The National tribune., 1902-04-03

=
q Tennessee River not FAR from them.
$ We returned to the camp in good time
1t was now well known by every office
+ and man that the great movement agains
3 Bragg's army would soon begin. We mad
Fl every necessary preparation for the event
: Every soldier was provided with lO'
rounds of ammunition-40 rounds in car
tridge-boxes. and they were also provided
with three days rations.
Il MILITARY SITUATION IN TENNESSEE,
} NOVEMBER, 1868.
The campaign of Gen. Rosecrans will
the Army of the Cumberland for the cap
turc of Chattanooga was supplemented by
the campaign of Gen. Burnside with the
Army of the Ohio for the occupation OF
East Tennessee and the capture of Knox
Vile. While Rosecrans began his move
ment from Murfreesboro, Tenn, Burnside
operated from Kentucky. The Ninth
Corps. under Gen. Parke. which had per
formed such gallant service at Eicksburg,
had been returned to its proper Depart
nCnt :rnd was now with Burnside.
On Sept. =, 1868, Gen. Burnside seized
/ Knoxville, and soon had possession of the
country from Cumberland Gap to Lou
don. meeting but little resistance.
| Knoxville is on the Tennessee River
above Chattanooga. and is distant from
,
These cities were connected by railroad
as we'll as 10y river. On Sept. 9 Gen.
Bragg, having withdrawn his forces from
Chattanooga, Gen. ROsccrans took pos
session of that place. The intention of
! the authorities at Washington was that
/ Burnside should cooperate with Rose
Grams. This campaign of Rosecrans and
Burnside possessed political as well as
military significance. A large proportion
| of the population of the State Of Tennes-
see were loyal to the National Govern
ment.
! \ Provisional Government had been or
ganized for the State. with Andrew John
sou Governor: besides a number. of regi-
mcntS of volunteers had already been or
ganiZed in the State and mustered into
the service of the United States. The
earnest desire of President Lincoln was
to reclaim the whole of the State of Ten
neSSce from the clutch of the Confederate
army. The unfortunate outcome to the
Union forces at Ghickamauga soon made
the whole campaign in Tennessee Il de-
fenSive one.
Gen. LongStreet, one of the most able
and efficient officers in the Confederate
army, was, on Nov. 4, dispatched by Gen.
Bragg from Missionary Ridge against
Burnside at Knoxville, with orders to cap
ture or destroy his army. Longstreet had
about $1,000 infantry, so pieces of artil-
lery and Wheeler's cavalry in his eXpedi-
ton.
Longstreet insisted upon being fur
nished Il larger force, but Bragg declined
TO give him more men.
On Nov. Z Gen. Grant informed Gen.
H1lleck of this movement, and stated that
he had ordered Thomas to attack the north
end of Missionary Ridge, and, when that
is carried, to threaten or attack Cleveland
and Dalton, the aim being to force Bragg
formed that an effort would be made to
bring the enemy back. Gen. Thomas
stated that he was unable to move until
Sherman should arrive; that he had not
horses to move his artillery. Gen. Bragg's
army having been reduced in numbers
some 10000 men, Gen. Grant was anx-
ions to attack him with the forces in
hand, but deferred to Gen. Thomas as to
the condition of the Army of the Cum
bcrand.
When Longstreet's movement against
Burnside became known in Washington,
President Lincoln became very anxious as
to the safety of Burnside's army. Many
dispatches were sent to Gen. Grant urg
ing him to do something to relieve Burn
side.
The General felt that the easiest and
best way TO relieve Burnside was to whip
Bragg's army and drive it south; his
great apprehension was that Longstreet
would return before Sherman came up and
he would thus lose the advantage Of
Bragg dividing his army.
1t is safe to say that at no other time
during Gen. Grants military career was
he filed with 80 much anxiety as during
the siege of Chattanooga.
A defensive campaign was not Gen.
Grants forte. His campaigns were always
aggressive. To be cooped up in Chatta-
nOoga for a month and be unable to move
upon the enemy's works, and to have Gen.
Bragg send away 10000 of his men to
attack Burnside and still not have the
strength to take the offensive, was al
most more than he could stand. He
urged Sherman in the most earnest man
her to hurry forward, and actually fixed
the day of attack twice before the troops
could be gotten into position for. his move
mentS.
The Cumberland Mountain was a for
midable barrier between the North and
the South.
From Knoxville to Bridgeport the Ten
nessee River winds through one of the
most rugged and picturesque regions of
the South. This country was formerly the
center of the Cherokee Nation, and was
held on to by the Indians with great te-
nacity; it was with extreme reluctance
they gave up their old home. and under
the leadership Of their Chief, John Ross.
through Kentucky, crossing the Ohio
River at Golconda, H., and the Missis-
sippi River at Green's Ferry, in Union
County, ILL.,. on their way TO their new
home in the Indian Territory.
The struggle in 1863 was not between the
Indian and the white man for the posses
sion OF this historic region. The Indian
title had long ago been extinguished by
the National Government, and not an In
dian was left to dispute with the white
man the possession of the country. Nor
was the contest between a foreign in
vader and the National forces. Not So
Ii was a contest between men Of the same
blood; between men who had grown up
under the same banner; who had enjoyed
equal benefits under the same Govern
ment, and who now met face to face to
decide by wager OF battle the great con-
stitutiOnal question whether Il State has
the right to secede from the Union, and
throw off its allegiance to the National
Government. And now the struggle on
the one hand was for Union and Free
dom and upon the other hand Disunion
and Slavery. And soldiers from Massa-
chusettS, New York, New Jersey, Penn
Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin,
Missouri, Iwa and Minnesota had assem-
bled under the StarSpangled Banner, and
soldiers from Virginia, Kentucky, Tenncs-
see, North Carolina, South Carolina, Gcor-
sia. Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri Ar
kansas. Texas. Louisiana and Florida had
assembled under the Stars and Bars aud
these two great armies We're awaiting the
command TO join issue in the bloody as
size.
Chattanooga is situated in 4 great bend