The chronicle=news., 1913-08-06

army In ChattanO0ga. and BraRG bC-
lie*ed that surrender on the part Of
Grant was but question OF time. II
he had believed otherwise. II IL not
possible that he would have taken
l.onxstreet. with his corps Of fighters
7 burnside. who was not aiding Gen.
Grant In the least or n,cnacing the
Confcdcratex here. Gen. Grant gets
back Ut Bragg on. this order by say
w hnd fallen again into the hands Of
, the confedsrater. that Gen. Burn
side would have surreadcred without
! striking blow. But. Gen. BraRE
was 80 sure OF his game that he sent
l.ongStreet away. protesting against
the order to 10 on the wild goose
chase 10 Knoxville. M Gen. Grant
hsd been plotting to weaken the Con-
federats forces at Chattanooxs. he
1 could not have done . better thinE
for the welfare Of his army than to
weaken the forces Of BraKg by TAX
, Ing l.onGtsreet out Of the queation.
The departure Of Longstrect with his
powerful division doubtless encour-
aged Gen. Grant to make bold
stroke for the liberation Of his army.
Gen. Grants first move was
I against Lookout mountain. Flight
/, inx joe Hooker being In charge OF
that expedition. lie easily snstchsd
that eminence from the confeierstes.
The movement against Orchard Knob
was another Incident OF the cam.
paixu. but the battle Of Missionary
ridge was to decide the fate Of the
Union army. II that eminencc could
he swept Of Confederatcs. the Union
army was liberated. And when Grant
drove his army aGainst Missionary
ridge. E'rasE realized that he had
made an awful blundcr In sending
l.onGstreet to Knoxville. His lines
wore 20 thin that they were easily
pierced by the union army. This
one act did morc 10 discsedIt Gen.
BrakG than snythiaG be had done as
. Confederate comnasder.
with the fall Of Missionary ridge.
deep gloom settled down over the
south. Many loyal southcrncss hr-
licvcd then. aud this belief was
strengthened BY later events. thst
! the southern armies should have
been surrcndcre,i after Missionary
ridxc ~ = means Of protection 10 the
south against the invssion Of hos
tile army. However. the confcdcr-
atcs made the best OF the calamity
hat had fallen then. Gen. Joseph
=. Johnstoa was placed In comms nd
of the shattered Confederate forces.
sud hogan hts masassful retreat to
Atlanta. The retreat saa = costiuu-
ous skirmish line. With IN occa-
ioaal pitched hattie. Gen. Johnston.
knowing that the cnd ~as nearing.
pursued the wise i,olicy of conscrv-
Ing the str-asih Of IT'S arm. on the
retreat. infiictinE In the meantime
~ much damage ~ isosaibl. on the
enemy. This policy. however. did
not suit President l,asis. ~ the
time Atlanta was reached. he hal
made up hts mind TO dtsplacc Gen.
Iohnsionc aud put Grn. John II.
Hood In his place. Hood riskrd .
battle. WAS shot 10 pieces and shcr-
mans army went to the sea. cutting
= road through the south that ended
the war.
Hack Of all the fikhtiae from Chat
,anooga to Atlanta and on to the
sca IL Missionary ridge. the most I'M
poriant battle Of the war In hasten
ing the surrender o! the southern
i armies. The south had ssradfsHtiy
projected all inroads into the strong
Confederate territory uutil the hat
tie Of Missionary ridge. That bat.
tie opencti the way into the south
for the Union armies aad DESTROYED
every lingering hope In the breasts
Of Confederate lcacdrs.