Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-10-31
A FORTIETH
ANNIVERSARY
. WAR STORY

Federals, who formed line of battle
on the crest Of the hill and began to
throw up light barricades. Meanwhile
the boats rowed over to the north ferry
landing. took in two Federal brigades
and struck out for the other bank. The
Confederates made one dash at the bar
r1fades. but the Federals stood their
ground. After the supporting brigades
had landed the pontoons were formed
into bridge, and the first step in a
cracker line through Lookout valley
was accomplished Now for the Hook
er end Of the business. 4
Hooker's corps started from Bridge
port the morning of the 2Sth tAnd
marched rapidly along the valley, two
divisions bivouacking two miles from
browns Ferry, I've third, Geary's.
hating at Wauhatchie, two miles back.
as rear guard. When the Army of the
Cumberland saw Hooker's men coming
in from cracker headquarters they
greeted them with shouts from the hill
tops, bands played and banners waved.
Meanwhile Longstreet, from Lookout
mountain, had seen Hooker's march
and determined to take a hand in the
fate Of the Yankee cracker line, He
dispatched Jenkins division to- move
by stealth and fall upon Geary from
the rear While his men lay sleeping in
their blVouac. Laws brigade, which
had been driven from the ferry by
Hazen and lay at hand in the noun
tains. marched in the darkness to hill
lying in the interval between Geary
| and the other divisions.
AS often occurs in night attacks, the
assailants failed in the programme of
two simultaneous separate assaults.
Midnight passed and no signal was
given that jenkins had struck Geary.
Longstreet stood upon the mountain
| ready to order other troops in. but as
no sign came he rode away, thinking
| the whole plan had miscarried.
Jenkins South Carolina brigade un-
der Colonel Bratton took up the fight
alone and rushed upon Gerrys bivouac.
The veteran General Greene, father Of
the present New York police commits
sioner, soldier over sixty years Of
age, turned out his brigade and han
died Bratton roughly. But the Confed-
crates were determined to smash Geary
and rallied second time to the charge.
Just then orders came from Jenkins to
Bratton to retreat, for the command
was in danger Of being cut off by a
column which came running up from
the ferry to the help of Geary.
The sound Of fighting on Geary's line
reached the ears Of General Howard
at HoOker's camp, two miles away,
about ! O'Clock. in the morning. He
quickly put the brigade of Colonel
Orland Smith on the road to Wau-
hatchie at double quick. The Seventy
third Ohio had the advance, followed
by the Thirty third Massachusetts.
These troops knew that there had been
an interval left the day before between
| Geary and the rest of their division
and were taken by complete surprise
at receiving scattering volley of bull
let's in their faces. These were fred
by Laws skirmishers.
| Colonel Smith halted his line and sent
out skirmishers, who located the enemy
IN one of two contiguous hills. Facing
this hill the Ohio and Massachusetts,
men moved up in the darkness, and the
bold advance was met by another out
ourst of firing. this time from the other
| hill. The bullets raked the line length
wise. Colonel Smith wheeled his COM
mand to face the new enemy and
charged up the hill. The hillside was
steep and rugged. being covered with
timber and underbrush.
| Fortunately for the assailantS, the
| Confederate fire passed over their
heads as they climbed the hill. When
within forty PAGES of the summit the
| ground was open, and the moonlight
revealed the line to the waiting foe.
The Confederates had slashed the
young forest trees to block the way for
the assailants and while the line toiled
through the obstruction poured in a
murderous fire. Replying'to the fire as
| they advanced, the Ohio men moved
up until the left of the regiment was
within two rods of the Confederate line
of battle. Suddenly terrible voiley
from the Confederate left swept down
the line and it was forced to fall back
or be annihilated.
On the left voices were shouting:
"Don't fire into your own men,
"Cease firing" "You are killing your
own friends!' In climbing the hill the
| Massachusetts men had drifted away
! to the left and broken connection with
their Ohio comrades. Some of the bull
lets aimed at the Ohio men passed over
their heads and struck the Massachu
setts men, who supposed from the di
rection whence they came that they
were fired by their own people. In the
confusion the Thirty-third Massachu
sets fell back down the hill.
After a brief delay Colonel Smith
brought his regiments in touch again
and the whole line charged CALAMITY
driving Laws men from the hill. This
feat of arms, ended with the bayonet
cost the assailants 100 men and opened
the Cracker line for good: When thu
sound of Colonel Smiths firing was
| heard on the summit of the hill Gen