The National tribune., 1906-12-20

Hooker was busily engaged in rolling
up Bragg's left wing, which was COM
manded by John G. Breckenridge, OS-
ferhaus passed on thru Rossviile along
the eastern slope of the ridge, taking
the enemy's line in reverse, while Cruft
ascended the ridge directly from Ross
vile, and Geary struck the Ridge on the
western side in the neighborhood of
Breckinridge's headquarters. Cruft
found the enemy stationed in the breast
works thrown up by our army the day
after Chickamauga, and encountered Il
sharp fire. which the 9Th and 36th Ind.
responded to with a bayonet charge
which swept over the works and started
a retreat. Cruft put all of his men into
action with the utmost promptness. and
brought pressure along the whole of the
enemy's front, while Ostcrhaus and
Geary Wee making very disconccrtinG
appearance upon the enemy'S 1anks and
rear. Those whom Cruft routed ran
into Osterhauss or Geary's lines in their
attempt to escape, and finally, by sum
down, they found retreat entirely cut
off by Johnsons Division, which had
gained the Ridge. Osterhaus alone cap
tured 1000 prisoners.
End of the Battle.
The enemy in front of Gems. Wood
and Baird made desperate effort from
the crest to stay their advance, and by
the aid of reinforcements which Bragg
hurried forward from the troops which
had been fighting Sherman, maintained
the battle until darkness fell. Wood
and Baird, however, pushed the enemy
slowly but continuously down the Ridge
The 'confederates in front of Gen. Sher-
idan on the other hand, broke into
utter rout. and were vigorously pursued
by him until he became alarmed for
m cot fat of hiC 10 N
he saw the possibility Of reaplng rich
results by an energetic pursuit, which.
on account of the bright moonlight, was
quite feasible, but there was no superior
officer present to push the rest of the
divisions forward. Granger, who was
in command of a corps, had been with
the troops, but had returned TO Bragg S
headquarters and gone to he'd Sheri-
dan rode thither, and implored Granger
to order the army forward in the hopes
of taking in the rear and capturing that
| portion of the enemy which had been
| fighting Sherman, but Granger was emf
nentiy satisfied with What had been
accomplished. He finally allowed Sher-
idan TO push on to the Chickamauga.
with the understanding that If he got
/ into trouble Granger would support
| him. Sheridan reached the Chicka-
mauga about midnight, and found the
bridge burned but the stream fordabie.
| He still wanted to push on, and set two
of his regiments to firing off their guns,
! in hopes that Granger would think that
he was attacked and order up rein
| for' ements. Granger, however, listened
| for a few minutes to the firing and saw
| thru Sheridans trick, as the firing was
too regular for genuine engagement.
Sheridan was greatly disappointed, be-
cause he believed that If he had had
enough troops with him he could have
reached Chickamauga Station and
wrought great injury to Bragg's army.
Probably the vigor with which Sheridan
represented this afterwards to Gen.
Grant imprcst that commander strongly
with Sheridan's soldierly character, and
led to his being transferred to the Army
of the Potomac.
On Gen. Sherman Front.
From where Gen. Sherman was sta
| toned he could not see anything of the
attack, and knew nothing of the won
derful results until the news was COM
municated to him by messenger some
time during the night. He says that all
that he could see while the fighting was
| going on was an occasional shot from
Fort Wood and Orchard Knob and mus
kerry and artillery over about Lookout.
About o'clock he saw a white line OF
puffs from the muskets indicate the
advance of the Army of the Cumber-
land. He saw this line OF white erup>
tions extend out for miles, and there
came up to him on the still November
| air the sGint rattle of musketry fire,
then the thin white line disappeared
from view behind the spur of Mission
Ridge, end he saw no more. A num-
| Der Of the cannon which had been firing
at him We're now turned in another di>
rection, evidently at Thomas's force.
! Earty In the n1orning he sent Morgan