The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-12-22

TO Knoxville and to Atlanta pass through
| Mission Ridge at the north end; after
which one keeps on up the Tennessee to
| Knoxville, while the other turns down on
the east side of the ridge to lafayette, the
first point TO which the enemy was com,
PEELED to retreat and which Is situated
about six miles east of Dug Gap, bearing
| a little south.
The reader will bear in mind that
knew nothing of the plan of the campaign
beyond what was developed on the field,
and what was patent to ALL had passed
in two days from our left, near Cottonport,
Tenn, where | saw part OF Mlnty's brl-
gade of the Second Division OF Cavalry,
down to Chattanooga, where was Col
! Wilder'S famous brigade, with Gen. Nag-
ner and some force of infantry and arnl-
! lery, busily engaged in shelling the place;
! thence to Bridgeport. where the command
ing General was. with few troops, Just
preparing to 60 to Trenton, then already IN
the hands of Reynolds's division. / also
passed the 33d Chic on the opposite side
of the river, and saw Crittenden's troops
ferrying the stream about the mouth OF
Battle Creek; and from the top of Fac
coon beheld the most of our center and
right encamped opposite the respective
gaps, where they were to scale Lookout
Mountain and from whence they were to
be hurled like an avalanche down, down
from the giddy nights of that handicapped
range in reSistleSS columns into the val
ley, where they were to deplOy in line and
sweep across upon the unprotected flank
of the enemy, who were then IN 1uli re-
treat.
PLAN OF THE CAMPAIGN.
The plan was certainly projected by
master mind, and had it been properly
executed would have proven the death
blow of Bragg's army. After having
gained his object, it seemed to be the In
tention of the General to draw his men IN
quietly, and without bloOdshed, into the
Notifications around Chattanooga; and
had the entire command been properly
handled, nothing could have transpired
to thwart the design.
Gen. Negley began his ascent of the
mountain early in the morning of the Sth
his whole command camped on top OF the
mountain, and here he sent me out to
recOnnoter 1t was a pretty long and
dangerous tramp, but l made it safely,
and discovered that Wharton's command
was on the opposite side of the gap.
The advance of the division was soon
followed by the balance of Thomas's Corps,
and at the SEINE time Gen. McCOok was
scaling the nights at Neil'S Gap, II miles |
below, and Crittende ms was moving
around and over the north end of the
while Gen. Stanley was threat
ening La Fayette from BroOmtOwn Valley,
almost in rear of the rebel army.
On the 10th the army was fairly fivou-
acked in the clouds, en- the top of Look
out, which is very broad in some places
being four miles wide. Heavy clouds are
constantly hanging over and tapping
down upon the summit, and if it be a
damp day, the top and sides are com
pletely enveloped in the lower clouds. 1t
is not, however, a high mountain, being
only AGO feet perpendicular, / believe, |
above the level Of the Tennessee River.
SCOUTING ON LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN.
/ believe we rested day on top, and
secuted out the summit, while in the
afternoon Col. Stoughton with his regi- |
ment went down the gap to drive back the |
enemy, in order that our engineers could |
-epair the road. / was sent out again |
toward night, and passing through |
command and the rebel Skin
nish-line at a dead run under fire of both |
sides, / gained unframed the top of "a |
very high spur of Lookout. | was aided |
N this by the dust raised by the rebel |
cavalry, while the fire was going On, and |
oy the darkness after.the fight was over. |
/ clambered over cliffs during the night, |
o gain the top, over which, next morning, |
could not look without getting on my |
hands and knees. 1t was risky work, but |
t was in a good cause, and was of adj |
vantage to the service, which was enough. |
At the first Growing Of the chickens / was |
On my feet, waiting for light enough to see |
he valley below. The view extended all |
over Maclamore's Cove, and is one of the |
inest landscapes | ever beheld. Far to |
he left-perhaps Is or 10 miles-could be |
seen the nights around Chattanooga |
while directly in front was the range |
jailed Pigeon Mountain, together with |
McCowan's Gap, Dug Gap, and Bluebird |
iap-all clearly revealed by the light in
he east
] had splendid signal glass with which
could see very minute objects i'm Dug
Gap, and / discovered that it was well
defended by rife-rits and artillery, two
batteries being distinctly visible; " lille in
rear of the gap rose a hill that thoroughly
overlooked it, and on the crown OF this
bill was an extensive earthwOrk, running
its whole length, and ] counted within it
l6 guns. On the side OF this hill | could
see a great many brush shanties, with
light, fieecy smoke rising above them,
thus clearly indicating that they were
occupied.