The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1913-04-11
STORIES
D85
AND WAR ID
BRAGG AT MISSIONARY RIDGE
Hard Fighting by Fifteenth Corps
Drew Heavy Force From Enemy's
center-Loss Severe.

haya seen a great deal in print
about how the forces commanded by
General Thomas broke the rebel cen.
ter and drove Bragg's army from Mis-
eionary ridge. but very little about the
hard fighting OF the Fifteenth corps
on the north end OF the ridge, when
drew heavy force from the enemys
center. aud made II possible for the
Union forces TO break through aud
drive the rebels from the ridge.
The forces under General Thomas
deserve great praise for doing their
part so well At a. m. November
25 ! 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 than 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 tho
open 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
and ready to move. The order was
given 10 charge, and We advanced
on the run. forcing the enemy up the
steep hillside. We halted rs or 20
rods before we reached the foot OF
the ridge, and there we remained in
the open field exposed to the shot
and shell OF the enemy for Eve long
hours. The brigade was composed Of
the Twenty-sixth and Ninetieth Illi-
nois and the One Hundretdth and
Twelfth Indiana. The last named reg
iment was on the extreme right
As we crossed the open field the
battle ragged in all its fury In beau
tiful and unbroken line the command
pressed forward, with flags flying.
bullets whizzing and shells shrieking
and bursting overhead and among us.
| saw a picture OF the brigade In that
battle when / was in Washington in
1865 at the time OF our Grand Re-
view. and 1t was so true in every par
ticular that think there was a pho
tographer on the field OF battle who
took the picture there.
At II a. m. 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 one
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 and 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 az a reinforcement. At
first we could only see their head
bobbing up and down as they came.
Soon they were near 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 Corses men were reinforced,
and again gained the summit as be-
fore. where another furious handto-
hand conflict occurred. And again
force could be seen coming from
Bragg's center, and when they arrived
our men were repulsed as before.
Thus the furious battle ragged,
charge after charge, until p. m.
when we could heard the rattle OF
musketry far down the line to our
right, as Thomas was charging the
enemy's center 1t was then that our
bugle blew retreat, and we retreated
under a CALLING fire from the enemy.
Their loud cheers OF victory rang
down the valley. But our demonstra-
tIons on the enemy's flank had So
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.
saws; THE loss in the Fourth divi-
sion was severe. In the First brigade
rearlv ZOO men were killed and