The National tribune., 1907-10-17
THE SD MASS. AT CHATTANOOGA.
The Fight which Drove the Enemy
Across Lookout Creek.


Editor National Tribune: Late in Sep
tember we got orders to pack up. and
we took the cars for the West to help
the boys who were in bad strait in
Chattanooga, and well did the boys do
their work, for we opened the cracker
line. All along the route from WASH
ington to Tennessee the good. loyal peo-
pie gave us hearty welcome. At every
station substantial meals were provided
for our hungry men. and many encour-
aging words spoken to them by the KIND
women who had cooked the food. We
reached Bridgeport, Ala, about Oct. l.,
and crossed the Tennessee on the 26th,
and, as John McElroy has said. we met
with very little opposition. The rebels
began to throw shells at us when we
came in sight of Lookout Mountain, but
these did no real damage, and our eyes
were sladdened indeed when we saw
"Old Glory waved to and fro by some
of HaZen's men. who occupied the ridges
near Browns Ferry. Making connec-
ton with HaZen's men. we had just
gone into camp and unslung cur KNAPP
sacks when orders came for Cos. q and
+ of the 33d Mass. to march quickly
towards RaccOOn Mountain to intercept
some rebels who were supposed to be on
the road near kelly's Ferry. About 1
o'clock a. m. of the 2Tth we heard heavy
firing in the direction of Lookout Noun
tain, and daylight brought us the news
that our regiment, the 33d Mass, was
badly cut up, with the Colonel reported
badly wounded, the Adjutant killed and
many officers either killed or wounded;
in short. the regiment lost 81,
killed and wounded. 1t seems
between l and o'clock a. no.
of the 2Tth the long roll awakened the
boys, who slung their knapsacks,
snatched the guns and marched double
quick up the road. headed by Col. I'm
derwOod. The ridges TO the left of the
road were supposed to be occupied h
the rebels. The 33d Mass. marched III
line of battle with the right on the road
that ran parallel with RaccoOn Ridge.
The left suppOsing to overlap the ridge
The left, however, fell short about so
yards of the top of the ridge. where a
rebel brigade Law's) had fortified. They
saw the moving column. and fired VOL
ley into the 33d. and as the old sailors
would say, "raked us fore and aft"
killing and woundins several. Some one
from the 18th Ohio. which was right
behind us, cried nut. You are firing on
your own men, whereuDon from the
top of the ridge came the query, What
troops are you?" The answer was, The
y y
ter vol!ey came from the top of the
ridge into the SD. wounding the Col
onei. OF course. this threw the regi-
ment into confusion. and it retired to
the road at the foot of the ridge. where
they reformed quickly and We're ordered
by the Major TO Fix bayonets. For
ward-Charge"' and away they went up
the ridge under the murderous fire from
the rebels, who We're behind their
breastworks on the top of the ridge.
But the ADDS blood was up. and over
the breastworks they went, capturing
several prisoners and all the rebels in
trenching tools The I'D Ohio met the
rebels to the left and the whole brigade
joining the charge drove the enemy
across Lookout Creek. When the 35d
met the rebels on the top Of the ridge
there was a hand-tO-hand fight over the
works. and an Irishman of Co. B or c
dropped his gun. and grabbed a, rebel
in each hand. bumped their heads to-
gether and took them prisoner. His
name was jeremiah Harrington. from
Lowell. Mass. II was said he could
wheel three tons of pig iron in a wheel
barrow. Poor fellow, he was killed in
the battle of Dallas. Ga. While Col.
Orland Smith had charge of the brigade
and was no doubt a very brave man,
Col. Underwood got Il star for that fight.
a bIunder was made in sending the two
companies of the 33d off on picket be-
fore the fight. If the regiment had been
complete they would have overlapped
the ridge and would not. perhaps, have
lost so many men, This charge no doubt
helped Geary also. for when Jenkins
fomnd out that Laws Brigade was driv-
en across Lookout Creek he thought it
about time for him to retreat, too,
across the creek, which he did, burning
the bridge at the same time. Here We
Il, <fT IL
out Mountain. and the boys in Chatta-
nooga got full rations.-John Dinneen,
Co. G, 33d Mass, Eastman, Ga.