The National tribune., 1883-05-03
THAT GUNNER's EXPLOIT
The Destruction of the Rebel Signal Station al
Lookout Mountain.
To the Editor NATroxAs TRIBUNE.

To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
have read to-day in the last issue Of your valu-
able paper an account of the destruction of the
rebel signal station ON the point of Lookout Noun
tain, near Chattanooga Tenn. and / was both
pleased and surprised to find that the principal
actor upon that occasion lived near my old
home, Lebanon. Ohio, about midway between
Dayton and Cincinnati.
Our regiment, the Eighty fourth Indiana volun-
teer infantry, attached to and formed part of
General WhittalSers brigade that soon after the
battle OF Chicisaniauga crossed over the Tennessee
Riyer at Chattanooga and eneamped on Moeeasin
Eidge. The description of General W hittaker i'm
the article in questioEIs true the life and fancy
in my mind eye that see him again as have so
often seen him In the pine woods on the banks OF
the Tennessee, on many field and the march
In the Atlanta campaign; and the general II he is
still living and this article should under his
notice, VIII doubtless remember me as one who
drew for him many maps Of the country about
Blue Springs and Cleveland, Tenn.
We had not been long in camp before deter
mined TO make pencil sketch OF the river and
surroundings of Chattanooga and aceDr,Ifsel~
repaired to the high point occupied by the Eissht-
zenith Ohio battery, a. being suitable place from
whence To get my view. and while seated upon
gun-carriage engaged IN arranging the details OK
my picture favored by an officer OF the bat
terry. tand think by the lieutenant himself with
the narration of the destruction OF the rebel sfao
and he pointed out 20 the gun that did the woEl<
But believe that the article you have copied
from the Dayton Journal j. not cOfnpete-that Il
does not give the whole history Of tie afFiir-s,-
II my memory Alright tlfiEk the lew
tenant told me that en the solowi,g day the enemy
directed shot from the gun sent the ra. sowa
the mountain and the operator up somewhere. and
we were afserw.d ia the dark ~ % the oetleH 81
their signal station Until tiookcT's battle shove
the Clouds" la Whicis NJ hlttakers brig sic bore
CONSPICUOUS part, gave us Possession Of Lockout,
where. among the dense timber some distance
from the crest Of the mountain We found that they
had utilized large oafs tree By saving Of the
branches high Up and building thereon selifOld.
from which they could observe our ul0veIasnEs IA
the valleys below and transmit the intelligence 10
Bragg Mission Ridge. The pencil sketch that i
have mentioned still have in my possession. to-
Eether with several others Of places OF interest
about Chattanooga AID many points in the Tenncs-
sec River. THE IRIRUSE is highly prize. by The
comrades of Howell Post No 81 and by some also
who were not soldiers. but who think that the
reading matter of the paper is so good that they
cannot afford to be without it.
Yours, in F., G. and L., II. B. VAySEaAN,
Late Captain. Slth Indiana Vol. Inf.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBuSE
In TIE TRIBUNE of April 18th noticed an article
describing how the rebel signal flag was shot away
at Lookout Mountain. would say to my com
radeS that was there at that time member of
the Eighteenth Ohio independent artillery which
did the firing Lookout Mountain from MoceasiR
Point and consider that the credit for that feat
due TO my fellow-socier George Preston, who was
gunner of the right gun of the right section of said
battery, 1t being the hrss gun that threw shell
upon Lookout Mountain In the vicinity of the rebel
battery and signal corps. II the end of the
mountain, and there were but two guns in position
Moccasion Point-the right and left piece of the
right section of said battery. We were under Gen
Whitaker and had no limits to WHEREIN should
ire, but our orders TO fire at any battery that
we could reach, and acted accordingly. To
reach this signal corps dug trench let the
trail of the gun in. that could give is the
necessary elevation to fire upon the mountain and
then we practieed firing and elevating until we
| reached the rebels and drove them back upon the
mountain. As for there being $500 required as
security for the gun which did the firing in case it
should burst. never heard OF it. nor did know
any lieutenant of our battery by the of John
Marshall. Our officers at thai time Charles
C. AieShire, captain; James AIeCatIerty senior first
lieutenant; James W. Chestnut junior first lieu
tenant; Albert s. Bieree, senior second lieutenant;
Carey Roseburg, junior second lieutenant. have
passed through good deal since the war, but have
not forgotten the shelling of Lookout Mountain.
WASHINGTON G. H.. o. JOHN HAYS.