The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1905-11-16

The Array OF the Cumberland's Charge
ON MiaslO1 Ridge.

8, WOULD have the readers OF The Ma
tional Tribune believe that on the eth
day OF October, 1863, the safety of
the Army OF the Cumberland and re-
tanning possession of Chattanooga de-
pended upon the arrival of Sherman's
troops from the southwest. He says:
On the night of the 27th OF October,
CorpI Pike passed the bivouac of the
,sth Iowa, bearing Grants message for
Sherman to drop everything and make
forced march to Chattanooga, $50
miles away" But what are the facts
as to the situation at Chattanooga at
the time when he describes the Union
army there as on the verge Of being de-
stroyed by the enemy?
On the morning Of Oct. 81, Hazen's
and Turchin's Brigades and Menden-
halls Artillery. under Gen. w. F.
Smith, captured Browns Ferry. At 5
p. IN. the same day-Oct. 27-Gen.
Hooker with the Eleventh Corps ar
rived from Bridgeport and went into
camp within mile of Hazen's and
Turchin's position at Browns Ferry,
leaving Geary's Division OF the Twelfth
Corps at Wauhatchie, three miles up
the valley. Longstreet's midnight at
tack on Geary at Wauhatchie and his
failure to dislodge Hooker's veterans,
events which occurred within 4S hours
after the capture of Browns Ferry,
completed the opening Of the Tennes-
see River from the bend at Lookout
Mountain to Bridgeport, and gave to
the army at Chattanooga "short lines Of
supply"
Hence, on the morning of Oct. 20,
instead Of the starvation and dispair at
Chattanooga, as described by Maj.
Byers, cheer answered cheer in the
Union camps, and the men I'm the
ranks at Chattanooga" knew the ques-
ton was, not how long should the
Army Of the Cumberland hold Chatta-
nooga, but how long should the rebel
flag be permitted to float over Look
out Mountain and Missionary Ridge?
IT'S true, until Sherman reached
Chattanooga no forward movement
could be made to capture Missionary
Ridge. but already Bragg's army was
acting on the defensive.
Referring to Grant waiting for Sher-
man, Maj. Byers says: "Once on Nov.
q he (Grant) had even thought to
strike Bragg without waiting for Sher-
man. On that day he peremptoriIy or
right"
Then the Major appears anxious to
bei1ttle the services of Gen. Thomas,
and says: But for reasons Of his own
Thomas paid no attention to the or
der"
If the Major will read Grants off,
cial report of the operations around
Chattanooga he will find the following
iSlCIIhS W Ills OTucT Ol NOV. 4, LOT
Thomas to attack the enemy's right"
Gen. Grant says:
After a thorough reconnaissance of
the ground, however, it Was deemed
utterly impracticable to make the
move until Sherman could get up"
1 wish to call the Majors attention
to Assistant Secretary c. A. Dana's
message to Secretary Stanton, dated
Chattanooga, Nov. 8, 1863. Mr.. Dana
says:
mo operation for the seizure of
Missionary Ridge can be undertaken
with the forces which Thomas can now
command for the purpose. That force
cannot by any efforts be made to ex-
coed $4,000 men,
The Major will remember no doubt,
that only about II days after Thomas
was ordered by Grant 'to make an at
jackson the north end Of Missionary
Ridge" Sherman, with six splendid di-
visions of infantry and all the artillery
he could use, failed to carry that same
north end OF Missionary Ridge" at
time when Thomas's four divisions had
captured Orchard Knob, and were I'm
line ready to strike Bragg's center,
and Hooker with two or three divisions
were having things their own way on
the left and rear of Braggs army, and
Bragg could not then muster an addi-
tional CorpoTaps guard to the forces
which he had at his command Nov. Z.
when Thomas was "peremptorily Or
dered to attack the enemy's right
Again. Maj. Byers, in hts account of
the assault on the ridge on the 25th,
attempts to cast a shadow on Gen
Thomas. He says:
Then, Grant, seeing that Shermans
lines could stand it no longer. ordered
Thomas to assault Immediately.
"A common soldier used to obeying
orders will never in this world know
how it happened that one whole hour
afterwards when Grant asked one Of
Thomas's Major-Generals why he was
not assaulting. received for answer:
This, sir, is the first / have heard of
It, The order had not been given by
Thomas. Grant, evidently enraged, ig-
nored Thomas for the moment and him
self ordered Thomas's Generals to ad-
vance,"
Gen. Grants report Of that assault
fails to mention any delay in the adj
vance, save that which was caused by
waiting for Hooker to reach Braggs
left. near Rossville Gap, and that he
explains. Grant says:
Being satisfied from the latest in
formation from him (Hooker) that he
must by this time be on his way from
Rossville, though not in sight, and dis
covering that the enemy in his desper-
alton to defeat or resist Sherman was
weakening his center on Missionary
hIdSe, determined me TO order the adj
vance at once. Thomas was accordingly
directed to move forward his troops,
constituting our center, Bairds,
Woods, Sheridan's and Johnsons Dr.
visions. These troops moved
forward, drove the enemy from the
rifie-pits at the base of the ridge like
bees from a hive" ETC., etc.
I know that Gen. Grant in his Me-
moirs mentions the delay in Thomass
advance, and names Gen. Thomas ].
Wood as the officer who said he had no
orders to advance. Grant says:
Il told him to make the charge at
once. He was off in a moment, and in
an incredibly short time loud cheering
was heard and he and Sheridan We're
driving the enemy before them toward
Missionary Ridge"
In striking contrast with the above
written by Gen. Grant many years after
the war, I quote from Gen. Thomas ].
Woods report of his part in the battle
Of Missionary Ridge, Nov. IS:
II was ordered to advance and carry
the enemy's intrenchments at the base
of Mission Ridge, and hold them. The
signal for the advance was to be six
guns fired in rapid succession from the
battery on Orchard Knob. The neces-
sary instructions were given to the bri-
gade commanders. This was near D.
m. Soon the booming of the guns