The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-01-22
LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN.
An Energetic Argument In Favor Of Proper Credit
to Whittaker's BRIGADE.

u
to Whittakers Brigade.
To THE EDITOR: have been much inter
ested in the article, above the Clouds" by
Col. VIM Richards, goth Pa, appearing in your
issue of the 1st inst The map accompanying
the article is of value, greatly aiding the reader
in understanding the movements of the day,
even though he may have been participant
in the brilliant dash by which Lookout Noun
tain was captured. There are some features
however, of the article to which beg leave to
take exceptions Col. Rickards's article is con-
fined mainly to narrative of the movements
Of his own regiment and division, ignoring any
honorable mention of other organizations and
claiming for his regiment and division honors
that belong to another. In this believe he is
simply mistaken that his version of the matter
is what he believes to be true, but which think
/ can show to be an error
The forces engaged that day on our part were
three distinct organizations, and until that
morning were strangers to each other. Geary's
Division was just from the Army of the PotO-
mac; Osterhaus's Division had just como with
Sherman from the Mississippi, while Gross's
and Whittaker's Brigades were all there was to
represent the Army of the Cumberland. With
troops representing three great armies thrown
thus unexpectedly together, and assigned to a
duty that might we'll stimulate all to deeds of
daring, it is not surprising that there should
have been
SOME JEALOUSY
some watcbfulness, that no one should get
credit to the diSparagement of another for an
achievement that was witnessed by 100000
soldiers, who from Chattanooga Valley and
Mission Ridge. with strained eyes, watched the
progress of the struggle through the mist and
fog and battle smoke that hung over the front
of Lookout; but, now that 20 years have passed,
it is unwise to disparage the work of any part
of the little column of 10000 men that swept
the enemy from the mountain. Col Richards
has done this unintentonally, have no doubt,
and l do not feel like letting his version of
the matter pass as history without protest.
PRELIMINARIEs TO THE BATTLE.
To better understand the part borne by all
that day, brief statement of the position and
duties of the forces will be proper. Geary's
Division, with Whittaker's Brigade, at a. m.
marched out on the Wauhatchie road and
effected a crossing of Lookout Creek at a. M,
the movement attracting no attention from
the enemy. Osterhauss Division, with Gross's
Brigade, was to cross III the face of the enemy,
which was done, and at II a. m. the entire
force was in line from the base of the mountain
to the palisades. With the artillery on Moe
casin Point and that posted on available hills
in Lookout Valley in full play, thus prevent
ing concentration and change of position of the
enemy on the face of the mountain, the entire
line swept forward. Our part of the line,
Geary's Division, with Whittaker's Brigade
IOllOWlIB CLOSELY, CEepG lOTWaTu SLOWLY tHEOuSu
the brush and over the bouders until the enc
my was developed, when it pushed forward
rapidly, regardless of the fierce fire in front
and the plunging shot from the summit, driv-
ing the foe about one mile to line of works,
which was charged and captured. At this
point Geary's Division halted, that the whole
line might be readjusted. as l have always sup
posed, not that the Goth Pa. might change
front, as Col. Richards states. Gen. Howard,
in his article ON the battle appearing in your
paper some weeks ago, states that at this point
Whittaker's men were abreast of Geary's. Col.
Richards states that the halt was misunder-
| stood by Whittaker's Brigade, who, regarding
it as a repulse, cheered the hating division.
Col. Richards does not say that Whittaker's
Brigade not only cheered, but that they
DID NOT HALT AT ALL,
but continued in pursuit of the flying enemy,
fact think can show. He speaks of the
capture of the artillery by the skirmish-line of
Geary's Division, and does not speak of it as
feature of the day deserving any special men,
ton. After the halt of Gearys Division our
brigade was in the lead, my regiment (the 10th
Ohio occupying the right Of the line next the
palisades The right of the regiment having
much better ground for rapid advance, was
led by Lieut.-Col. Jones beyond the Craven
House, and suddenly found itself in the rear of
the rebel left flank,
A POSITION OF DANGER,
from which it escaped by prompt retrograde
movement until connection was made with
remainder of the line. To reach the Craven
House and the left flank of the rebel forces re-
quired n sharp and bloody struggle, in which
two lines of works were carried. Now, this
statement will surprise Col. Richards, but GER
tainly not more than his statement that his
skirmish-line captured the guns and turned
them over to Whittakers men, who he assumes
to have been still in the rear, did thousands of
your readers. The rapid advance of the right
wing, turning the rebel left, thus preventing
the enemy from a retreat towards the Sum-
mertown road, and leaving them exposed to
the artillery fire from the foothills in Lookout
Valley, to fall an easy prey to Osterhaus and
Gross, was the notable feature of the day !; and
in proof that "Whittakers men " were not in
the rear taking charge of prisoners and guns
captured by the skirmish-line just at that in
teresting period, / offer the following: About
the guns and at the line of works just west of
the Craven House, many hundred yards in ad-
vance of the point where Geary's Division
halted. IL of the 10th Ohio, one of Whittaker's
regiments, were killed and 10 wounded, two of
the latter mortally. The killed were Maj.
Thos. Acton, Jacob Long and Nelson Glaze,
of Co. A; Jas. w. Scroggy, of Co. b Richard
Evans and Geo. Kenzla of Co. c.; Creighton
Allen, Richard Beetle Edward Goodlander
and VIM. E. Bigelow, of Co.. d, and Irwin
Smith, of Co. K. Does this list of killed in one
regiment at that point look as though "skir-
mish- line of the White Star Division had pre-
ceded us and captured the guns? Another
fact b. F. Taylor, then correspondent of the
Chicago Journal, stranger, doubtless, to every
man in our brigade, and for this reason not at
all likely to be partial in his account of battle
which he witnessed makes prominent mention
of the part borne by the 10th Ohio at this point,
where the hardest fighting of the day WAS con-
ceded to have taken place.
ANOTHER PROOF
as to whom belonged the honor of capturing
the artillery, is the following copy of a paper
now in possession of Hon. Jesse N. Drew, of the
Ohio Legislature:
CAMP AT LOOKOUT CREEK, Nov. IS, 1868.
Received of Jesse n Drew, Sergeant of Co. B,
regiment at the battle of Lookout Mountain.
Il. f. CRoSToN,
First Lieutenant and Ordnance Officer First Divis-
ion Fourth Corps.
This, I think, is conclusive evidence that no
skirmish-line or any other line of troops pre-
ceded our brigade up to and beyond the Craven
House, position we held until, our ammuni-
tion exhausted, we dropped back, relieved by
Carlin's Brigade of the Fourteenth Corps
which came up from Chattanooga Valley.
Col Richards is undoubtedly correct in his
statement as to the advance of his regiment
along the path at the base of the palisades to
point for beyond that reached by our regiment,
a movement that seems to have been without
much opposition; but it was later in the day,
after Whittakers Brigade, the "skirmish-
line" had done the work near the Craven