The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-11-08
MISSIONARY RIDGE.
The achievements of the I24th Ohio, as Described
by Major G.. W. Lewis.

lie Achievements OF the l24th Ohio, as Described
by Major G.. W. Lewis.
Read at The HedinG (Ohio) RetsRior.I
The 25th day Of November, 1863, dawned
upon the two waiting armies of the blue and
gray with all the softness and splendor OF the
Southern Indian summer.
mist hung over the winding Tennessee
and high up the slope of Lookout Mountain, Is
It 70 veil from the day-g0d the sad scene OF
carnage that had been so recently enacted
there. The drum-beat aroused many a brave
soldier that autumn morning Tor the last tins
TO stand in line and answer 20 roll-cail
A hasty breakfast was soon dispatched, and
the order 10 fall IN" was sounded along the
camp and line Of the One Hundred and Twenty
fourth
Soon the thunder of Sherman's guns at
traeted all eyes to the direction Of Tunnel
Hill, and his skirIuish lines could be seen steal
ing up the rough sides of that end Of the ridge
while on the right, far away toward the base
OF Lookout, could be seen EO0keF's victorious
legicns of the day before crossing Chattanooga
Creek and pushing up Chattanooga Valley IN
the direction Of Rossville.
In oar immediate front the long line Of the
eneTny's parapet on the summit Of the ridge
was distinctly visible, while here and there
the stars and bars floating in the breeze showed
the regimental organizations or the headqHar-
tiers of divisions or corps. General Blagg's head
road leading 70 the same from below was busy
with activity IN the removal of the various
things necessary TO an army IN : state Of re-
pose
One section Of artillery, more Iaggard than
the rest, had 10 run the gauntlet Of the FIRE
from our piekets as well as a few shells from
Fort Wood, while In reply the enemy sent
some camp kettles tas she boys called them
entirely too near TO be amusing or ordinarily
comfortable As the day wore on the heavy
firing on our left showed that Sherman was
making bat little Roadway IN his attack on the
extreme rebel right. But it had the effect OF
causing Bragg 70 weaken his left and center TO
sustain his right, hard pushed by the heroes Of
Vicksburg. About 10 o'clock a. ~ the One
Hundred and Twenty fourth was ordered upon
the skirmish line TO cover the front OF the bril-
gade.
Our line ran through the edge of q small
growth OF timber. To the front there was
soapstene plateau Of about 600 yards before
reaching the base Of the ridge, where ran a line
of the enemy's riAe-pits well filed with in
fantry. Soon after our position had been taken
Colonel Piekands came TO the officers of the
regiment with the order that at the firing of
SIX guns from Fort Wood and the sound of
the forward We must face 10 the front aud
net suffer ourselves to be checked until we put
ourselves into the works at the base OF the
ridge" No emotion was visible il the sol
dierly face of our brave colonel save perhaps
little more violent chewing OF the large 'quid
of the weed that gave rotundity 70 his
bronzed and weatller-beaten cheek. His fur
Their direction was to inform each man Of his
order and what was expected of him. Com
handing st that time company B. 1t was my
PAL nfuf duty to break the news 20 those that /
had known from NY boyho0d aud that / had
learned to love as brothers. No one that /
communicated the order to but turned pale. If
- D. - u
talized was ordered Into the jaws Of death,
into the gates OF hell what was TO be our fate,
when the moment our line struck the open
plateau one hundred guns would open on Us
from the summit of the ridge; while the in
fantry, safe in its works at the foot would be
within deadly range from the moment we
emerged from the little strip Of timber that
concealed our line? Now there was nothing
to do but wait Now the time hung heavy.
Now the soldiers thoughts were filed with
home and the loved ones left behind; and
what would become OF them should he fall IN
the terrific charge that he knew would soon
have to be made?
1t is this dreadful waiting that is more terri
BILE than the shock OF battle. When once with
IN the storm Of the leaden hail the soldier seems
to rise to higher plane OF life aud while his
comrades fail around him. the din of battle IN
his ears, the groans of the wounded and dying,
the shouts Of defiance of the enemy and of en-
couragement of his companions are ringing out
on every hand, he feels as much the master of
the storm Of battle as the eagle OF the storm
cloud But waiting at last comes to an end.
Hooker has found many mora difhcaltieS in
pushing his column TO the right of the ridge
and IN the direction of Rossviile than had been
anticipated, and as the sun was slowly sinking
toward the crest of " Waldron's Ridge the can
non belched forth from Fort Wood"
Every soldier of the One Hundred and
Twenty fourth WAS instantly IN position, and as
the silvery note Of tho bugle sounded the for
ward" breaking the awful silence after the
lannon's reverbeFation had ceased, the One
Hundred and Twenty-f0urth with clutched
muskets rushed forth to the charge of death.
Assoon as weemerged from the line of timber one
hundred rebel guns opened On US and the whole
ridge, from right TO left, blazed like 3 volcano.
The earth trenbled and shook as IN the throes
of an earthquake, while grape, canister, shot,
she'll. assf shrapueI bounded on tbs stony
plain ike peas upon the thrashing- floor. The
rebel infantry at the base of the ridge, seeing
the ifnpetuosIty of the charge, left their works
and fed TO the main line at the summit. The
terrible order had been obeyed. We had put
ourselves into the rebel works at the base of
the ridge; and looking back over the way we
had come we saw the solid columns of infantry
moving toward US.
The rebel artillery from the summit Of the
fluge opener tsrfiOt0 gaps anu lanes Ia those
ranks of blue; but, nothing dauuted onward
with steady step they came until they mingled
with US at the foot Of the ridge The terrible
order had been obeyed and the mereeHssFy sol
der would have been content TO have remained
in the comparative security afforded by the
hill; but not so the grand old Array of the
Cum6erland-n0s so the grand old Oae Hun
dred and Twenty fourth. Without orders the
charge was at once resumed. The ridge in cur
front was 500 feet above the level of the Ten
nessee, in some places almost perpendicular,
but IN our front not 50 steep, but so steep that
the ascent was difficult TO one without arrs
and aceoutermentS.
On rushed the gallant regiment Every SOL
der had all the arior of q commanding general.
No opportunity 70 retura the CALLING fire;