Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-06-07

their entire 'front.', ana the reDel troops
not captured were in full retreat toward
their second line above.
The orders for the movement cOntem-
plated halt in the first line of works
for Slight rest, and reforming of lines
for forward movement; but impatient
under the CALLING fire from above, elated
by success, anxious and determined to
play their full part in the days pageant,
the front line scarcely halted at the low
er works, but springing over and out of
them began to climb the rough face of
the ridge. 1t was 500 yards from the
summit. The general elevation was 500
feet, and from point short distance
within the works at the base became
precipitous. Ii was broken by ravine,
tangled by fallen timber, Strewn with
masses of rock, and covered at points
with loose stone from the ledge on
the crest. Spurs projected from the
face of the ridge at intervals, serving
for natural bastionS, from which field
artillery and riflemen swept the inter
vening curtains of the slope with an en-
filading fire. But nothing less than the
palisades of Lookout could have stopped
that Army of the Cumberland, though
Bragg and his thousands above still
deemed their position impregnable.
THE RUSH UP TIE HEIGHTS.
All heights were fringed with Specta-
tors of that wonderful assault. The
guns in the Union works which had COW
cred the first advance were necessarily
silent The sun shOne clear on the
slopes, and the advancing flags and
glittering bayOnets marked the rush of
the swift ascent. Under the fire of
sharpShooters color bearers fell at every
point of the line, only to be relieved by
other hands eagerly bearing the c0lOrS
forward This deadly fire gradually drew
each regiment toward its flags, and soon,
far as the eye could reach along the
slope, the line was transformed into
countless wedge-shaped masses, with a
flag at the point of each, cleaving their
way upward, following the headlOng
push of the guards bearing the cOlOrs.
The rebels that had been hurled back
from the lower line were soon driven
out of the second parallel, and thence
pursued so closely to the summit that
retreating Confederates and the Union
flags poured over the whole extended
line of works together. There was
sharp hand-to-hand fighting at points,
after the crest was gained, and battle
of much spirit ON the left, where columns
of the enemy, hurrying from Sherman'S
front, undertook, but without success,
70 Hrixr Pnir nd hoa nd
inridge in person barely escaped Sheri-
dams troops when they crowned the
summit.
Forty guns and several thousand
prisoners were taken in the works. From
the first it had been an advance almost
wholly without firing. Each successive
line of works and the summit were car
ried with the bayonet. In an hour from
the sounding of the signal guns, Bragg
had been swept from these dominating
positions of a great National fortress,
strengthened by every engineering art,
and the sun, which at its rising, lighted
up that one flag at Lookout, rested, at
its setting, on the countless banners
which StOrming army had planted
along the crest of Missionary Ridge.
Throughout this movement Sheridan
was conspicuous, followed by his staff.
As ever, he was splendidly mounted,
and could be easily followed by all eyes
as he dashed across the plain and rode
with his lines to and over the crest, and
without halt hurled forward upon the
enemy.
WITH THE ARMY OF TIE POTOMAC
In the spring of 1864 Grant asked for
signed to the command of the cavalry of
the Army of the Potomac. In the year
that followed and ended at AppOmattOx,
the troops under him had fought seven
ty-six battles, and over sixty of these
were waged under his own orders. In
these engagements his troops captured |
POS battle-flags in Open-field fighting, |
and over $50 field pieces, and, as he said |
in his report, In all these operations
the percentage of cavalry casualties was
IS great as that of the infantry, and the
question which had existed, who ever
saw dead cavalryman? was set at rest"
He began his new duties by protecting
with great skill the flank of Grants ad-
vance through the Wilderness to SpOtt-
'ylvania. Then, cutting loose, he start
I'd for the rear of Lees army and Rich
nond. Outwitting the Confederate cav.
llry, he gained point within six miles
If their capital, where at Yellow Tavern,
le defeated "Jeb" Stuart, the diStin-
,uished cavalryman, who fell in the en-
He turned his horses heads
within the outer defenses of the city,
md marched for night within these
ines. He rebuilt the bridge over the
Jhickamoniny under fire, and, with a
drove the enemy to Gaines
Mills. Turning upon the forces in his
ear, he drove them into the inner fOrti-
icatiOns of the city, and, as he says in
lis official report, ''fOr the balance of the
lay we collected our wounded, buried
'ur dead, graZed our horses, and read
he Richmond papers, two small news
'ovs having, with considerable enterprise,
ntered our lines and sold to the officers
nd men," Thence we marched to Hax-
HIS Landing, on the James, rested three
lays, sent out parties to scout for the
Army of the Potomac, and Joined it
afely after sixteen days In the rear of
ZEE, and for a part of the time actually
within the fortified lines of Richmond.
heridan had thus made himself known
0 the officers and soldiers of his East
IN command, and thencefOrth they fol- '
owed and trusted him with the assur-
nee and enthusiasm which had marked
is career at the West,
IN TIE VALLEY,
Grant then sent him to clear the Con-
ederate forces out of the valley of the
henandoah, He promptly attacks Ear
: and drove him rs far as Cedar Creek,
ut being warned by Grant of heavy
ank movement of infantry from Lees
rmy, he withdrew for position. to the
vicinity of Harper's Ferry.
his was the last Union retreat in the