New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-11
WARS RED HEIGHTS.
THANKSGIVING MEMORY OF HARD-"oN
LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN AND MIS-
SIONARY RIDGE.
WAR FOUGHT ON THE NATIONAL HoL1-
DAY OF THANKSGIVING.


From The Cleveland Leader
"I could stay back. of course. but Osterhaus's
division never went into action since / was on the
stair that l haven't tried to keep up with the
''e As Allen Gordon said this he grasped my hand:
shook it in his Sh h3ry a he addeS
as he waved his right hand toward Lookout Noun
. II ns9 our W JOB In FSGd Rdse
Hope we'll have our usual luck and be ready lot
roGa when the night h is 0ver s woe want to
see the folks. l reckon we'd rather be here ana
A shell from the enemys battery near the rocky
crest OF Lookout burst over our heads. as we stood
there Moccasn Point and Allen room NptS
ern Kentucky a few weeks before by the young
soldiers fathertook fright and dashed down the
Allen Gordon and myself had been schoomates
We were born on M e and b1 haa SIX
teen--wo years before the war; maeinsd , as
Of 5Fea neghbor thought him better looking than
myself and so preferred his attentions
spend at the front On former occasions our
friends remembered us. and for days pedore IN, nS
other good things from the dear mothers at home.
But were TO have no turkey on inc u, morrow ry'
ing troops and supplies to Chattanooga. and then.
the day drew near It became generaIy mhde on
had command OF body of scouts. and we were
Point our horses were lean and ewe.necked, Tor
during the siege OF Chattanooga that followed our
night and day watching Wheeer's ubiquitous cav
airy and guarding the mountain trains from NC
Mnnville. Our uniforms were ragged ana muo-
stained The smooth faced boys OF two years pc
fore bearded and bronzed. so rapidly does
youth age on the long marches. during the sleep
less nights. and IN the furnace. heat OF battle
The Indian summers golden haze hung over noun
tain and river and valley on the SPURS OH OF INC
ane6 dr avs Of gold Up the
OF Lookout. which rose n mountain queen from
her rocky Ss h ossd' But oSsh it could
see the brown riffs Of the earthworks the moving
ks great IN say SRs 'n Of ali
banner OF the Confederacy waved and }ust peiow
M II rH Ridge to the east tSe movements of
the gathering corps in blue on the plains ,S ,rou,
the south and west. osterhaus, with his Ken
tucklans and ohioans. will attack from the north
This is what sixty thousand waiting men said. on.
70 the other as from river ana pam me ,nes n hsd
passed tho zenith and was hidden behind oIack
The men wSe gn men s Gen 10
the assault moving toward the mountain. undcr
ae had SaSea IN ss Hs" q oS r sau
Vicksburg. From the far distance we could hear
Hookers nugss sounding the numbering
volcano from which burst fountains OF names and
5 OF ae ws. % n w could hear dea. ye
and hoarse cheers the opposing FORCES came
spre cou distinguish Allen GORDON voice for
a something in tho waves OF sound thrilled me as
BACK clouds rolled in from tn. west, and SHAPES
about Lookout II 10 veil the scene Of strife
from the eight Of heaven. Still the rattle OF mus
kerry came to the plain while the moun n, a.,
cannon As listened thought Of the Children OF
Israel watching the Naming clouds hanging over
Sinai while the leader OF the people talked to tho
Lawgver OF all
Ns Sa That seemed snH ed c hs ky .hd
along the embattled crest OF Missionary Ridge:
S Sa seen here and ave- we knew the signal corps
was anxious and busy. There was hut niue steep
twenty Thousand men. friend and ~. were watch
ing Lookout. The encirclne cloud seemed 20 throo
Nights Of giant nrenes tho nash,ng Of n. rines
cut through the intense darkness. Higher and
h nd e the cs s9Tnd no OF oh ns be- h and the
Of the guns became mui'icd like tho sound Of CLAN,
About Midnight the battle echoes ceased 10 como
down from the mountain and an awful stiffness
,ng in low tones. became silent We could hear.
no, only the beating OF our own hearts. but tho
Tho drcary black hours crept by. The men were
at liberty 70 lie down and sleep but ihey sat s IN
1t had gone with our comrades OF Gearys ana DE-
terhauss divisions.
waiting a light that did no; come from the dying
campnres OF the enemy strained from The east. and
bIllowy mirage that illed half tho visible fk
The increasing light seemed but 70 lenethen the
minutes. Through the misty veil the campnres
glowed in a weird way. and tho soldiers. drinking
ger TETee Win tho qo Of Who
did not know when they might have chance TO
,Wo-dsys days rstions that had been served the day
"Thanksgtving breakfast, boys!" shouted one.
he drained his black cup through his teeth.
And the last breakfast for some Of u.s. laughed
Harry stanton. OF Coyington. who before tho noon
day sun looked down on sherman's left was TO lie
dead beside his horse. amid the wreck OF con-
was rloomy eating my own breakfast. when
young hoIseman. with dispatch bag hanging
taking II slip OF paper from between his teeth.
called out my name The paper was . from Cap,ain
Dear AL write at Aliens request. Ito Hes
far %p the nSG c to No YOU 0oe 40
The rider dashed on with dispatches for General
Grant put he d not sas S Sod a 2ES the ns h
that Allcr Gordon was wounded and In the en-
emys hands Ny appetite ef me- ana th ne xns
up for | knew the time for rough riding and hard
The clouds overhead glowed like giant opals
The shadow of Missionary Ridge grew Shorter. but
Then the sun flashed on lines OF steel grouped
along the ridge. and smoke pillars marked tho
iy their horses. ali faces turned to Lookout. The
cloud drapcry, like a mighty stage curtain. began
Of bayoneis and the dark blue Of Federal uniforms
How our hearts throbbed, and how the fierce
Ing the mountain Higher and higher rolled tho
cloud curtain. and still cleaning bayonets and
men in blue In the enemy's works Higher. stu
higher, and ever the same thrilling revelation
Then tho cloud mist gathered into n heap. swept
away from the crest OF the mountain. and. catch
Ing the rays OF the rising sun, melted and was
gone! Lookou: stood revealed in It's every out
line But gave no heed TO It's grand setting
against the cold blue OF that perfect November
sky From the crest. where. when the last
vanished the cross Of tho Confederacy waved. We
saw beating like Angels wing against tho blue
Of heaven, the Stars and Stripes OF the Republic
At the sight the men sent up wild cheer II
rang along the river II swelled into n mighty roar
when Hooker's the right saw the nag
and sixty thousand men-men OF the armies Of the
Cumberland OF the Tennessee and Of the Missis-
sippi-tossed their hats their bayonets and
sabres and shook out the folds OF their tattered
flags and cheered, men never cheered since war
made widows
Report, quick as your horses can carry you,
to Sherman the left!'