Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-08-28

SvS9s<Ss the battle of Chat
tanooga, or Missionary Ridge. came up
for discussion. We all remembered
that bel IRE daylight on the morning of
Sunday, Oct. %, 1868. CIR brigade
moved from its position near Fort
Palmer in front of Chattanooga,
crossed the Tennessee River on the
pontoon bridge. and marched off into
the mountains. We remembered the
date because Gen. Grant had arrived in
Chattanooga the day before and We all
agreed as to TN Incident that occurred
just after we crossed the river,
I'VE started ON the wrong road and
were recalled to a point where Gen
Palmer and members of his staff were
sitting on their horses. This was at the
junction of two roads and the officers
We're grouped in a little defile, the hill
on the river side sheltering them from
the fire Of Longstreet's sharpshooters
on the south side of the Tennessee. But
the sSarpshooters seemed to know that
the officers were there and a rain of bull
lets passed over their heads, cutting
off little branches of the evergreens
above them. We remembered this more
particularly because in the group was
young lady on horseback and the
boys We're 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.
1.-THE young woman was very pale,
but showed no other sign Of excitement
Gen. Palmer looked down at her smil-
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,
ms VIC supposed, down the river, but on
a road that detected somewhat from
the river so as to keep us out of range
of the snarpshooters. We agreed, too,
that we had a regular picnic on the
mountains for two or three days and
that we came down to the Tennessee at
Rarfkin'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 Rankin's ferry and
Shellmound until Sherman's army came
up from the west; then we We're 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 partiei-
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
We're 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 a little until a
tall officer standing at the landing said:
Step lively, boys, There are places for
thirty men in each boat Then some
one remarked in a 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
~ 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 reeollections of No. / was en-
tire1y at fault explained how we crossed
the bridge at Rankin's ferry, went
down to Shellmound at 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 1000
rebel prisoners, and guarded them
down the river to Bridgeport.
''tThe 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 We're ordered down the river to
Bridgeport. He remembered this dis
tinctly 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 f1oated
it down the Tennessee to Bridgeport
No 3 contended that we remained at
Bridgeport for several weeks.
NO. remembered the trip down the
river to Bridgeport, but he threw No 8
into confusion by calling TO mind Incl
dents that occurred as we went up
Lookout Mountain and quoted a remark
made by No. himself as he came
out of the brush on to the new military
road. He related other incidents as to
the march from the mountain. with the
rebel prisoners and called the attention
of No. to the fact that he was one of
the rear guard and grumbled good
deal because the prisoners were turned
over to the Ninetleth Ohio TO be taken
North. No 4 insisted that We remained