The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1901-01-24

the rebS were last seen. We found few
dead and many old traps lying around.
Many wagons had been abandoned, some
of them filled with ammunition. The road
was good. the air bracing, and we pushed
along rapidly until noon, picking up many
prisoners. Some We're deSerters, who, be-
coming tired out, had stopped at houses
along the road TO get something to eat.
At s o'clock in the evening we reached
Greysville, a small town on the railroad
and seven miles from Ringgold. Here we
halted, and | went ahead to hunt up news.
Arriving at the bridge we found the Four
teenth Corps marching down the road to
Ringgold. having come in from Mission
Ridge over the same road we Travelled
lust previous to the battle of Chickamau-
ga. last September. From them l learned
our army had captured many guns and
hundreds of prisoners in the tight at Mis-
sion Ridge. Prisoners are being CONSTANT
~ picked up, and as soon as gathered to-
gether are sent back to Chattanooga. The
rebel army seems to be greatly demOra-
lized. One of our officers was ccnsurIng
the men for being so careless as to let
the prisoners retain their arms when
reb spoke up and said it was all right;
1--WE are tired of fighting for the --
thing" meaning the Confederacy.(
Many Generals were collected at the
bridge and l saw, together with their
StaffS, Gems. Sherman, Howard, Davis,
Palmer. Baird, Rousseau and others. They
We're eagerly discussing our successes.
About Q O'Clock firing began down at Ring
gold, and we were told it came from
Hooker's Corps. We now received orders
to take the road that led to the rear of
Ringgold, TO outflank the rebs opposing
Hooker, if they chose to wait long enough
We travelled rapidly, marching up creek,
over q mountain and down another stream
about 10 miles, and at last stopped on a
large farm. Firing had ceased by this
time. and we learned our troops had driven
the enemy out, capturing more prisoners,
some of whom had just returned from
East Tennessee, where they had been on
an expedition after Burnside.
At the farm on which we stopped the
soldiers went for poultry, corn, vegetables
and everything in the eatable line. The
grass was high, and through carelesSness
it caught fire, and soon whole fields were
blazing, and the troops were compelled to
get out During the afternoon we marched
down to within two miles of Ringgold,
and here we are, encamped in large
field, inclosed by heavy pine woods. Our
fires burn brightly as l write; the camp
is noisy with shouts of the boys as they
talk of our recent and glorious successes
LETTERS FROM HOME.
Camp at Cleveland Gap, Saturday, Nov.
2S, 1S63.-This morning the mail was
brought to us, and | was fayorably remem-
bered, and sat by pine-knot fire reading,
at 4 o'clock a. m. 1t rained from & until
10 o'clock this morning, when we received
orders to move up to this place, which is
seven miles from Ringgold and % from
Chattanooga. We are camped on fine
farm, and on the other side of noun
tain is the Eleventh Corps under Gen.
Howard.
We have not yet heard of the dOings
of the other corps of the army. 1t is suf-
ficient to know that our movements have
been successful SO far, and that the rebel
army has been driven out of Tennessee in
most gallant style. The men are in the
best of spirits, and we feel as good as you
at home did after the Ohio election.
The opinion here of Gen. Grant is the
most exalted, and if he carries things
through as successfully as he has done he
is truly great General. a few days
ago we were bound up in Chattanooga,
surrounded by mountains, most of which
were held by the enemy and full of bat
teries. There was no other idea among
us but that things would so continue all
Winter. No one would have dreamed that
any General would have attempted to take
those steep mountains in the face of the
enemy. But the mastery spirit of Grant
has done it all, completely driving Bragg
from the strongest positions he could have
Our complete success surprises US. | don't
know how the people Of the North will
view things here, and | am sure they
cannot appreciate the things done here
without seeing the country The storm
ing of Lookout, the crossing of large
river at food hight in the face of the en-
envy, the storming and capture of Mission
Ridge and the complete rout of the rebel
army are events that stamp Gen. Grant
rs military genius Of the highest orncr
Had anyone advanced such ideas a week
ago he would have been considered insane
Yet Grant has showed us how to do il.
l have talked with many prisoners late
~, and they say they Were outgcneraIed in
The late movements. The prisoners are
still spunky set, and many say they
never can be conquered" but Others be-
GIN to feel that it is all over with them.
The prisoners are surprised at the kind
treatment they receive at our hands. and
say they have had wrong ideas of u.s.
sroRMISG MISSION RIDGE.
They tell us when they saw orr men
stormlng Lookout Mountain, swarming on
it like bees, climbing right up its craggy
sides, cheering and yelling like devils they
felt as though they were gone up" for
sure. Sberman's movements at the nm
per end Of Mission Ridge fooled the rebs.
Bragg supposed our forces were tryin.
TO get possession Of their right, and that
the greater part of our army was thhre.
and to that point he rushed his reinforce
ments. After we had fully engaged them
there until 3 o'clock that day the force
in Chattanooga advanced and carried the
entire Ridge in their front.
Mission Ridge is very steep, and is much
higher than Wheeling Hill, and the greater
part Of the troops opposing Sherman left
that part of their line open enough to be
taken.
Dalton, where Bragg is now supposed
to be, is % miles south of us. We have
plenty of troops and can whip the rebel
army wherever we find it. We have
just received orders to go on again in tie
morning. just what we may expect from
Grant we don't know, but what we want
is TO be up and doing something.
Later learn that we are to be off
on a 10 days expedition We have no
ratiOns, and will forage off the country.
1t Is thought We are bound for East Ten
nessee to help out Burnside, who is
hemmed in at Knoxville by Longstreet.
The force to go is the Eleventh Corps and
Davis's (our) Division, Of the Fourteenth
Corps.
MARCHING THROUGH LOYAL SECTION.
Camp near Cleveland, East Tennessee
Sunday, Nov. %, 1S63.-We started this
morning in the direction of Cleveland
marching % miles. The weather was nip-
ping cold, and we marched fast to keep
warm. The roads were good, and the
eouutrv nosco1 titrounh