The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1913-12-25
cAPT8RE Of De LONG POINT
Testimony of Soldier of Company e.
Thirty First ohio, Who Was
Strictly in Noted Assault.

tniFty-TtFSt OnIog VINO was
Strictly in Noted Assault.
When ii \Gomes to distorting facts
which shoulA be the embodiment of
history / feeN it my duty to offer
word as one $50 not only participat-
ed in the battles around Chattanooga,
but assisted inN establishing and pre-
serving the movements of our troops
during those sou tltesting times.
On or about gecember II, 1852,
was assigned to the duty of topog-
rapher on the staff of the First bri-
gade, Third division, Fourteenth corps,
in which capacity I 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 l participated with
my company &c, Thirty-first Ohiol,
forming a part of Turchin's brigade,
and in the charge on Missionary
Ridge, November rs, 1863. my regi-
ment was in 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-
| roDbor 7 ooya oo noroN,l attention &c
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 / described
to our comrades correctly before we
arrived at Chattanooga on a 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 a 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
ascended under a crossing of artil-
lery and musketry.
Several of my regiment with whom
I ascended in advance of the mass
went up with our regimental colors
about two-thirds of the way to the
top, where, after resting 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
little to the southeast and above
De Long Point but the piece where
we went over the works being aban'
doned, Clark jumped upon it, waved
his cap with a shout or two, and as
the rebels were leaving their guns
we five before any other comrades ap
peared went over the ridge and down
the enemy's side some distance
where three of us sat down to rest
Clark and McDermott going on and
never returning.
It growing dark and discovering
our comrades above lighting fires, We
three arose to return to our regiment
when Johnny appeared from the
opposite side Of the log on which we
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, l wal
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 o
Missionary Ridge we had fought Owe
and which included De Long Point.
not only took part in the survey
but compiled my notes with those o
other topographers, and executed
map with my own hand of the Poin
in question, with all the movement
of the several regiments in our divi
sion during said battle plainly marke'
thereon, and was then, as we'll a
now, good letterer and embellisher
the map being forwarded througl
Fourteenth corps headquarters t
the war department Washington. I
c., where 1t should be today; but
am prepared to corroborate thes
facts with testimony and proof tina
no comrade can refute.