The Indianapolis journal., 1893-11-26
AFTER THIRTY YEARS
Indiana Veterans Remember the
Battle of Missionary Ridge.
Hereths Message to Gen. Knefler-Capt.
Ritter's Graphic Account of the
Memorable Fight.

Early yesterday morning Ad Hereth sent
the following message to Gen. Frederick
Knefsr: 1.-THE stars and stripes are wav-
ing in the breeze over the Hereth Block
in memory of our comrades who fell at
the battle of Missionary Ridge thirty years
ago, to-day"
Many are the homes throughout this
State that yesterday mourned the brave
soldiers who went to their doom, without
thought but for the preservation of the
Union, on that memorable 25th of Novem-
Der. a large number of Indiana troops
were engaged in that battle and q number
of them now reside in this city.
Capt Eli +. Ritter was seen yesterday
by reporter and asked to give an ac-
count Of the battle as viewed by him per-
sonally.
II can't very well do that" he said"
as il was a day of hard fighting from be-
ginning TO end and 1 did not have time to
make any observations more than of such
things that occurred in my immediate
vicinity. In the first place / will say that
it was a fight against starvation with US.
Lookout Mountain and Moccasin Point
were occupied by the confederates. thus
preventing us from getting our supplies
by boat from Bridgeport, Ala. We were
thereby compelled to haul them by wagons
and on account of the large guard neces-
sary for wagon train only a small por-
ton of the supplies which left Bridgeport
remained for us on their arrival at our
camp. \ short time before the battle of
Missionary Ridge General Hooker sue
ceeded in driving the confederates off
Moccasin Point and our forces occupied
Chattanooga, thus opening up the river to
us from Bridgeport, enabling us to use
our boats. to transport supplies.
on the night Of Nov. 2i General Bragg
was was compelled to evactuate Lookout Noun
tam ana falI back on the ridge. Our forces
were at Orchard Knob, and before daylight
on Wednesday morning were up and ready
L tor Ihe slSnal gun TO be hred which would
begin the battle. My company had been
silent spectators of the operations of Gems
sherman and Hooker for two or three days
past, and were impatient to begin the night
AT last, just after daybreah, the signal
came and we, under General Thomas
moved forward at double quick TO take the
rlIe pits at the foot of the ridge. The con-
federates Immediately opened fire on us
with their artillery but their guns were SO
set that they could not depress them suffi-
GENTLY to reach us near the foot of the hill
ana all their shot passed over our heads
Although we were facing a heavy fire of
musketry from the pits We had very little
trouble in taking the works at the foot of
the ridge, driving the confederates before
US up the side of the ridge. Before con-
tinuing the attack up the ridge the officers
tried TO reform the line, but the men were
smartinS under their recent defeat at Chick
amauSa, and our efforts were in vain. The
men dashed off up the hill in pursuit of the
hying enemy without caring for officers or
orders
I'VE reached the top Of the ridge near
It's center, and not far from General
Bragg headquarters Woods brigade, to
our right, had been momentarily repulsed
and the troops to our right We're repulsed
Inc Seventy-ninth Indiana, to which L be-
lonSed, with the Eighty-siXth Indiana and
WOODS brigade on the right, held the posi-
ton, and Tor fifteen or twenty minutes we
fought with our flag and the confederate
flag sometimes touching when they were
and EfShty-SiXth Indiana were the first reg
lments to force their way into the enemy's
tbc 0fbar Hfrat sidp af Htasg men NED down
dead and wounded and thirty-five out of
forty-four pieces Of artillery. We then
turned the captured artillery on the forces
in front of General Sherman, which com
PEELED them to fall back and leave us in
complete control of the ridge.
'That night was perhaps never surpassed
i'll rejoicing by our army during the war.
We had gained a victory which we con-
sidered amounted to a great deal more TO
US than simply a defeat OF the enemy. Ii
had fully opened up the Tennessee river TO
us and gave us the control OF McLemore s
cove on the south and the valley of the
Tennessee on the north. Thus We had open
communication by. river with our supplies
at Bridgeport, and controlled the only en-
trance 10 Georgia and Alabama which
would prevent the confederates from enter
ing East Tennessee.
That night we camped on the battle
field, and as the confederate wounded were
seattle ed all over the field our camp was
virtually a hospital. Although tired out
with the hard days fighting, none of us
slept until the wounded were cared for. the
confederate and Union men sharing alike
Many times that night l saw our men
kneel down beside the confederates and
share with them the contents of their
haversacks and canteens, even 10 the last
morsel of food and the last drop of water
II was a night long to be remembered
Where the night before the camp fires OF
the confederates had burned thousands OF
Union camp fires were to be seem