The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-08-20

officers, together with many officers of
the regular army Gen. Roger u
Mills of Texas was one of the ex-Con-
federates present. His brigade was
one of the three or four which Gle
burne marched to the northern end of
Missionary Ridge and successfully
pitted against Sherman in the hard
fighting for possession Of Tunnel Hill.
When Gen. BOynton had concluded
his talk Gen. Mills showed on the map
where his brigade had fought
There was an incident" he said,
connected with that battle which I
recollect very distinctly. am not
able to tell it all, and perhaps some
one here can complete the story with the
name of the officer Down below where
we lay on Tunnel Hill was a large
open field. Beyond that was some
woods. A Federal brigade came
through the woods and out into the
open field. There the troops reformed
their lines. The officer IN command
was perfectly cool. He took his time,
and the troops formed as if they were
on dress parade. They were within
easy range and we fired into them.
They broke and went back into the
woods. In Il few minutes they came
back and formed again in the same de-
iberate way. When the officer IN
command had got them formed to suit
him, he made them lie down, while he
rode up and down the front as if wait
ing for orders. Gen. Hardee came up
to my brigade while we were firing on
them and said:
Stop shooting at those men. It's
murder
we stopped. Some time afterward
talked with Mcdowell about Hardee's
order, and asked him what he thought
of the situation. He said: 1T was not
murder; it was war
~Hardee was an officer of the regular
army he had fought under the flag,
and suppose he couldn't stand Sec
ing 1t fred on when carried by such
brave men. The way that brigade and
its commander acted under fire i'm
pressed me. and have often wondered
who the officer was"
One of the officers present was able
to tell to whom Gen Mills tribute of
bravery applied. He was Gen Car
man. After a careful examination of
the may Gen Carman decided that the
brigade was that of Gen. John n.
DO0mis, composed of the Invent y-sixth
and Ninetieth Illinois and the Twelfth
and One Hundredth Indiana. Gen.
LOOMS, Gen Carman said, Is, or was
until quite recently, a resident of Chi
cago.
The other story of Chattanooga re-
lated to the wonderful assault upon
Missionary Ridge. It was told by
Gen. Joe Reynolds, who was on the
staff of Gen Thomas. This officer
pointed out on the map the elevation
in front Of Chattanooga where Gen.
Grant and Gen. Thomas took position
to see the grand advance of the divi-
siOns against the Confederate works at
the bottom of the ridge. Back of
these works rose the precipitOus front
of the ridge. 1t Was Grants plan of
battle to have Sherman take the north
end of the ridge and sweep toward the
center. while Hooker took the south
end and advanced from the opposite
direction While both of these move
ments were being executed the army
of Thomas, on the plain of Chatta-
nooga, was to advance to the foot of
the ridge, and carrying the works
there, was to await orders and move up
to the summit at the proper time
~Grant and Thomas" said Gen. Rey-
holds. watched the advance through
their glasses. They exchanged very
few words. The long lines We're in
full view to us in the rear, as they
moved forward toward the works at
the foot OF the ridge. They were also
in full view of the Confederates on the
summit of the ridge. We saw the
COnfederates swarm out OF their lower
works and retreat up the ridge as our
line approached. Then, instead of
stopping when they had reached the
foot of the ridge, our troops went
right on up the steep hill, along the
summit of which lay Gen. Bragg's !
army.
when the advance of our forces
passed over the works below and be-
gan to climb the steep. Gen. Grant
lowered his glasses and, turning to
Gen. Thomas, asked:
9 What does that mean p
~Gen. Thomas turned to me and
said:
Gen. Grant wishes to know what
that means
L had already recognized the com
mand which had gone over the works,
and was now well on the way up the
steep leading the assault. It WAS 3
regiment that had been in my brigade.
] replied:
THAT is the Eighty-sixth Indiana,
think. and It IS going up the hill
Gen Thomas turned to Gen Grant
and said
Gen. Reynolds says he thinks it il
the Eighty-sixth Indiana, and that it
Is going up the hill.
~Gen Grant gazed through his
glasses for some time, until it was evil
dent that the whole army was assault
ing successfully Whist had seemed to