The Washington herald., 1913-10-28

and interpose between Il and the main
I Federal forces at Browns Ferry.
Gen. Bragg had agreed to send an
other division Of troops. that OF Gen.
Lafayette MacLaw's to support the first
The night was still, clear and cold.
with a late-rising moon. The attack
was to be delivered before the moon
rose, which was about midnight
Wrapped in his military cloak and pac-
ing a point of vantage, Cen Longstreet
waited on the mountain until midnight
for the attack to begin. Then hearing
nothing from the valley. he went to his
quarters under the impression that the
plan had failed. Gen. Bragg. in fact,
had decided not to order. out the second
division.
Gen. Jenkins, who was young and am
bilious, finally decided to make the at
tack with what troops he had. Gen. Law
was given two brigades to support his
own, while but one brigade, Cen
jenkins own, under Col. John Brattan.
Of the Sixth South Carolina Regiment.
] was ordered to attack Geary's camp.
Sleeping Troops Aroused.
The Federal soldiers. who had marched
twenty-five miles that day, over heavy
roads, slept on their arms in battle line
under the sky. Their sentries paced
their posts outside the sleeping lines,
and only the stamping of horses and
mules near the parked wagons in the
rear broke the quiet of the night
Another and smaller column. which
seemed to be p rear guard, camped at
] Wauhatchie, three miles south of the
ferry. The first was Gen. o. o. How
ards Eleventh Corrs, the other a part
Of Geary's division Of the Twelfth Corps
The remainder of the Twelfth Corps had
not vet come up
There being no connection between the
two camps, Gen. Longstreet proposed TO
attack the smaller command that night
and destroy it. His plan being approved,
he left the mountain to put it into exc
cution,
portion of Hoods division Of Long
streets Corps was encampeu on the
northern shoulder Of Lookout Mountain,
where it slopes from the palisades Of
the crest to the river. and had picl1ets
beyond Lookout Greek, in the valley. In
the absence Of Gen. Hood. who had been
wounded at ChickamaGga, the division
was in command Of Brig. Gen. Micah
Jenkins.
Gen. Jenkins, who arrived on the
mountain in time to see the position to
be assailed, was ordered to advance the
brigade of Gen. Z. NJ. Law. then in the
valley, to seize a range of small hffis
that commanded the road between the
two Federal camps
Three other brigades of his division
were to be brought over the shoulder
of the mountain. from its east side. and
met Gen. Hooker, who assailed him in
violent language for not pushing for
ward to Geary's aid. as ordered. Gen.
Schurz replied with heat that II he
could have his troops he would push
forward.
His two rear brigades being restored
to him. he marched them with due speed
toward Wauhatchie.
The division of Gen. -Adolph Won Stein
wehT, which had followed that of
Schurz, encountered Laws men and dis
lodged them by bayonet charge Of the
Second Brigade, commanded by Gen. Or
land Smith. up the side of the hill,
which was 80 steep and rough a man
could scarcely have assembled it in day
light.
| The fighting of the night ended with
this charge. Law withdrew, under the
impression that Brattan had finished his
fight. and Brattan. finding that he was
not supported by Law. was obliged to
relinquish his attack upon Geary. When
Schurz reached Geary the fighting was
over.
Losses of the Night.
4 The losses of the night had been
heavy on both sides. OF Geary's Di-
vision forty-three were killed, 174
wounded. and eight captured, a total
Of 216 out Of 7s4 who sustained the
brunt of the attack. Geary had 1852
men actually present. The losses of
the Eleventh Corps totaled 204, of
which 164 were in Gen. Orland Smiths
Brigade. The total Federal loss for
the night was thus 420 men.
The Confederates reported loss of
356 men in Brattan's Brigade, and
ffty-two In Laws command. total of
4OS
! Bitterness of spirit was caused on
both sides by the night attack at wau-
4 hatchie. Gen. Law was blamed by Gen.
Jenkins for leaving the field prema-
1 turely. Law, who was Jenkins' senior,
was reported to have said that he did
not care to win Gen. jenkins spurs as
a major general Gen. Jenkins pre-
pared charges against Gen. Law, but.
/ owing to the transfer OF Longstreet's
/ command TO East Tennessee they were
mot heard.
on the Federal side a court sifted
/ the events of the night.
In his official report Gen. Hooker ar
lrsigned Cen schurz for not marching