The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-14
GREATER THAN GEN. GRANT.
The Rank and File of the Army of the
Cumberland at Missionary Ridge.
The Story of One of the Bloodiest Days of
the Wharf.-The Dashing Charge that
Astounded General Grant.

Address Of Gen. r. Turchin Before the Veteran Club
OF the Nineteenth Illinois
After describing the topography Of Chatta-
nooga and vicinity, and the situations of the
two contendng armies during the last part of
September and October, 1863-both secure be-
hind Intrenchments, the Union army not being
strong enough to come out and ighs, and the
enemy not daring to attack them-General
Turchin said there was tremendous difference
between the armies in the way Of provision
ing them. The rebels had plenty of rations
freely coming from the South to their depot
of supplies at Chattanooga Station, sonly a!few
miles from their camp, while the Union depot
of supplies was at Stephenson, over thirty miles
down the river, and supplies had to be hauled
across the Cumberland mountains, the
wagons making journey Of sixty miles on the
steepest and heaviest roads imaginable, and in
the worst season of the year. But the Arm v of
the Cumberland had no idea of abandoning Chat
tanooga, the gate on the road to the heart of the
Confederacy, while halfrations or quarter
rations lasted. To the dispatch of General
Grant. from Louisville, to hold Chattanooga at
all hazards General Thomas answered: I'VE
will hold Chattanooga till we starve"-an en-
whole army. Thes23d of October General Grant
arrived, and an expedition, under the direction
of Gen. W. F. Smith, was sent to Browns
Ferry to construct pontoon bridge.
chin's brigades and three batteries under
Major Mendenhall, and was success. With
possession of the river and the railroad between
Browns Ferry and Stephenson, the question of
supplies to the army had been solved Grant,
Sherman, and Thomas made a reconnaissance
chnra Of fhn ~
ward the mouth of the South Chckamauga
They observed from the distance that Mission
airy Ridge extended to and ended at the river
apparently without being in any way broken;
that there were no rebel troops at the north end
OF the ridge; and that the bank of the Tennessee
river, from Chattanooga to the main position of
the enemy, was watched only by small cavalry
picket. Ascertanine that the movement of
Shermans troops, after they had crossed the
river at Browns Ferry, would be concealed from
the enemy's view by series of hills between the
river and the road he would have
to follow until the mouth of the
South Chattanooga river was reached, Grant
expected that if Sherman crossed the river early
in the morning and moved at once against the
northern extremity of the ridge he would have
time to carry it up to the railroad tunnel before
the enemy could concentrate against him. Then
forming his troops across the bridge and having
Thomas's troops join him on his right, both
could press the enemy southwark and sweep the
army from the position. The Goth of November
heavy rain-storm commenced and continued
during the 2lst. delaying the movement of Sher-
mans troops, sc the execution of the plan was
postponed. Then the bridge at Browns Ferry
parted, and two of Shermans divisions could not
cross. 1t was then decided to let Howard join
Sherman and the two divisions remain with
Hooker. Consequently Howard crossed the
river at Chattanooga and took position between
Woods and Sheridans divisions
Meantime General Grant became uneasy, sus-
pecting that the enemy contemplated retreat.
To ascertain whether the position was held by the
enemy the same as before, or, in case he wanted
to evacuate it. to prevent his quiet withdrawal
General Thomas was ordered to make recon
noissance. IN force. In front of Fort Wood, and
to the LETT toward the railroad, was a large open
space suitable for the formation of Several d.
visions. On the 3d. st noon, General Wood
quietly took out his division and formed it be-
fore the fort General Sheridan moved his d-
vision to the right of Wood. General Howard
massed his two divisions behind them General
Baird moved his division out and took place to
the right of Sheridan General Johnston's d.
vision stood under arms in the intrenchments.
The enemy looked on this display from the
summit of the ridge, and did not care about it.
supposing it to be review or some kind of a
pageant But about o'clock Woods division
moved rapidly forward, Willch's and Hazen's
brigades in the line, Sam Beatty's in reserve.
They quickly brushed off the enemv's pickets
and scattered their reserves. Which attacked
the rifepits on Orchard Knob and carried the
H..
right and Indian Hill, capturing the Twenty
eighth Alabama Sheridan moved forward and
occupied series of email elevations to the right
of Indian Hill, extending the line southwest.
Baird placed his division to the right of Sheri-
dan. Howard advanced across Citico creek. part
of Woods division CO operating with him, taking
the enemy in flank and all the rife
pits along Citico creek and beyond
were cleaned out, and Howard got into position
the left of Wood. The hills taken were forti-
cd and Rrid na1c hoffa in,
Orchard Knob. Bragg got alarmed at the dem
onstration After Longstreet left him he could
not have had more than 40, 900 men. The Union
army had between CO. 600 and 10000 There was
not the slightest possibility of his preventing
Grant from breaking the blockade. But Bragg
considered his position proper-that on Mission
airy Ridge -impregnable It was, however, too
long to be strongly occupied with the number of
troops he had
On the Oath Hooker commenced operations.
tons. Grose attacked the rebels at the bridge.
which had parted again. and drove them off and
commenced TO repair it. The noise of the battle
put the nearest forces of the enemy on the
alert, and detachment occupied the railroad
embankment as a breastwork, and commenced
sweeping fire against the advancing troops. To
save bloodshed, Hooker ordered Osterhaus to
send brigade half mile up the creek and build
a crossing under shelter of the woods. While
this was going on Geary crept up the mountain
by the flank, Whitaker leading until the head
Of the column reached the palisade. Then,
facing to the front. line was formed from the
palsade down the mountain, and advanced over
the toughest kind of ground. thick fog pre-.
vented the enemy from seeing this movement.
When almost abreast the new bridge the batteries
opened fire on the enemy, the brigades of Wood
and Grose crossed and Joined Geary, and those
of the enemy that were in the valley or near the
western base were captured, and the lines moved
to the mountain front
The noise of the battle on Lookout put every
body in the valley on the alert. The routed
rebels were seen moving rapidly, with Hooker's
troops behind, chasing them. Whitaker held the
right under the palisade and Geary's brigade of
Gotham, Ireland, and Creighton extending down
the slope, the end of the line losing itself in the
distance. And this line hurled the enemy from
position to position. climbing over crags and
powders, With plunging fire from above and
a fire from behind they rolled upon the enemys
line. lifting it up from the intrenchments, and
made no halt until the middle of the open