmen to the foe,
Willie through their midst lead mcteors whir,
And crush and tear them as they go.
How can they hope TO reach the top
In such a sweeping, death-fraught fire?
They do not waver, do not stop
They fight aud climb on, higher, higher
Now fiercer, darker grows the fight
Where, where, pray, are those brave men?
The smoke has hidden them from sight
But see they come in view again.
Far up the cliff two horsemen ride
And beckon on the men behind;
Harker and Sheridan side by side
Have thus far up the mountain climbed.
Now they dismount. they climb, they creep,
They heed not danger, din or noise
And close behind them, up the steep,
Is Opdycl1e with his Tiger boys"
See, sec they climb the mountains brow.
They shouting, hear them, cheer on cheer,
Ard Lookout Mountain takes it now.
And sends the echo far and near.
All valiantly Bragg stood that day
With rallying shout on shout-and then,
Reluctantly he turns away
And follows his retreating men.
o day of glorious victory!
OF ignominious defeat;
Ono arSny shouts triuulphanty-
The other fees with hurrying feet.
Mourn mourn for these who fell that day;
Weep, country, weep for those who bled;
For -,- IN blue, for boys in gray
a. he hillside cold and dead.
Iii ssr o rrrth. those forms so still;
., ."we.s. deck those miugl, graves,
'7a i!ie :.crd, men, that still
,s3lu,l's banner DER them waves.
IAN, o., March 3, 1881.