Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-08-31


~ and in the course
NV MM. ksN&l< of reminiscent talk
S19"ss the battle of Chat
tanooga, or Missionary Ridge, came up
for discussion. We all remembered
that before daylight on the morning or
Sunday. Oct %, 1863, our brigade
moved from it's position near Fort
Palmer. in front of Chattanooga,
crossed the Tennessee River on the
pontoon bridge, and marched on INTO
the mountains. We remembered the
date because Gen. Grant had arrived IN
Chattanooga the day before and we all
agreed as to an incident that occurred
lust after we crossed the river.
eve started on the wrong road ana
We're recalled to a point where Ten
Palmer and members of his staff were
sitting on their horses. This was at the
junction of two roads and the Of1cerS
were grouped in little detile, the hllI
on the river side sheltering them from
the fire of Longstreets sharpshootefs
on the south side of the Tennessee. But
the SharpshOOters seemed to know that
the officers were there and rain Of bull
let's passed over their heads, cutting
off little branches of the everSreens
above them. We remembered this more
particularly because in the group was
young lady on horseback ana the
boys were greatly interested in the eX-
preston on her face as the sprigs of
evergreen fell from the trees above on
her hat or on her horse in front OF her.
'"The young woman was very pale,
but showed no other sign Of excitement.
Gen. Palmer looked down at her smll-
ingly and questioningly and some of the
other officers were assuring her that the
bullets were not at all dangerous. we
remembered that the brigade started,
as we supposed, down the river, but on
road that DETECTED somewhat from
the river so as to keep us out Of range
of the SharpshOOters. We agreed, too,
that we had regular picnic on the
mountains for two or three days and
that we came down to the Tennessee at
Rankin's ferry, where we found pom
toon bridge and crossed to the south
side of the river; but we agreed as to
nothing else.
lone man claimed that the regiment
held the bridges at Ranllins ferry and
Shellmound until Sherman's army came
up from the west; then we were or
dered back toward Chattanooga to help
Sherman's artillery and wagons over
the rough and muddy roads, and went
into camp with his troops in the hills
opposite the north end of Missionary
Ridge One cOmrade remembered dis
tinctly that we crossed the river in
small boats or pontOOns and partici-
pated in the hard fight near the tunnel.
One incident was particularly vivid in
his recollection. The night the troops
left their hidden camp in the hills they
were greatly mystified. When they
came to the river they were loaded
quietly into boats, each boat when
loaded drifting silently out into the
darkness.
"The men hung back little until
tall officer standing at the landing said:
Step lively, boys! There are places for
thirty men in each boat Then some
one remarked in low tone: That is
Uncle Billy himself. This things all
right and the men crowded forward
eagerly to get into the boats. This in
cident seemed to have been burnt into
the mans memory. He could initiate
Sherman's voice. He described exact
ly the appearance of the point on Mis-
sionary Ridge attacked by Sherman's
force He described how the men sat
in the boats and told how they CON
versed in whispers as they went quietly
across to-they knew not what And
yet the rest of us knew that the regi-
ment didn't cross there and that we
did not participate in Sherman's attack
on the north end of Missionary Ridge.
Another man in attempting to show
that the recollections of No. / was en-
tirely at fault explained how we crossed
the bridge at Rankin's ferry. went
down to Shellmound at a double quick
blockaded the roads to the south and
west. remained in line till we heard the
sound of Hooker's guns at Wauhatchie
and then went up the river on the south
side, joined Hooker's forces, climbed
Lookout Mountain, captured about 6, 900
rebel prisoners, and guarded them
down the river to Bridgeport.
The third man insisted that this
could not be true. When we stopped at
Shellmound we had no thought that
there would be heavy battle in front
We had been there only two days when
we were ordered down the river to
Bridgeport. He remembered this dis
tincuy because we had just completed
shanties of logs with chimneys built of
brick taken from the old railway sta
ton house, and he and a dozen other
men put the lumber in RATS and fioated
it down the Tennessee to Bridgeport.
oI ha4