The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-01-04
JUSTICE TO THOMAS.
Gen. Wiley Defends His Memory A to
the Orders for Mission Ridge.

the orders Tor Mission Ridge.
(By Aauila Wiley. Colonel, 41st Ohio.
and Brevet Brigadier-General)
Ny attention has been drawn to the
passage OF your issue of Oct. &c ult. by
Maj. s. H. Byers, Adjutant, 9Th Iowa.
Had that assault by Grants center
been made at the time he ordered it
made, hundreds Of the men sacrificed
In front Of Sherman would have been
saved.
1T was to have followed the mo-
ment that Hooker on the right should
advance on Rossville at the Confed-
crate left flank. Burnt bridges de-
layed Hooker four hours Then Grant
seeing that Sherman's lines could stand
1t no longer, ordered Thomas to as
sault Immediately. A common soldier
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, he
received for answer: This, sir. is the
first / have heard of it. The order,
then, had not been given by Thomas.
Grant, evidently enraged, ignored
Thomas. for the moment, and himself
ordered ThOmas's Generals to advance.
The historic charge followed with a
rush."
This very grave accusation against
Thomas is undoubtedly predicated
upon the following passage in Grants
Memoirs:
~ "Sheridan's and Woods Divisions
had been lying under arms from early
morning, ready to move the instant the
signal was given. now directed
Thomas to order the charge at once.
became impatient ut last that there
was no indication Of any charge being
made. The center of the line which
was to make the charge was near
where Thomas and l stood, but con-
cealed from view by an intervening
forest. Turning to Thomas to inquire
what caused the delay, l was surprised
to see Thomas ]. Wood, one Of the Di-
vision Commanders who was to make
the charge, standing talking to him. l
spoke to Gen. Wood, asking him why
he did not charge as ordered an hour
before. He replied very promptly that
this was the first he had heard of it,
but that he had been ready all day to
move at moments notice. told him
to make the charge at once. He was
off In moment, and in an incredibly
short time loud cheering was heard,
and he and Sheridan were driving the
enemy's advance before them towards
Missionary Ridge"
was a Colonel at the time, COM
handing two regiments consolidated
as one in Woods Division. / wish to
try to vindicate the memory Of Thomas
from this very grave imputation. The
charge is in substance that Grant hav-
ing ordered Thomas to cause these two
divisions Immediately to assault the
enemy's center, he had done nothing
an hour after to carry out the order,
and that Grant thereupon issued the
order himself to the division COM
manders.
The divisions of Wood and Sheridan
belonged to the Fourth. which was
by Gordon Granger. In
his official report he tells how these
divisions were put in action for this
assault. He says: Gen. Sherman was
unable to make any progress In NOV
Ing along the ridge during the day, as
the enemy had massed in his front;
therefore, in order to relieve him, I
was ordered to make a demonstration
upon the works of the enemy directly
In my front, at the base OF Mission
Ridge. I accordingly directed MAJ
Gen. Sheridan and Brig. Wood to
advance their divisions at a given sig
nal, moving directly forward simultan-
eously and briskly to attack the enc
my, and, driving him from his rife
pits. to take possession Of them. At
20 minutes before 4 p. m. six guns, the
signal agreed upon, were fred in rapid
succession, and before the smoke had
cleared away these two divisions (Sher-
fdan on the right and Wood on the
left had cleared the breastworks that
had sheltered them for two days, and
were moving forward"
or course, although he does not ex-
pressly say SO, 1t was from Gen. Thorn
as that Granger received this COM
mand. No one else but Grant would
6n6 ftNn fr1< - IL
and there is no pretense that Grant
did SO. At this time Woods and Sher-
idan's Divisions were deployed in two
lines Of battle, presenting united
front about mile in extent, accord
ing to Changers estimate In his official
report, but according to my estimate,
made after having been over the
ground many times since, more nearly
two miles. It was important that all
these troops should be put in motion
To accomplish this
Granger would communicate the order
and signal agreed upon to each Of his
division commanders; they in turn to
each Of their brigade commanders, and
the brigade commanders to each of
their regfmental commanders, Granger
would necessarily have to make an al
lowance Of time after receiving the or
der to communicate the same to all
these various troops before firing the
Oi6 " SOHIHicHCc Tic ASSAULT. he
gives the time as 20 minutes of 4
o'clock when he fired the signal. He
does not state the time at which he
received the order, nor does Grant
state the time at which he communi-
Gated it to Thomas. There is not the
least particle of evidence to indicate
that Thomas did not Immediately COM
municate it to Granger. nor that
Granger did not Immediately transmit
1t to his subordinates.
There was report made shortly af-
ter the battle by Dana, Assistant Sec
rotary of War, to the War Department,
in which he makes some complaint in
regard to Granger. He says:
1.-The rebels having sent the great
mass Of their troops to crush Sherman,
Grant gave orders at 2 p. m. for an
assault upon their lines in front of
Thomas, but owing to the fault of
Granger. who devoted himself to fir
ing battery instead of commanding
his corps, Grants order was not trans
mitted to the division commanders un-
til he repeated 1t an hour later. Ac-
cordingly it was not executed until af-
ter p. M, when the nearness Of night
rendered it impracticable to follow up
and complete the victory"
Dana is not speaking by the watch
when he says that Grant gave the or
der first at p. m, nor when he says
that the assault was not made until
q ffar m Cranuor to