Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1913-10-08

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Chat ! '.A]llvOO| ! "A
Gov. A. E. Rice Writes Inter sting
Letter Of Reminisc ence 10
G. A. r. Comrades.
Comrades Of Col. Heg POST. Chat
tanooga, picturesque Chattanooga!
"a city Of one hundred thousand popu-
lation, fifty million dollars invested in
manufacturing with an annual output
Of sixty-five million-twenty million
banking resources, five hundred nine.
Ity-five miles Of model automobile
roads built by the Government This
is Chattanooga today.
III What wonderful contrast to that
Of fifty years ago. Then the Union
bloody and terrific fighting of any
battle OF the war-twenty-six thous.
and men killed or wounded----was
practically compelled to abandon the
neld OF Ch1ckamauga and take up q
new position at Chattanooga. Those
Ct you who were members Of the ar
my OF the Cumberland can never for
get the months Of October and Novem:
Der at Chattanooga. Men half starved,
INSULT GENTLY clothed, hemmed in,
and all communication cut off by the
rebel army, whose commander, Gen
eral Bragg, seemed absolutely conf
dent that the army of Cumberland
would be compelled to surrender or
starve to death. . ;. Il. .:.:-..s,, s.. S.
In the mean time, Sherman was on
his way from: Memphis, Hooker and
Howard from the Potomac to re-en-
force the army Of the Cumb erland.
On the 23rd of November, General
Grant assumed command, relieving
General Rosecrans. This change of
commanders had wonderful1 effect on
the troops. New life and activity
seemed to spring up In every branch
OF the army. The crackerline was
re-estab lished, rations and ammuni-
ton began to arrive and an order for
an attack on the rebel lines was &C:
tually looked for by both officers and
men with the keenest anticipation.
- General Grants plan was to have
Sherman deliver the main blow, turn.
ing Bragg's right; enough Of the ar.
my Of the Cumberland to be retained
In the center to hold the Confederates
there and prevent marching against
Sherman; Hooker to attack on
Bragg's left.-Owing to destruction Of
bridges over Chattanooga Creek,
Hooker was unable to reach the po-
sition assigned him and attack until
$500 o'clock in the afternoon. For
hours there was terrible fighting by
Sherman's men, and Baird's division
was sent to his aid, but ordered to. re.
turn as the ground was Of such q ma
ture that no more troops could be
used. 8. =, - S. I >z 7. Z :ss :,7 =
It was between three and four o.
clock when Grant on Orchard Knob,
seeing that Sherman was unable to
accomplish the task assigned him, as
Bragg was reinforcing his right, gave
orders to Thomas to charge and cap
ture the first Confederate line. Then
four great divisions from left to right,
Baird, Wood, Sheridan and, Johnson
moved forward like huge steel
crested wave, rolling over the brown
and green Of the November fields. In
4 stantly the wide plain became al scene
| OF sulphurous, stunning, deafen1ng
thunderous activity. Bragg's 60 piec-
es Immediately in front, sent lorna
do of shot and shell. o.. .zs- " + H.
+ At 500 p. m. the crest was covered
for distance of three miles and 81
guns captured with about 1000 pris-
oners. j. ~: :~z.t.e. T. 49,. S~--=
AS I have stated the troops for this
attack consisted of Woods, Baird,
Sheridan and Johnson's divisions, the
regiment to which I belonged the 18th
Wisconsin belonged to Which Brig
ade of Woods division, these IL brig
AIDES with four field batteries were
faced on the crest OF the ridge by the
troops OF Stewart, Bates, Brecken-
ridge, Hindman, Patten, Anderson
and Cheathous Divisions with 16 bat
steries.
: "A famous correspondent, Bayard F..
Taylor thus describes it: ~: u
1, And now, you have before you one
Of the most startling episodes OF the
war; 1cannot render it In words; die
tionaries are beggarly things. But
may tell you they did not storm that
mountain as you would think. They
dash out little way and then slack
en-; they creep up, hand over hand
Loading ana nrlng, ana Waverlng ano
Mating, from the nrst line OF WORKS 70
| the second, they burst into a. cheer