The Washington herald., 1913-11-24

aad invested the city of Chattanooga
since September -
Grant aimed to weaken the Confederate
,enter by forcing Gen. Bragg to detaCh
;rOops from it to strengthen his right
1ank. which was TO be attacked next day
oy Sherman from his advanced position
while the seizure of Lockout Mountain
was TO force him to draw in his line
rom that direction and open a way for
he Federals to turn his left
Mr.h more importance was attached
10 Sherman'S : attack than to Hooker 5,
since the first WAS essential to success
and the latter NOT necessarily so. II
Sherman succeeded, the Army of the
Cumberland. under Gen. George II
Thomas. was expected to break the en-
,my's center. Then his left would of
necessity abandon Lookout Mountain.
As the events of the day unrolled, the
greatest measure f success fell to Gen.
Hooker. fOI. though his was the minor
ight it was in a picturesque setting,
which appealed to the ina aginatiOn and
invested it with far greater Importance
n popular fancy than it possessed. BY
the former head of the Army of the
Potomac '"aS enabled to reha bilitate. in
he public mind. his military reputation.
Shermar's fight was a disappointment
% Grant He did not accomplish all
hoped; Yet it was to prove the means
" which Grants battle plan was to be
:arried to = sucC assful termination.
Sherman Force Crosses River.
Sherman. with his old corps. the F'if-
:eenth, had marched $50 miles from Mem
ohis to join Grant at Chattanooga. Grant
lad planned TO await his arrival before
attacking Bragg, but Sherman had been
delayed in the last stages of his march
~ storms, ard when. on November 2S.
Grant opened the battle of Chattanooga
oy capturing Braggs advanced rifle pits
before Missionary Ridge, Sherman 5
yoops had not come up. They were
:nSn crossing the swollen Tennessee west
IF MOccasin Point and marching into
he hills north Of Chattanooga, to lay
concealed until the next day
In order to come into action at the
fcint assigned him Sherman was Obliged
, twice to cross the Tennessee-beCause of
It's great bend west of CHATTANOOGA Spe-
cial preparations for his second crossing
had been made by Gen. w. F. Smith, the
cnief engineer Of the Army of the Cum
oerland. VINO had build 1t6 boats with
which to form pCntCon bridge. These had
been concealed in North Chickamauga
River.
At midnight on November g these
Tennessee well above the last Confed-
crate pickets, and before dawn Sher-
mans men began to embark in tnem
About a. m. flotilla of the boats drift
I'd down the river in a fog. landing
vas effected near the pickets, who were
surprised and made prisoners. In less
Than an hour 5000 of Sherman's command
were on the river bank where the Con-
tederate pickets had been posted.
Gen. Smiths engineers now rapidly
formed the boats into a bridge $50
feet long. By noon this was completed,
and in a short time the whole of Sher-
mans force was across the Tennessee
and ready to move against Missionary
Ridge
Sherman had under him about $500
veteran troops, including those of his
command, ana a division, that of Gen.
Teff c. Davis, which had been sent him
rom the Army of the Cumberland.
Sherman Advances I'm Force.
Sherman's force moved rapidly in three
solumns away from the river following
he direction of Chickamauga Creek,
toward Missionary Ridge. The dag was
.ainy and almost before the Confederates
we're aware that the Federals were ad-
gancing in force from the river, Sher-
mans skirmish lines were passing over
The foothills to the north of Missionary
Ridge. By the time Gen. Bragg's Off
GERS on the right realized the extent
IF the menace Sherman was in possess
sion of high hill directly north OF the
abrupt northern slope of Missionary
Ridge.