The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-28
MISSIONARY RIDGE"
The Story Of (" NJ visionary Ridge, . by Pri
ate Who Was There

II entirely. and also the valley be-
tween % and the Ridge. In other
words. Lookout once taken. the bat
Ito was won, especially against the
little force Bragg had reduced HIM
self to. You see this, do You not,
Now that Is Just exactly what hap
pepc'i. Bragg could spare only 5000
men or so to defend that hugh Look
out Mountain. Grants army. when no
attacked, had grown to 100. 900 men or
more. He first Ranked. by a large
column. our little force off from
Lookout and gained II. There was
little hshting. little opportunity or oc-
casion. and few casualties They
gained our rear easily. as we'll as ac-
lacking I'm front, ana our little force
had to leave to escape capture (lnany
indeed. were captured).
Tho Battle in the Clouds" Northern
historians call it. causes n smile to
all who know the facts. Our men
fought until they saw fighting man,
being surrounded and captured. The
enemy behaved well, showed them
selves soldiers, in doing what they did:
but, az TO lighting, 1t wasn't the thing
to do. The thing to DO was to hold
thanking force gained their rear and
edged them of the mountain. which
they did.
Grant used tho Same tactics as to
Missionary Ridge and our main army
then placed thereon. Here too, tho
distances 10 be defended werc even
greater viz: just as long as the ridge
itself. TO where there Is n PASS" or
gap" through which was afforded an
opportunity 10 turn" or flank" our
position This distance IS four to SIX
miles possibly. Tho ridge" at the FAR
right (as You stand on II and face
Chattanooga). 's"eaks up into steep
hills, almost mountains. and furnished
chances tor thanking" Now this
whole Ions distance had to he covered
by what was left of our army
Consider, then the picture presented
on the second and decisive day. Tho
two armies faced each other: ono
tours) on Missionary Ridge, Grants in
the valley or iowEround. i mile or SO
outside of Chattanooga (the bulk of II
that iB) In line curviny around our
left up on top OF Lookout Mountain.
and "enflading" our lett: and stretch
Ing at the other end composite our
righD far beyond our right and threat
ening to turn that flank also. They
had 100000 men or over: we had about
5000 or 10000 enfeeblcd men. thinned
out Ito cover that long distance) to
attenuation that there was but
ono rank" OF us. and in places this
single rank was made UP OF men nvo
10 eeNen or elSnt teet apart! Such
was the picture tho morning OF the
second day, November o6, 1868.
Grant attacked" And his nrst move
was move on both TANKS. our left
and our right -four TO six miles apart
probably. On our left lie sent Gen
eral Hooker. with a Ranking column
OF many, thousands 100000 was the
talk among Us after the battle) right
through that wide valley between Look
out Mountain and Missionary Ridge.
We had not skirmish line there even
TO oppose him! We did not have any
men to put there. Hooker did not fro
n shot probably. for he did not eieet
any men to lre at (sava straggler
or two). He simply walked through
that valley. then turned around upon
the rear OF our left and centre. and
awaited orders Those orders came In
the afternoon. when. ny preconcerted
signal, he and the army along the
front of our left and centre were to
charge at one and the Same time, and
coop up our entrapped and helpless
men there in certain destruction or
capture.
And that charge took place. IT was
we'll planned and CALAMITY executed.
But was there any lighting" worthy