The National tribune., 1891-09-24
LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN.
The First Regiment Actually on Top OF the Bic
Will,

Ahe EiThA heEihcnt Actuali3 ON AOp VI Ahe hk
MN.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Ihave watched
the columns Of THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE IN
vain for some time past 10 end something re-
ported from the old 18th DINO. and have about
concluded that thcy are all either two modest
to speak in their own favor or they are al
dead. Now the 18th had good record, ana
should have a more able pen than mine 70
record lbs varied history aad career AS j am
writing NOW from memory, j hope someone
viii speak out and c1rrcC, INC n fan IN dates
or names OF places.
The 18th was in tho field, all told, four years
and five months. First as a three months
regiment under the FIRST call for 10000 men,
and at HE end Of that service was rc0rg3nlzed
under the same officers as % three years rcEl-
mcnt and subsequently, rC-cnlistcd as veteran
. regiment Jan. j, 1861, aud was finally JAS
charged from service nc Camp Chase, ONO,
Nov. % 1868, participating in all iAc marches,
campaigns aud battles with the Army Of the
Cumberland, and some the Army OF the Cum
bcrland did not; that is. We were sent 10
Texas ln 1858, when the bulk OF that army
was sent North aud were mustered out OF
service and We were still doing duty tai late
in the Fall.
There BIS one circumstance connected with
the taking OF Chattanooga IN 1868 OF which i
find no mention made boy any Of the writer's.
That is the march of Gen. Bcattys Brigade
over the crest Of lookout Mountain aud along
the ridge to SummcVillc. Oar brigade was pa
bivouaC at the y lrk-a-lacN Cove, above Shell
Mound having crossed The Tennessee River 20
thls place ON the 6th ol September and remained
there til noon Of Sept =. We then marched
up the river following the line OF the Memphis
AZ Charleston Railroad past the ruins oil the
high bridge at Falling Mater, which had been
burned by the CulCdcratus and was still
smOidcriug our brigade was wei ln The rear ol
the corps and our movement was necessarily
/ slow and interrupted, the greater part alter
nightall, and the roads we've rough, Wine The
darkness m the narrow valleys was intense.
We moved up the Wauhatchie Valley, aud late
that ui ght were allowed TO liC down IN a small
comGcld and rested till daylight We were
moved toward evening a mile OF two further
up the valley and ihCn prepared our beds Tor
the night We were aroused 90 = q. M. OF sept.
9, and after "A hasty breakfast were marched
on up tho valley past The rest Of the Twenty
First Corps and in the direction OF Chattanooga.
At dayhrcall we left tho road and marched
across the country through woods and fields 10
the base Of Lookout Mountain. and were soon
scaling lis prec pitous sides. The 18th OHIO,
Jed by Col. Charles i. Henderson, was in adj.
vance OF the brigade, closely followed by the
9Th Ky, 18th Ind, aud 18th Ky. IN the order
named. il wasuOW race and strileoi strength
and endurance 90 see which was 90 be first on
ilt hlbANlGtIs IlciA NNA STAN hllttl0 were
compelled 10 GismOuut and with difficulty sue
cecded iu getting their horses up the mountain,
which 40 this point was more steep than rocky.
The 10Th was tHc llst 20 reach tho summit, and
The others came np ia the order as above. Our
object had been 10 iuteIrrIt aud capture rebel
Signal Corps aad any other troops that might
be found there, but They bad ample time 30 get
away gs we were making the ascent. Our .luo
Of march WAS along the summit Of the mount
q - Ia I'D a
81 noon for "a luuch, but rs we had DO water,
except the littlc we had brought along in our
cantecus, which was soon exhausted were CONE
PEELED 10 move on, reaching SuWWrryI4C House
at p. m, and went on out along tic nights
beyond that famous ho-te're tin we could get
a good view ol Chattanooga aud its environ
meuts its forts and cafthworks begun by the
CoulcdCratcs and glterWarl strengthened aud
completed By the Union forces.
There was spread out before Us Tor cur inspcc-
ton that great amphi.hcatcr on the arena Of
which two months later was enacted That great
drama IN the WAY Of the rebellion which ended
in the defeat Of Bragg and his army and the
opening up Of Last Tennessee 10 the Union
armies
CrittlHlCu's C9rps Of which we were part,
was coming around the base Of tho mountain
aud apparently G.sregaTdiag the city. which
had fallen into our possession earlier Ia the day.
The lime Of troops could be seen 0B tie T3aa gGt
toward R0ssy.Iia and great clouds Of dust fur
Their souta showed where tho C0nieaCmtes were
moving their columns Do the regAbJTAUOl Of
kinggOId aud south OF R0sviie.
The daylight was fast fading, objects n the
valley were soon hid from our Wow, and night
had fully OycrtaEea rs when We rcjaiac1 tho
/ column Gt the foot Of the mountain. We
marched almost continuously Tor n hauga be-
fore we were allowed 20 halt We dropped
down 10 the roadside south # Rasevl,e az 4
o'cl0cl. p 10. completely tired ont having made
one OF the longest and most fatiguiHg marches
In the whole history Of our four years service.
While i have 30 data bv which ] may arrive
az the correct distance Travelled, yet, judging
| from the speed aud comparing W.ih marches
where TIE distance was known and The time wH
were on tic road, 10 Is my belief we made wei
on 10 20 Uligs and crossed the highest aud most
rugged Of mOuut8ius in all that section, aud
were Tho FIRST regiment 10 carry their c0l0Ts up
/ Lookout Mountain and out onto tie nights
north OF SummcryilIe, ia view Of Chattanooga.
u. A. EEGP 60. q, 18th Ohio, Knoxville,
Taru