The Washington herald., 1913-10-28

Diagram OF Hooker's March from
Stevenson and Bridgeport TO Lockout
Valley, and Two Oficers Who Were
Prominent in the Operations OF Fifty
Years Ago Today.
MAP based son Official records; photos from the
collection Of the Massachusetts, Loyal LeSion.)
Fifty years ago today Confederate
troops of Gen. James Longstreet's corps
made night attack on the camp of Gen.
John W. Geary's division of Gen. Joseph
Hoolxer's command, in Lookout Valley,
near Chattanooga, and were repulsed,
after more than three hours of hard
fighting.
No fight in the war was more dra-
matte in ITS inception.
Early on October IS Confederate signal
men, posted on the long ridge Of Lookout
Mountain, and looking down into the
valley west OF II, saw long columns of
troops filing down into the valley in the
roads from the Raccoon range.
This fact was reported to Gen. Long
street, whose headquarters were on the
east side of the mountain, toward Chat
tanooga. The general recognized the
troops as re-enforcements for Chatta-
nooga, marching from Bridgeport Ala,
terminus of the railroad from Nashville,
and reported their appearance in the val
ley to Gen. Braxton Bragg, his COM
mander.
Gen. Bragg declined to accept the
statement that Federal troops were in
the valley. A second and a third report
of like tenor were not accepted.
That day Gen. Bragg visited Lookout
Mountain to observe from its height the
position at Browns Ferry, on the Ten
Dessee River above il, which Federals
from Chattanooga had seized the day be-
fore to cover the road from Bridgeport
As he stood on the brow Of the noun
tain, with Gen. Longstreet, signalman
came dashing through the bushes from
down the range, breathlessly reporting
that heavy Federal columns were march,
ing down Lookout Valley. Gen. Bragg
was still incredulous. The man said IL
the general would come with him he
could point out the columns.
In a few moments Gen. Bragg and Gen.
Longstreet were looking down upon the
moving columns of Gen. Hooker's COM
mand, the Eleventh and Twelfth Army
Corps, which had been dispatched from
Virginia, via Nashville, to re-enforce the
Army of the Cumberland.
Arrangements for Attack.
The two Confederate commanders
watched the Federal troops, which,
though several miles of, seemed SO near
as to be directly at their feet, until they
had gone into camp. The advance col
umn. which Longstreet estimated at 5000
men, marched to near Browns Ferry.
The pickets were vigilant and to their
vigilance was due the preservation OF
the command. The advancing Confeder-
ates were challenged as soon as they ap-
peared, creeping out OF the WOODED
shadows on the hills and by the road
side. Firing followed the challenge.
The firing alarmed the camp. The men
sprang to their arms and were in line
to repeI an attack before the crackle OF
musketry on the picket line had fairly
begun.
owing to the positions in which the
troopss lay, the assault fell mainly upon
the 18th New York, 10th and 111th Penn
syIvania Regiments and portion of the
Twenty ninth Pennsylvania
They witbstood it bravely, standing to
their work in a line that formed the cor
uer of a square. Their batteries, posted
on higher ground, were soon plying the
enemy's battle line with spherical case
shot The guns were aimed low with
deadly effect. The dashing of red jets OF
flame from the enemy's muskets guided
the gunners i'll their aim.
Charge after charge WAS made by the
Confederates. chiefly upon the left of the
line, in an effort to turn the position and
cut the camp of from the main body.
Each charge was repulsed by desperate
lighting. Seven of Geary's regiments were
on guard duty In the rear. and the men
he could bring to the firing line were
outnumbered.
After the contest had ragged for an
hour and a half. determined effort to
turn the left made by the Hampton
Legion, was frustrated by two COM
panies Of the 18th New York. which
struck the region at right angles. infiict-
ing heavy loss.
At a. m, the fighting having been
:agfng since 1880. the ammunition OF
the Federals became so low that the
dead and wounded were searched for
cartridges
The defenders of the camp were de-
termined to resort to the bayonet when
these last few rounds failed.
Reinforcement Halted.
Meanwhile the sounds Of battle in
Geary's camp had aroused the Eleventh
CORPS, with which Gen Hooker had his
headquarters
Gen. Hooker ordered the division near
est Geary, that on Gen. Carl Schurz, to
proceed forthwith to Geary's aid.
The men were promptly in line, and
the three brigades of the division were
soon on the march. The leading brigade
Gen. Hector Tyndale's. had gone about
q mile when it was fired on by skirm-
lshers Of Laws Confederates, concealed
in the hills beside the road.
After a brief skirmish the brigade
kept on. until again halted to answer
ire from another hill.
At this juncture, through inefficient
stan service ard the presence of Gen.
Iooker with the marching column. a
situation arose that halted the whole
OF Schurz's division. An order from Gen.
Hooker turned Tyndale from his path
TO take the hill from which he was at
lacked The other two brigades were
halted by order OF Gen. Hooker 70 reply
10 the fire that had now developed on
their flank.
Thus Schurz was without any men
Under hts control to send TO Gcsry. He
rode hack TO ;ine the cause Of the halt,
and moved up 10 attack Geary's camp