Year: 1863

| Howard was allowed to be very EXTENDED


and weak, as if Grant courted an attacl


upon that part of it He would yer,


willingly have had his centre broken a


that point, but the rebels who had full


need of everything saw that such an at


tempt would not pay"


GIN HooKEA's ASSAULT on LOOKOUT NOUN


While Gen. Sherman proceeded to dem


onstrate upon the rebel right, Gen. Hook


er made an attack on the rebel left OF
Lookout Mountain. 1t is not clear which


movement was the feint, or if either was


so intended, but it is believed that the


aim and intention was to draw the rebels


to either wing in order to give the Olsen


gagged and fresh center an opportunity to


storm the nights and cut the rebels in


two. However this may have been in.


tended it was subsequently discovered


that the enemy trusting to the natural


strength of Lookout had left small force


of two brigades to hold it and had not


weak ened their center TO any great ex-


tent In order to take this position. or
compel its reinforcement, Gen. Hooker


began the attack on the mountain at an
early hour with Gen. Geary's division OF
the 18th corps, Gen. Osterhaus' division
of Sherman's corps, and Whitaker and
Groves brigades of Stanley's division OF


the 4th corps.


Our informant was cut off from Gener-
al Hooker's command by the destruction
of the brigades, and knows but little or
nothing of the minuter details of the en-
gagement. Itappears, however, that Gen.
Hooker moved up the valley west of


Lookout Mountain toward Trenton. The
enemy supposed him to be moving TO a
gap some miles south of the point OF Look
out, but having this guarded, apparently
did not fear his attack. But after going
to the rear of the rebel force, posted out
on the point about three miles, General
Hooker Immediately began TO ascend the
mountain and formed line OF battle, facing
northward, with Gen. Geary on the front
line, his right resting against the palis-
AIDES which formed the cap of Lookout
Mountain. These palisades formed an
insurmountable obstacle to the ascent of
the force to the summit. His right rest
ing against these his left extended about
half way down the mountain. Whitaker
and Grove formed the second line, while
Osterhaus formed the third Heavy lines
of skirmishers were thrown out, the order
given to advance, and in a short time
there began the oldest battle of the war.


On the summit of the mountain, above
the palisades, the rebels had two 46-
FOUNDERS. On the west slope of the noun
tain they had no works. On the east,
near the point of the mountain, they had
a strong line of rifle-pits with two pieces
of artillery. Hooker came down on the
western slope, his heavy skirmish line
driving everything before it. The enemy
was taken by surprise at being attacked
in the rear, and hastily retreated to the
rihe-pits on the eastern slope OF the noun
tain. But it was not until they had suf-
fered very severely in prisoners. Gener-
al Hooker met with unexpected success,
and as he swept around the mountain cut
of and secured several hundred prisoners.
These fellows hid in the rocks and BUSH
es and surrendered at discretion. Many
Of them were unexchanged men taken at
snd the question has arisen
what is to be done with them. 1t is eVi-
dent from their conduct that they have
been forced to take up arms against US,
and all appear to be conscientious IN say
ing that they supposed they had been ex-
as they were told.


Hating only to secure these men, Gen.
Hooker continued to push around the
mountain, and had obtained q strong foot
hold on the spur of the point. when he
found the enemy in his rifile-pits on the
Fest slope, prepared to make more sys-
tematic and stronger defense. He push
ed forward however, continuing his skIF-
mish fighting on heavy scale. This en-
was kept up very seriously un-
Ill late in the afternoon, when charge
was made and the enemy driven from his
rihe-pits, They were Immediately occu,
pied by Geary. But the enemy rallied
and made charge for the works they had
ust relinquished. They made one des-
perate effort. Geary, out of ammunition,
was about being oyerpowered, when re-
arrived under Gen. Cerlln,
and the 3Sth Indiana, I'd and 33I Ohio,
and other regiments of that fine brigade 60
ng in at double quick, the enemy gave up
and fell back, under murderous hre, TO
hastily constructed works in the rear, and
covering the Summertown road. Carlin
mad come up about dusk, and his repuise
Of the enemy left us in possession OF their
works and the entire field. We had only
10 push on about 500 yards to the poses
ion of the Summertown road to the
summit of the mountain:


Gen. Hooker sent word toGen. Thomas
1t niehtfalI, that he had tak ken these
works and could hold his position. But
moi content with what he had already