Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1913-04-04
99REk SS4&
BA
AND WAR -
BRAGG AT MISSIONARY RIDGE
Hard Fighting by Fifteenth Corps
Drew Heavy Force From Enemy's
Center-Loss Severe.

l have seen a great deal in print
about how the forces commanded by
General Thomas broke the rebel GEN.
ter and drove Bragg's army from Mis-
sionary ridge. but very little about the
hard fighting Of the Fifteenth corps
on the north end of the ridge, which
drew a heavy force from the enemy's
center, and made it possible for the
Union forces to break through and
drive the rebels from the ridge.
h forces under Genera Thomas
deserve great praise for doing their
part SO we'll. AT s a. m, November
%, / saw our line of battle was formed
in the edge of some timber west OF
the north end of Missionary ridge,
writer Joseph Witham of the Twelfth
Indiana. of Cherryvale, Kan, in the
National Tribune. From there we
could see across the cleared field in
our front the enemy and his batteries
on the ridge but little more h a 100
rods away, while the timber hid us
from their view. At 10 a. m. we
emerged from the timber, climbed
over a high fence and landed in the
ope field in plain view of the enemy.
Here we were greeted with the heav-
lest storm of shells we ever expert
enced.
In a few minutes we were in line
n ready to move The order was
given to charge, and we advanced
on the run, forcing the enemy up the
steep hillside. We halted Is or 20
rods before we reached the foot of
tho riIon or1 fhora mo rarojra1 in
the open field exposed to the shot
and shell OF the enemy for five long
hours. The brigade was composed of
the Twenty sixth and Ninetieth I'LL
nois and the One Hundretdth and
Twelfth Indiana. The last named reg
1ment was on the extreme right.
AS we crossed the open field the
battle ragged in all it's fury. In beau
ttful and unbroken line the command
pressed forward, with flags flying,
bullets whizzing and shells shrieking
n bursting overhead and among us.
I saw a picture of the brigade in that
battle when I was in Washington In
1865 at the time of our Grand Re-
view, and it was SO true in every par
ticular that l think there was a pho
lOSTdpueT OH Tie u0lu VI UdItle wiz
took the picture there.
At II a. IN. we could see General
Corse's men lining up at the foot of
the extreme north end of Missionary
ridge. Soon they began to ascend
the ridge in line of battle, and when
within about 80 steps of the enemy's
works they halted for nearly n
minute, while the rain of iron and
lead from the enemy was terrific. All
of a sudden the boys in blue went
forward on the run, right on to the
enemy's works, as their loud cheers
rang down the valley. We could
clearly see our men clubbing the rebs
with the butts of their guns n hav-
ing a general mix-up.
Away down on top of the ridge to
our right a column of rebel infantry
was coming from the center Of
Bragg's line as a reinforcement. AT
first we could only see their head
bobbing up and down as they came.
Soon they were lear the end of the
ridge, swinging into line of battle.
They fired a volley at our men on the
rebel works, who, being outnumbered,
retreated to the foot of the ridge.
Soon Corse's men were reinforced,
and again gained the summit as be-
fore, where another furious hand-to-
hand conflict occurred. And again a
force could be cen coming from
Bragg's center, n when they arrived
our men were repulsed as before.
Thus the furious battle ragged,
charge after charge, until 3 p. M,
when we could heard the rattle OF
musketry far Town the line to our
right, as Thomas was charging the
enemy's center. 1t was then that our
bugle blew retreat, n we retreated
under a CALLING fire from the enemy.
Their loud cheers of victory rang
down the valley. But our demonstra-
lions on the enemy's, flank had Sc
cured his defeat by weakening his CEN
ter, and the day was ours. Chaplain
Gage, who was in this battle and wrote
a history of the Twelfth Indiana,
SAYS: THE loss in the Fourth divi-
sion was severe. In the First brigade
nearly 500 men were killed and
wounded"