Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1903-11-17
A FORTIETH
ANNIVERSARY
WAR STORY

TO their reserves, followed by the 1,40O
Federals, who formed line of battle
OH 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 ont for the other bank. The
| Confederates made one dash at the bar
ricades, 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
or end of the business.
HOOker's corps started from Bridge
port the morning Of the 2Sth and
| marched rapidly along the valley, two
! divisions bivouacking two miles from
Browns Ferry, the 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 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 III
their bivouac. 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 or
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 I'M
der Colonel Bratton took up the fight
alone and rushed upon Gerry's bivouac
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 Gcary
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
column which came running up from
the ferry to the help of Geary.
The sound Of fighting on Gcary's line
reached the ears of General Howard
at HOokerS camp, two miles away,
about | o'clock in the morning. He
quickly put the brigade Of Colonel
Orand 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 a scattering vOllPy of bull
lets in their faces. These were fired
by Laws skirmishers.
Colonel Smith halted his line and sen,
out skirmshers. who located the enemy
on 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
R.:, 10 ~
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 undcrbruSh.
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
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 1t was forced to fall back
or be annihilated.
On the left voices were shouting
Don't fire into your own men!
Cease firingw 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-
sets 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.
hat TnInnaI Smith