The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-06
"REMINISCENCES
Of Men and Events
OF THE CIVIL WAR.
BY CHARLES A. DANA,
Assistant s~ssrstsry Of War from 1859 to 1865.
From Moc1ure's Magazine for March.
THE WAR DEPARTMENT
WITH STk NTON.

Motto: In the instellment Of these Reminis
esnces published In McCiure's Magazine for February
den. Rosecranss severe criticism Of Gen. Negiey. In
connection with the battle OF Ghickamauga 70,
erans's Impression as to Con. Nesley's conduct led to
acourt OF Inquiry. and II was shown in the i%nvestiga.
had been misunderstood. The court found. in con.
elusion. e that Gen. Negiey exhibited throughout the
nisSt great activity and zeal in the discharge Of his
luties; and the court DO not nnd in the evidence be-
ords. War ofthe Rebellion.
Col. Wilson and I reached Chattanooga from our
visit to Burnside at Knoxville on Nov. 17t1s63l.
As soon as I arrived l went to headquarters to
ind out tho news. There was the greatest
hopefulness everywhere, and both Grant and
Thomas told me that they believed the Confod-
crates would be driven from their position south
of Chattanooga in a very few days. In fact. the
plans for q general attack on them were COM
pleto, and the first move was to DO made that
very night. There wero some bitches. however,
In carrying out tho operations as speedily as
Grant had hoped. for 1t was not until the 23d
that the first encounter In the battle of Chatta-
nooga occurred. 1t was the beginning Of the
most spectacular military operations I ever saw,
operations extending over three days and full
Of the most exciting incidents.
As any one Gun soc from a glance at the map,
cur army lay to the south and cast of the town
of Chattanooga, the river Gt our back. Facing
ne. In q great half circle. and high above us on
Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge were
the Confederates. Our problem was to drive
- ,a..thor ~, ,ho ro,,,oroor,o,.s . 49,
and now we were to strike.
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troons emnIov.d ,or Tho ottocr yvero rndor Tho
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,ror. .on,o onnt,aI o~oous 3D. crannas
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.an 80 - ~ mo
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aine' "ofeu rien' sIr"lHnt "iohB' hoo hailihg NJ
III, the sH'rmishers MI inc time advancing In
'front.' nrihs anu RECEIVING hre.
inc hrst Shot was nred at = O'CLOCK. and IN
uV6 minutes taZenS bKlrInlSD6rS were DrlSkly
engaged whiie the artillery OF Forts wood and
Fainler was opened upon the reoel rine PITS ana
camps oeh'ha the line OF hRhtine. Inc practce
OF our gunhers was splendia' out ellcited no re-
ply; and It was soon evident hat the Confeder-
atcs had no neaVy artillery. In that part OF their
lines, at least. Our troops rapidly advancing,
occupied the knobs upon which they were d.
rected at twenty minutes past 2. Ten minutes
later samuel Beatty who commanded n bril-
gaoe' arriving FORWARD across an open nelo'
carried the rlne pits In his front, the occu'
pants fleeing as they fired their last volley; and
Sheridan. moving through the forest which
stretched before him. drove In the enemy's
pickets ana matted MS advance, In obedience TO
orders. on reaching the rifle pits where the rebel
1orce was waiting for MS attack. NO such attack
was made. however. the design being to secure
only the heights. The entire movement was
carried out IN such an incredibly short time that
""o "eS W
Mr.. Stanton describing the victory.
That evening joined Gen. Sherman. who had
his troops north of the river. concealed behind
the hills. and was going to attempt to cross the
tennessee above the town that very night. so as
70 DO able to attack the east head OF Missionary
ttidge ON inc night Oh inc 24th or morning OF
the 2oth. sherman mad some 10000 mon. and
crossihe tnem over a river as wlde ana rapid as
the tennessee was ABOVE Chattanooga seemed
10 me a serious taok, ana l watched the opera
tions OF the night with great curiosity. The
nrSt point was 10 get a snficient body OF troops
on the south oank 70 hola q position against
tne enemy the Confederates had pickets
TOT a long distance up and down tho
tennessee ABOVE chattanooga, and then
from there building the pontoon
priaRe oy which the bulk OF the men were to be
gotten over. About ! o'clock In the morning
the pohtoon BOATS, which had been sent up the
river some distance. were filled with men and
allowed TO drop down to the point Gen. Sher-
man mad CHOSEN Tor the south end or his bridge.
They landed about D:3O In the morning. Reized