Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-12-25
CAMP FIRE
-al5AN )DTES
AGEI,AIlnn||SS ~
CAPTURE OF DE LONG POINT
Testimony of Soldier of Company {.
Thirty-First Ohio, Who Was
Strictly in Noted Assault.

When it comes to distorting facts
which should be the embodiment OF
history feel it my duty to offer
"ord as one who not only participat.
ed IN the battles around Chattanooga,
but assisted in establishing and pre-.
serving the movements of our troops
during those soul-testing times.
On or about December II, 1862.
was assigned to the duty of topog
rapher On the staff of the First bri
gade, Third division, Fourteenth corps
in which capacity l served, perform.
ing the same duty part of the time
at both Second and Third division
headquarters until just previous to
Generals Hazen's and Turchin's bri-
gades taking the spur of Raccoon
Ridge, which opened our cracker
line, and in which | participated with
my company &c, Thirty-first Ohio
forming a part of Turchin's brigade,
and in the charge on Missionary
Ridge, November %, 1868, my regi-
ment was i'll the front line of battle,
tapping De Long Point, and was so
noted on our maps showing those
movements, writes Junius F. Whiting
of Springfield, O., in the National
Tribune
Being an artist as well as a topog
rapher, l gave as careful attention as
was possible to the action Of our
troops, and l remember the cirCum
stances as well as the topography OF
the ground over which we fought
during that battle, which l described
to our comrades correctly before we
arrived at Chattanooga on visit in
October, 1909, my first visit to those
locations since the Civil war. Let that
be as it may, the Second Minnesota
cannot claim the credit of capturing
De Long Point at the battle of Mis-
sion Ridge
My company, with the regiment,
just before ascending the ridge.
passed through strip of small tim
Der, then after going over the lower
line of Confederate works in advance
of any other troops. we passed be-
tween several rebel shanties and went
up the ridge, losing our formation, as
did all regiments in that charge, as
far as the eye could observe right and
left; and that scene, with Old Glory
leading our boys in blue up the as
cent, was too indelibly impressed up
on my memory to forget. though we
assembled under a crossing of artil-
lery and musketry.
Several of my regiment with whom
| assembled in advance Of the mass
went up with our regimental colOrs
about two-thirds Of the way to the
top, where, after resting a moment in
an indenture just under De Long
Point, five of us smaller men (boys),
William Clark and Andrew McDer
mott Of Company K, and Marshall
Wilcox, William Weir and myself OF
Company e, Thirty-first Ohio, went
on up to the right, and leaped over
the Confederate works at the gun to
our left of a rebel battery of six or
eight brass pieces, with handles over
their trUnnions and apparently new.
The Confederates were still firing
their guns on our right Of this bat
terry, which was on the higher ground
q little to the southeast and above
De Long Point, but the piece where
we went over the works being aban
doned, Clark jumped upon 1t, waved
his cap with a shout or two, and as
the rebels were leaving their guns,
we five before any other comrades APP
70 rf2
the enemy's side some distance,
where three of us sat down to rest,
Clark and McDermott going on and
never returning.
Il growing dark and discovering
our comrades above lighting fires, we
three arose to return to our regiment,
when a Johnny appeared from the
opposite side of the log on which ws
were resting, begging not to be shot,
of which we assured him there was
no danger, and took him to our regi-
ment, where, upon arriving. ] was
informed that my services were want
ed at Turchin's headquarters, and re-
ported there the following day, as
sisting In the survey of that part OF
Missionary Ridge we had fought over
and which included De Long Point.
| not only took part in the survey,
but compiled my notes with those OF
other topographers, and executed
map with my own hand of the Point
In question, with all the movements
of the several regiments in our diVi.
sion during said battle plainly marked
thereon, and was then, as well az
now, a good letterer and embellisher,
the map being forwarded through
Fourteenth corps headquarters to
the war department, Washington, D.
c.. where it should be today; but /
am prepared to corroborate these
facts with testimony and proof that
no comrade can refute.