Year: 1868




The orders were, that when the rifle
pits were carried, the line should be halt
ed and reformed for an advance up the
heights. But as the men bounded into
them with shout, they forgot all orders.
Their blood was now up, and sending
their loud hurrah above the defending
thunder peals that shook mountain and
plain, they began to scale the rocky slope.
The fire that opened on them was appal-
ing. 1t was no longer round shot and
shell, but canister, grape and musketry.
Missionary Ridge was volcano, ga
thousand torrents of fire poured over its
brink and rushed together to its base.
But the line moves on and up. They
cannot dash up that rugged activity.
They dash out little way and then
slacken; they creep up, hand over hand,
loading and firing, and wavering and
halting, from the first line of works to
the second they burst into charge
with cheer, and go over it. Sheets of
fame baptize them; plunging shot tear
away comrades on left and right; it is
no longer shoulder to shoulder, but God
for us all Under tree trunks, among
rocks, stumbling over the dead, strug
Cling with the living, facing steady fire
of eight thousand infantry poured down
upon their heads as if it were the old
historic curse from heaven, they wrestle
with the Ridge. Ten, fifteen, twenty
minutes go by like reluctant century.
The batteries roll like drum. Between
the second and last lines of rebel works
is the torrid zone of the battle. The hill
sways up like wall before them, at an
angle of forty-fve degrees, but our brave
mountaineers are clambering steadily on
-up-upward still!


1t was thrilling, maddening to see
their banners futterning alternately high
up the steep activity, amid fame and
| smoke. Now one and now another would
sink to the ground along the steep, as the
bearers were shot down, but the next mo-
ment they would gleam aloft again, as
gallant comrades seized them, and car
ried them farther up the slope. The
ranks melted away rapidly, but the sur
vivors kept on. Grant gazed apparently
unmoved, at the sight, yet with his whole
soul in the struggle. Even the impassa
BILE Thomas, as he saw the slow and diff
cult progress, exclaimed to Grant; g
fear General, they will never reach the
top" The latter merely replied: Give
'em time, General, give 'em time" Al
last the crimson, glittering tide reached
the crest, and just as the sun was sinking
below the western horizon, flooding thu
heights with his departing rays, it ROLLED
over them, and Grant knew they wer'
won. Then there went up shout like
far off murmur of the sea, and as th
mufiled sound reached Grant, his com
pressed lips wreathed with smile, ant
the burden lifted from his heart.


But the scene ON the narrow plateau
can never be painted. As the blue coat
surged over its edge cheer on cheer ram


like bells through the valley of tn
Chickamauga Men flung themselve
upon the ground. They laughed an


wept, shook hands and embraced; turne


around and did all four again. 1t wa


as wild as carnival. Grant was II


ceived with ca shout Soldiers" h


said, you ought to be court-martialet


every man of you! ordered you to tax


the rifle pits, and you scaled the noun


tain But it was not Mars horrid fror


exactly, with which he said it, for h


cheeks were wet with tears as honest ,


the blood that Redeemed all the route.