The National tribune., 1906-12-06

Thomas was alive to this possibility
and had advanced Johnsons Division
out on his right to come into commune
cation with Hooker. Carlin led his
brigade down the railroad towards the
nose of the mountain, crossed Chatta-
nooga Creek by means of a fatboat,
and finally after nightfall succeeded in
| reaching Hooker, bringing with him a
supply of much needed ammunition
which Carlin's men had carried in their
pockets and haversacks.
The obstinacy of the battle which the
Confederates made at nightfall was for
the purpose of holding Hooker back
from the road which ZigZags down the
east side of Lookout Mountain. and
which was the only line of retreat of
Carter L. Stevenson's two brigades sta
toned on the top. These had been
witnesses of the fighting on the slope
below them, but had been able to take
but little further part in it than to roll
great stones which crashed down from
the top of the palisades and tore their
way along the slope with terrific noise.
This annoyed Whitaker's and Geary's S
men much more, however than it
hurt them. Towards nightfall Carter
Stevenson, ashamed of the little part
he had been able to take, wig-Wagged
to Bragg for permission for his men to
climb down the palisades and attack
Geary's men in the rear. This propo-
sition was too chimerical for even
Bragg to entertain, and he therefore
made no reply AS our signal men were
watching and reading every one of
Stevenson's messages, they were OF
course eager to learn how Bragg re-
ceived this one. Stevenson later came
down into the valley and crossed over
to Mission Ridge. He had been COM
PEELED to abandon without destroying
| them 10000 rations, the camp and
| garrison equipage of three brigades,
and much other material. AS soon as
he had cleared the road, Pettus's Bril-
gade and the other troops in front OF
Hooker moved out thru the darkness
for Mission Ridge, taking with them all
the troops which had been holding the
line across Chattanooga Valley from
Mission Ridge to Lookout Mountain.
Whitakers men, being all the time
nearest the palisades, were keenly In
terested as to what was on top, and
some especially daring men of the Sth
KY finally made their way by "a crack
in the palisades to the top to find the
plateau evacuated. They were not long
in communicating this bit of intelli-
gcnce to their comrades below, who
passed up to them the regimentaI col
ors, and as the sun rose in the east the
soldiers in the valley below were cleo
|
| ing the men of the Sth Ky. come out
on Pulpit Rock and wave their Flag in
| triumph from the rebel pinnacle.
Hooker advanced with great caution,
for the mist still covered the valley.
He pushed out accommodating parties,
who presently returned with the infor-
nation that the rebels had evacuated
everything west of Chattanooga Creek,
and soon after the fog raised and re-
vealed the entire rebel line, from the
mountain as far as the crossing OF
| Chattanooga Creek, four miles from
Chattanooga and one mile from Ross
Vile, as abandoned. Grants plan was
for Hooker to attack Rossville and
Bragg's left flank simultaneous with
Sherman's assault on Bragg's right
flank, six miles away. Hooker's in
structions We're to move directly for
ward. Johnson's Division keeping him
in touch with the right Of the Army of
the Cumberland. 1t vas o'clock
before Hooker moved, and at 10 O'Clock
! he came to the crossing of Chattanooga
Creek to find the bridge burned and the
| stream swollen beyond its banks, a
formidable obstacle to arrest his ad-
vance. He halted and began the con-
struction of a bridge.
! So far Hooker had lost comparative
| ly few men, while he had taken more
| than 1000 prisoners, two cannon, five