Omaha daily bee., 1895-09-22

of the war OF the rebellion our own General
George H.. Thomas.
"Of the starvation siege Of Chattanooga
the coming to our relief aud the opening Of
our cracker line by our brethren from the
Army Of the Potomac; Of the 'retort courte-
Gus Of our comrades Of the Army Of tho
Tennessee. who, as We had gone TO their
aid at Shiloh, came now to our assistance
here; Of the appearance on the scene of the
great captain of the war. Grant, and his able
and aggressive lieutenant, sherman; Of the
spectacular battle Of fighting Joe Hooker
against that gallant confederate, Walthall,
amidst the clouds that lowered about the
front of lofty Lookout, | fain would speak.
but passing time forbids.
But how can l refrain amidst these sur
roundings from repeating the oft
told tale of Mission Ridge? While
the beleaguered army, foregoing, N
not forgetting the pangs of hunger, echoed
the language of Thomas in his telegram to
Grant. we will hold this place until We
%starve,' it was with a right good will that 1t
marched out in front of its works on that
beautiful November morning, being ordered
to make a demonstration and relieve the
pressure on Sherman in his effort to take
Tunnel hill, the right flank of the semi
circular natural defense, composed of Mis-
sionary ridge, with its crest from 500 to 500
feet above us. around to Lookout on the left,
with its proud head over 1000 feet above the
town. 1t was a crescent, with defensive
WV no Wv he'hNt A'o +'f
ling with guns and rejecting threatening
lights as the sun played upon the musket bar
rels and bayonets in the hands of skilled
and brave defenders. 1t looked like the
curve of the cutting edge of a huge scimi-
tar.
"Our comrades Of the Tennessee were to
teach us now to fight and give an object les
son to the men of Mill Springs, Shiloh, Perry
vile, Stone River and Chickamauga. We
were simply to make a demonstration, but
for us to demonstrate meant to solve the
problem.
FRIENDLY RELATIONS RUDELY DIS
TURBED.
"a feeling of amity. almost of fraterniza-
ton, had existed between the picket lines in
front of Woods division for many days. In
the early MOI ming of that day, being in
charge of the left Of our picket line, l re-
ceived a turn out and salute from the con-
federate reserve as l rode the line. But the
friendly relation was soon to be rudely dis
turbed. My pickets, composed of the Nine
teenth Ohio and Ninth Kentucky, became the
line of skirmishers. Our troops being well
out of their works, we advanced with our left
resting OH Citico creek, and, | believe that
from these regiments came the first shots in
that glorious advance that resulted in the
taking of Orchard Knob.
"Baird's and Johnson's divisions of
Palmer's corps and Sheridan's and Woods
divisions of Changers corps. having demon
strated.' were permitted to remain during the
night, all the day of the gath and well into
the afternoon Of the 25th before they were
again called upon. With impatient Joy they
had witnessed the stars and stripes raised on
Lookout crest and heard the guns OF
Hooker on the enemy's left. The evidences
OF the hard fighting of Sherman and the stub
born resistance Bragg's right was giving him
were borne on every wind. The Ranking as
saults upon the ridge were not achieving sue
cess. There must be another demonstration
by the center. Grant stands on Orchard
Knob, silently smoking the inevitable cigar.
He sees the heavy work to right and left
and that the waning day is showing it's
lengthening shadows. The center must
again relieve the pressure. To Thomas goes
the order-take the rife pits at the foot of
the ridge. At the six gun signal from Or
chard Knob advance the lines to the attack.
Baird. Wood, Sheridan, Johnson were quickly
in line in the order named from left to
right. Restlessly they await the signal. 1t is
we'll on to 4 o'clock. At last the sharp re-
port of a cannon from the Knob! Another!
and another! and in quick succession the six
have Numbered forth the order for the
charge.
TO you feet and forward, men of the Cum
berland! Take the rife pits at the foot o.
the ridge Is the order.
GRANDEST CHARGE IN HISTORY.
How splendid'y they respond! Adding en-
phas.s to their loud huzzas is the nose of c
light artillery on the plain ana the deep roar
of the big siege guns In the forts of Chatta.
nooga. The crest of the ridge thro VS. its full
weight of metal az the lines in blue. The
musketry fire from the pits is full in theil
face. But neither shot nor shell can stop thai
impetuous advance. On and on thsy go, sur
mounting every obstacle.
1.-THE order is obeyed!
The rife pits ara ours, and their defen1er'
our prisoners. How the gray Jackets haster
to the rear! We wondered at their haste, bu'
soon unde' stood it when the guns CT the rig
depressed to sweep the pits, seemed to oper
the gates of he'll Itself upon US. We csnno'
stay! Must we fall back? Perish the
thought! No! No! No order given, and we
to every man the impulse. Forward, thu
whole line! To the crest of the ridge snC
take the guns! Every man forward!
Grape and canister from fifty cannon for
bid the advance. Wood, Sheridan, Baird
Johnson, Which, Hazen, Beatty, Carlin, Tur'
chin, Wand srveer, catching the spirit from thu
men, shout up boys! to tie top! and g'apt
and canister wounds and death are forgotten
On and on and uo and up We go, while al
the world wondered Grant turns to Thomas
and, with distress If not anger in his vo'ce
says: Who ordered those men up the rdg ?
Replies our oil hero: 4 don't know; | di;
not Says Grant; Granger, did you? No,
says Granger; they started without orders
When those fellows get started all hell can
stop them
with hearts in their Threats these anxiou
ch:eftains watched. The spectators in Clat a
nooga hold their breath in ter BILE suspense
1t looks a desperate venture, a foolhardy Ell
fort. Can they make the top, or will they b
driven back to the plain, with columns broker
and ranks disordered? The musketry fir
from the entrenched line in gray is murder
GUS! The cannon beech forth ipce sanity! i
is as though men fought upon the earth an
fands in uppsr air. Not a shot from tn
wedge-shaped lines in blue as thsy a4vanc
with the colors OF regiments at the apex o
the triangles. Sixty regimental banners |
rivalry for the lead! Colors fall as the bear
ers sink in death, but other stout a m
nerved by brave hearts bear the flag aloft
All! the lines waver! They cannot MAKE |
But repulse means d:feat and the los o. a
we have gained.
Look! again they go forward! Will the
reach the crest? Sac! the answer! A fiag
the nations flag! Our flag upol the top! An
other and yet another! The crest breaks on
in glory! 1t is the apotheosis of the banne
of the free!
1.-THE rebel lines are broken! We are int
their works! Cheer upon cheer set the vii
echoes dying from Tunnel Hill to Lookout
They tell of victory glorious. e~xultant vic
tory! Forty pieces Of cannon and 1000 stan
of arms, with 5000 prisoners captured, Civ
emphaCis to the story. The bars are dow
for entrance next campaign to Atlanta, gat
city of the south.
HERE STARTED THE GREAT MARCH
How wildly we recall the winter move
ment into East Tennessee for the relief c
RurnSide pennpd I'M i'm Knoxville and th