The National tribune., 1902-04-17

I before them, who fell back from line to
| line, stubbornly resisting every assault
| but, like Waithall's Brigade, they lost
| heavily in prisoners as well as killed and
wounded and finally found safety in flight.
During this fight the enemy opened fire
with three pieces of artillery in position
on the crest, but could not depress them
SO as to make the fire effective; then they
| hurled hand grenades and shells to burst
among the men.
| The National line moved forward with
resistlesS energy, giving the retreating foe
no time to rally, and amidst clouds of
mist and fog, which darkened the noun
tain, swept forward upon the double
quick around to the nOrtheasterly slope of
the mountains, charging the receding foe.
| GEARY's COMMAND GOES N.
And now the right wing of Geary's col
umn, supported by Osterhaus i'll person.
| leading the 31st Iowa and the Sd and 9th
No. regiments, climbed up the mountain
side and captured the Craven House, the
! Confederate headquarters.
1t required almost superhuman efforts
of the soldiers to ascend that mountain
and to maintain a line Of battle upon its
| face, but the troops took and held the
IivsI favorable positions for the defense
of the territory they had captured.
Gen. Walthall, WIN remnant of his
| Brigade, worked his way around to the
north slope of the mountain. east of the
Craven House. where he found three com
panies of sharpshOOters from the 24th
Miss. He was also Joined by Col. Camp
| bell, of the 9th Miss, with a small body
Of men, and here he made a stand to re-
sist the progress of the Union forces. At
| this juncture, about ! 80 o'clock in the
| afternoon, Gen. Pettus descended from
! the mountain top with the Goth, 3lst and
! jlith AlD- rein IN Cen
Moore and Gen. Walthall, but he came
| too late to prevent disaster. AS he de
scended the mountain he found Walthall,
with his reduced force in line prepared to
make further resistance. Gen. Pettus at
once formed a line of battle with his left
extended up the mountain to the bluff, and
took the fight off of Gen. Walthalls
hands, who withdrew to Pettus's rear.
where he replenished his ammunition
when he again advanced to strengthen
| Pettus's line.
In the meantime, Gen. Moore, having
passed around to the northeast slope Of
/ the mountain, formed a line of battle ex-
tending almost down to Chattanooga
| Creek to the right of and in connection
with Pettus and Walthall. Here the final
stand was made by the Confederate forces
! for the defense of Lookout Mountain.
A HALT FOR REST.
Anu now tllHI Ine NatlONal forces nHf
gained and were occupying the northern
slope Of the mountain, Gen. Hooker or
| dered a halt, with instructions to
strengthen the positions already gained.
The formation Of troops of Gen.
Geary's command as assigned them early
i'll the morning WAS continued.
Gen. Osterhaus formed a strong line on
the left from the cliffs toward Chattan-
OOga Creek, and also detailed five regi-
ments to aid in the defense of the Craven
! House, which occupied a position to COM
mand the eastern and western declivities
of the mountain, being on the northern
slope about ! 400 feet above the Tennes-
see River.
Three lines were formed at this point.
the advance about 300 yards in front of
the Craven House, and all were
strengthened by works Of rocks, timber,
and earth.
The Confederate forces still held the
mountain, and Pettus, Walthall and
Moore, with their line from the cliff down
the mountainside, were in communication
with the forces which held Bragg's works,
extending from Missionary Ridge TO
Chattanooga Creek.
During the afternoon, while Hooker
was causing an adjustment of his line
frequent skirmishes occurred and at one
time the Confederates made a determined
attack with Gen. Pettus's force, aided by
artillery and sharpshooters on the crest,
but this assault was met and resisted.
The roar OF the battle of Lookout
Mountain was plainly heard at Orchard
Knob and all along Thomas's line, and
when the National troops, with banners
| flying, wheeled around the point of the
northern slope, they came within full view
of Gen. Grant and Gen. Thomas. 1t was
at once decided to send Hooker reinforce
ments.
At 2 o'clock in the afternoon, Gen. Vim.
+. Carlin, commanding the First Brigade,
First Division, Fourteenth Corps, was
ordered to take his command across Chat
tan0Oga Creek and to assist Gen. Hooker,
who was then hotly engaged with the en-
envy on Lookout Mountain.
Chattanooga Greek had no bridge and
was not fordabe. Gen. Carlin decided
that the only practical way to execute
! the order was to ferry his troops over at
the mouth Of the creek.
Col. I. r. Stanley, Chief Of River
Transportation, promptly furnished a |
large fatboat and steamer, with which the
command was soon ferried over the
stream.
Gen. Carlin took with him the I'd Ohio. |
3Sth Ind, SD Ohio, SSth Ind, 42d Ind,