The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-04-24

| wager.
: The Third Brigale. Col Daniel McCook
commanding -S5th dfI, Col. Jacob J. Dill.
:, worth: seth III. Dieut.-CoI. David W. Ma
: gee; 10th Ill.lpIieut. Col. E. Hubbard Top
ping; 18th Illo' &C l., Oscar +. Harmon; sd
Ohio, Maj, James T.. Holmes.
i The artillery attached to Gen. Davis
! Division wasi7commanded by Capt. vii
. liam a. Hotchkissl and composed of the
following companies:
a Second ILL., flight BATTERY I, Lieut.. Henry
5 Il. Plant; MIN. light I'd Battery, Lieut..
{ Richard l.. DsUiey; WIS. Light 9TH Battery,
: Capt, George 4e Galdner.
All of these batteries except that com
: manded by Lieut.. Henry b. Plant, were
placed in position to assist, in conjunction
: with others, in forming an effective de
Tense at the pontoon bridge in the rear
of Sherman'S troops. Lieut. Plant went
> forward with the troops against Missionary
: Ridge. BY direction of Gen. Sherman
; Gen. Davis posted one of his brigades at
the river, one in easy supporting distance
of the advance troops, and one about half
: a mile to the rear, These troops did not
: participate in the attack upon the Con
federate forces on Tunnel Hill; they were
held in reserve.
TIE BATTLE OPENS.
As the morning dawned on Nov. %,
1863, the Army of the Tennessee was astir
long large working parties had been en-
gagged in the erection of earthworks on the
ridges occupied by our advance troops.
Gen. Sherman's headquarters were on
the isolated ridge at the south end of his
line, nearly opposite the tunnel, now
known as Sherman flights. The General
was in the saddle at an early hour. lie
and his staff rode along the line examining
the works. When the sun rose the day
soon became bright and clAar; the tempera-
ture of the air was pleasant; in fact, 1t
was an ideal November morning. 1t could
now be clearly seen that the enemy had
not been idle during the night. EXten-
sive works had been thrown up On Mis-
sionary Ridge. The elevated piece OF
ground about 80 yards north of the gorge
through which the tunnel passes, and now
known as Tunnel Hill, WAS fortified with
| logs and fresh earth. 1t was clearly yisi-
bic from Gen. Shermans point of view.
This work, somewhat in the shape of a
letter ''V'' with the point to the north
west, was full of men. At and near the
angle eight pieces of artillery were post
ed. This work was our objective point.
1t was he most northern defensive struc-
| ture for the right wing of the Confederate
army. To the south of this work, across
the tunnel gorge, and upon q nigh piece of
! ground, another strong earthWOrk, filled
with men and artillery, was distinctly
seen. In the gorge over the tunnel Il bat
| terry ot four pieces were placed to command
I the wagon road that crossed the ridge at
this point.
Leut-Gen William ]. Hardee, in com
I mand of the right wing of Braggs army,
| was posted ut the work south of the tun-
mel. Maj.-Gen. Patrick X. CIeburne was
| mt Tunnel Hill, and superintendent the
| erection of the works. Gen. Bragg visited
Tunnel Hill on the morning of Nov. a,
and again early in the afternoon of Nov.
! %. 81. q.
! Gen. Sherman ISSUED his order of battle.
| The brigades commanded by Cockerill, al.
exander and Lightburn were to hold our
fortified ridges as the key-pOint.
Gen. COrse, with, as much of his bril-
gade as could operate along the narrow
ridge, was to attack from our right center.
Gen. Lightburrp was. to dispatch regi-
Gen. Corse. Col. Lpomis, with his bri-
gade, strengthened by three regiments of
Cal. Buschbeck's Brigade of the Twelfth
Corps, namely, the 2Tth Pa, Maj. Z. A.
McAloon; the I'D Pa, Lieuf.-Col. Joseph
B. Taft, and the $50 n. J., Col. George
w. Mindil, was to move along the west
base of Missionary Ridge My brigade
and Matthies' Brigade were in reserve,
ready to support Ewing at any point,
while Gen. Morgan l.. Smith with his
First Brigade was rs move along the east
base of the ridge on the left Of Corse's
line.
Calender had four of his guns on the
hill with Ewing, Dillon two guns with
Alexander. and Who'd his Napoleon battery
with Lightburn, and Lieut.. Plant had four
pieces near the base of the ridge. These
IA pieces of artillery opened fire upon the
enemy's works, ana did all they could to
clear the hill. The line of battle was
formed soon after sunup.
The 10th ILL.,, supported by the 10th
Ohio right with tha 18th
Ohio, moved down the face of the hill,
known as Sherman's flights, and up that
held by the enemy, known as Tunnel Hill.
This line was led by Gen. Corse in person
and advanced to within about so yards of
the Confederate intrenchmcnts, where they
found secondary crest, which they gained
and held. Gen. Corse ordered up the re-
serves to this point, and asked for rein
forcements, which were sent him
Gen. Morgan L. Smith gained ground on
the left spur on Missionary Ridge, and Col.
LOOmis advanced until he reached a point
abreast of the tunnel and the railroad en-
bankment. He drew upon his command q
heavy fire from the battery over the tun-
mel and from the Confederate rifle pits.
Our artillery kept up their fire, observing
every precautiOn to avoid endangering our
own men. Gen. Ccrse led an assault upon
the enemys works, but failed to carry
them; but he held on to his first position
While the fight was raging furiously about
10 o'clock, Gen. -Corse received a severe
wound in the leg and was brought off the
field.
The command of the brigade devolved
upon Col. G. G. Wolcutt, of the 10th Ohio
who performed the duties with ability and
courage. He held the position that had
been gained ana kept up the contest with
great spirit. He had nc rifle pit for the
protection of his brigade and no intrench-
ing tools; his men took such cover as the
brow of the hill afforded. For more than
two hours they kept up constant fire
upon the enemy, at times silencing their
artillery. Col. LOOMS encountered heavy
opposition in the valley and did not at
tempt TO relieve Wolcutt by a direct move
ment, but drew as much of the Confed-
crate strength as possible against himself.
My brigade was drawn up at the base
of Sherman flights, just out of the range
of the enemy's artillery, but in full view
from Missionary Ridge
L rode out well to the front, to a point
from which l could observe every move
ment on both sides. 1t is an interesting
and exciting spectacle to witness the
movements of the troops in a great battle
and see the struggle for maStery-the roar
of artillery, the rafting of musketry, the
impetuOus charge, the shouts of the men,
the sturdy resistance of the assailed, All
this | saw and heard, knowing fulleweIl
that in short, time my own command
would be in the midst of the fray.
At the exact POINT of time when Gen
COrse made his assault upon the works
on Tunnel Hill, three important move