The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-27

Editor The Advertiser:
 Dear Sir--Nith your permission will
 try to give the youth of today slight
 description of tho above battle with its
 humorous as well as its horrible side. but
 before doing so, must ask them toNim-
 agine ridge rising almost perpendicu-
 lar two or three hundred feet in height,
 and several miles in length (almost in the shape of a half circle) in front of this ridge, facing west. a small cleared old field about 200 yards in width, and two or more miles in length; adjoining the field long strip of thick woods with creek running throughout it's centre. and immediately beyond the woods the city of Chattanooga. where the Federais were enlcamped so,000 strong. Now let their imagination carry them back to the top of the ridge running north and south and facing west, where about 40.0O0 poor ly clad. half starved men are strung out in different spots or locations. in some places no men at all Tor 20o or 3Wo yards along the ridge; with General
 Bragg's headquarters in a white dweil- ing. house of respectable size near the ex- treme left of the Ridge, fanked with about forty-ive pieces of artillery, while other small batteries are scattered along the entire length of the Ridge. and the readers will then have tolerably fair idea of how things looked before the battle.
 The booming of Long Tom. thirty-two pounder, SD njcknamed by the Johnnies, and the old Familiar cry of Look out. boys. the Tanks are coming announced
 the approach of the enemy. And they were coming.
 Tho writer. q member of Company B, s7th Georgia Regiment. will never forget the opening of that battle. and the mag nificent display of the Federal troops as they emerged from the woods, and marched to the attack nine columns deep, or eighteen lines of men all of a half mile in length.
 It seemed like sheer madness for these men to attempt to drive us from the Ridge, and that their generals should be adjudged guilty of murder in the first degree for giving the order which would consign so many brave men to certain death l thought of the homes that would be made desolate, and the walls of the mothers. widows and orphans end
 then my thoughts were cut short by the bfe-shotted with canister, and the com mand to commence firing. As there was very little danger, stood erect so that I could see all that was to be seen and also to take aim at an officer on q milk white horse. and such a sight as I be- heidi Great gaps were opened by the first fire of our artillery, and the ground was strewn with their dead and wounded. The enemy wavered only for a moment but closing up their gaps marched stead | fly forward win their guns at right | shoulder. Soon the Ridge seemed d \ fame of fire for from pop, pop. pop of | small arms the rifles now approached q | continuous roar, and the old Ridge trem- | bled from end to end.
 The enemy soon reached the foot of the | Ridge. and here they were comparatively | safe. for our artillery could not be suf- | ficientlv depressed to do much damage. and many rifle ball flew harmiessly | over them. They halt, reform, and ID | 1t seems to us to certain destruction. | Again the rifles roar and the enemy in | front of our regiment are driven back to | the foot of the Ridge. But how Is it on
 our right and left? Line after line are still creeping up; they near the top and | open fire. The brigade on the right gives way, some running to. some from the en- | emy. Our battery of four guns on the | right Is captured and turned down the | ditch upon us. On our left the enemy | swarms over the works like ants: they | jump astraddle of our cannon. and their | clothing is set on fire as our boys thrust their rifles against them and pull trig- ger. It Is a fierce hand-to-hand fight. | Still they pour over our works. and where | one is shot ten seem to leap into his | falls. pierced through the heart while | assisting to train piece of artillery. Our | Colonel. Lieuten 1nt-Colonel and Major are wounded while trying to order us to | retreat: VIC are enfiladed from right and | left; we see the day is lost. All hope Is gane and a panic .seizeS us. perfect | stampede ensues. General Bragg and staff | deploys with drawn swords and order us | to halt. bullet knocks the bark off a