The National tribune., 1908-12-24
ties Division. Fifteenth Corps. and lost
102 killed and ia from disease. etc.
Editor National Tribune.
THAT BALL GAME AT MISSIONARY
RIDGE.
The Charge of the Fourteenth Corps Up
the Mountain Side.

the Mounfain Side.
Editor National Tribune: I have been
asked by some of the comrades TO send
to The National Tribune what I know
about the little ball game we had with
the Johnnies at Missionary Ridge. and
can think of no better way to do this
than to send a copy of one of the letters
wrote home soon after the battle. and
put IL up TO you to print or not Hero
is the letter:
camp in the Field. November. 1858.
Dear Brother: We are once p,or.
out of the guardhouse at Chattanooga
Tenn, where we have been since Sept
IL We got out Nov. 25. Sherman ana
Hooker with their braves helped our
starved army TO get even with the John
nies. but not without daring charge
on their works on Missionary Ridge.
On the morning of Nov 2s we were
surprised TO hear cannonading on our
lett near the river, and in the evening
the same on our right near Lookout
Mountain. We afterward learned that
zen. sherman was giving the Johnnies
an uppercut on the LEFT side while
Hooker was underwriting on the right
We soon found out that Gen. Thomas,s
iean. lank, starved. neyer-whipped
Fourteenth Corps. with bulldog grit.
was expected to lend a Knockout blow
by charging the enemy's strong works
on Missionary Ridge. On the 25th We
struck camp. ate our last hardtack and
moved to the left of Orchard Knob.
where we formed in line of battle about
one-half mile from the Ridge await
ing orders. Grant and Thomas had
taken their stand on Orchard Knob
with field glasses to watch the daring
charge OF the Fourteenth Corps Chat
saved the army, mules. wagons. Rose-
Grams, Crfttenden and McCook, pack
mules, negros, towards, etc, at Chicka-
mauga).
About 3 o'clock we got orders to
charge the first line of works at the
foot OF the Ridge, and then rest and
wait orders We were off at the word
60 The rebels could give us shot
and shell for the first quarter of a
mile. and, you bet, they did Hun
dreds OF our boys fell under that aw-
fui shower of shot before we cleared
the first line. We soon reached the first
llne of works, where most Of the rebels
surrendered. We did not stop here for
orders. but kept steadily on and up the
steep hillside, and Gen. Grant, who saw
TINS thru his glass from his position on
Orchard Knob. turned to Thomas and
said: General. those troops have dis
obeyed your orders. They can never
make the second line of works on ION
piled: Give them time, General. All
" cannot stop Van Derveer's Bri-
gade. saw them tried at Chickanauga
on the Kelley Farm. Just watch that
old tattered flag on the left.' Well
that was the old 87th Ind. flag. We
kept on and up the hill. which was SO
steep we had to pull ourselves up by
the bushes On reaching the top we
climbed over the rifle pits and with
fixed bayonets gave them a good dose
of cold steel. We soon had them on
the run like starved hounds with game
in front, and gave them a merry chase.
capturing their batteries. ammunition
and lots of prisoners. We followed them
up to Ringgold. Ca, where we eamped
for awhile. and filed up our fiabby
stomachs with good fat sowbeiiy and
hardtack. While we were shut up in
Chattanooga We Were glad to purchase
supplies at any price. Here are some
of the prices paid: Beef heads without
tongue, s1-50; beef hearts, 10 cents;
beef tongues. 35 cents: beef legs below
the knee, 80 cents per pair; beef liver.
81; beef lights. 25 cents; beef hides, 81.
This was all the Government butcher
was allowed to sell the starved COM
rades. The hides were the cheapest
article sold. We would scald them.
scrape off most of the hair, cut them
In small slices, boil till tender, then
ehieken with the few crackers we had,
and feast on it as we would on chicken
soup at home. God bless our noble
boys, who are going thru all these try
ing days without murmur, and have
lived to whip the Johnnies. Well.
brother. you say you are going to en-
list Stay at home and care for father
and mother. 1 am here to do all the
fighting for the Stevens family. Good
by. old boy. Address as before-Serg't
John w. Stevens. Co. B, S1th Ind, Chi
cago, ILL.," 80