Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1913-04-04
PIES
NB]
AND WAR -
BRAGG AT MISSIONARY RIDGE
Hard Fighting by Fifteenth Corps
Drew Heavy Force From Enemy's
Center-Loss Severe.

| have 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-
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.
The forces under General Thomas
deserve great praise for doing their
part so well. At s a. M, November
25, | saw our line of battle was formed
in he edge of some timber west of
the north end of Missionary ridge,
writer Joseph Witham of the Twelfth
Indiana, of Ch~erryvale. Kan, in the
National Tribune. From there we
could see across the cleared field in
u front the enemy and his batteries
on the ridge but little more thar 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
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 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
the ridge, and there we remained 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
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 it 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 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 oud 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 as a reinforcement. At
first we could only see their head
bobbing up and down as they came.
500 they were near the emu Ol Tue
ridge, swinging into line of battle.
They fired a volley at u 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 q
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 3 p. m.
when we could heard the rattle OF
musketry far down the line to OIL
right, as Thomas was charging tbs
enemy's center. 1t was then that eul
bugle blew retreat, and we ~retreateC
under a CALLING fire from the enemy
Their loud cheers Of victory rams
down the valley. But our demonstra
tions 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
saws: The loss in the Fourth div
sion was severe. In the First brigade
nearly 500 men were killed an
wounded"
cou+Lern ambassador