The National tribune., 1906-11-15

the position 1t is true THAT weak and
dispirited he thought the Union
army to be, he did not feel it wise to
diminish the force Immediately in front
of Chattanooga, but no should have
known that the possession of Raccoon
Mountain was so sufficiently vital to hi;
hold upon the Tennessee as to warran.
his taking great risks to maintain that
position. y comparatively small force
would have made Raccoon Mountain an
| impregnable citadel. Instead he sent
only one of Hoods Brigades to holI the |
eastern slope of Raccoon Mountain to-
wards Browns Ferry while one. or pos |
Sibly two, regiments crossed the noun |
tain to Kelleys Ferry, but the only
duty assigned them was to keep uDl
such fire across the river as world
prevent the passage of the Union COM
| missary wagons up the road north "f
the river. Therefore, the sudden dash |
| of the Union troops across Brown s
| Ferry caught Bragg and Longstreet en- |
| tirely unprepared, and they We're SINH
| larly unprepared for the bold move
ment in response by Hooker's force,
across the Tennessee at Bridgeport.
Hooker Crosses the Tennessee.
| The very day that Grant arrived at
| Chattanooga, wet, dirty and WELL" aSl
| Dana expressed it, his presence mani
| tested itself i'm that remarkable quick
ening of activities that always pervaded
Grants vicinage. He had grasped att
once the possibilities of Browns Ferry, |
and stimulated everyone toward theI
successful execution of the plan. Hook !
er received orders to throw the Elev-
enth Corps and Geary's Division of the !
Twelfth Corps across the Tennessee at
Bridgeport. Shell Mound and Rankin's
Ferry. push the enemy back across
Sand Mountain, directing his move
ment upon Wauhatchie in Lookout VAL |
ley, at the junction of the railroad and
the point of intersection of several
mountain roads. He was then to turn
to the left and cover his flank with
the ridge lying parallel to Lookout
Mountain, and march toward Browns
Ferry to connect with the troops there.
Slocum, with one division of his corps,
was to remain north of the river guard
ing the railroad from Bridgeport 10
Nashville. Gen. John NJ. Palmer. withi
two brigades, was to assist in opening |
the road from Jasper to Chattanooga,
and occupy Rankin's Ferry, Shell
Mound and Whitesides. Hooker had
his pontoons ready, easily constructed
a bridge by taking advantage of the
island in front of Bridgeport, and
crossed the Tennessee on the morning
of Oct. %. He met with astonishingly |
little resistance, as, strangely enough, |
Longstreet had made no preparation
for strong opposition. This was an
agreeable surprise, because Hooker's
engineers, carefully accommodating the
country from the opposite side of the
river had discovered signs of strong |
works which portended much trouble.
The only ell emy encountered We're pick |
cts and scouting parties, easily pushed
back by the two companies of cavalry |
which covered Hooker's advance.
Hooker had abundant reason for |
caution, however, because he felt that
every movement was closely observed |
| he Of FL
out Mountain. He succeeded in reach |
ing Lookout Valley without incident
beyond driving back the pickets, and |
then paused for closer examination of
the singular succession, of low hills rum |
ming along Lookout Valley almost in |
its center and parallel with the noun |
tain. These hills are from 200 to 800
feet high, with steep sides and denscly |
covered with timber. The enemy held |
these hills, and it seemed likely that
they were there in strong force sup |
ported by the batteries on Lookout |
Mountain. 1t was altogether probable |
that, having watched Hoolser's advance, |
Bragg had concentrated enough men |
on these hills to suddenly overwhclm
him or at least to fdisastrOusly repulse
him if he ventured an attack. Howard
led the Eleventh Corps on towards
these hills by the. wagon road which,
with the railroad, passed betwesn two
of them, until he; was arrested by a
sharp and regular fire. O.. He sent one of
his brigades to the right, another to
the left to flank the hill, enioning cau-
ton upon their commanders. The
enemy hardly waited for this move
ment but as soon as it developed aban-
doned the position, burning the rail-
road bridge as they left. The batteries
on Lookout Mountain opened fire upon
Howard's men, but the hills protected
them, SO that they suffered but little
loss. BY O'clock in the evening Hook
er halted his force I'm the valley and
went into camp, having learned that he
was in touch with Hazen's force at
Browns Ferry. IF men had had time
have been one of them, when the troops
from the Far East, who had made
circuit Of 1900 miles. greeted for the
first time their comrades of the more
central army. The men who had fought
at Fredericksburg, charlottesville and
Gettysburg went on picket with the
veterans of Shiloh. Perryville, Stone
River and Chickamauga. Geary's Di-
vision had brought up the rear, and
was left at Wauhatchie, three miles
from Howard's Corps. in order TO hold
the roads which radate from that
point.
The Battle of Wnuhatchie.
1t is almost incredible that Bragg
had steadfastly refused to believe that
Hooker had crossed the river and had
marched steadily and unopposed over
Sand Mountain. Reports had frequent
ly been sent to Bragg to this effect
ioped in with news of the advance, but
Rr1gp was freQnonfly the case will,