CHAPTER XLIII.

PREPARATIONS FOR BATTLE--THOMAS CARRIES THE FIRST LINE OF THE ENEMY

--SHERMAN CARRIES MISSIONARY RIDGE--BATTLE OF LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN

--GENERAL HOOKER'S FIGHT.

On the 20th, when so much was occurring to discourage--rains falling so

heavily as to delay the passage of troops over the river at Brown's

Ferry and threatening the entire breaking of the bridge; news coming of

a battle raging at Knoxville; of Willcox being threatened by a force

from the east--a letter was received from Bragg which contained these

words: "As there may still be some non-combatants in Chattanooga, I

deem it proper to notify you that prudence would dictate their early

withdrawal." Of course, I understood that this was a device intended to

deceive; but I did not know what the intended deception was. On the

22d, however, a deserter came in who informed me that Bragg was leaving

our front, and on that day Buckner's division was sent to reinforce

Longstreet at Knoxville, and another division started to follow but was

recalled. The object of Bragg's letter, no doubt, was in some way to

detain me until Knoxville could be captured, and his troops there be

returned to Chattanooga.

During the night of the 21st the rest of the pontoon boats, completed,

one hundred and sixteen in all, were carried up to and placed in North

Chickamauga. The material for the roadway over these was deposited out

of view of the enemy within a few hundred yards of the bank of the

Tennessee, where the north end of the bridge was to rest.

Hearing nothing from Burnside, and hearing much of the distress in

Washington on his account, I could no longer defer operations for his

relief. I determined, therefore, to do on the 23d, with the Army of the

Cumberland, what had been intended to be done on the 24th.

The position occupied by the Army of the Cumberland had been made very

strong for defence during the months it had been besieged. The line was

about a mile from the town, and extended from Citico Creek, a small

stream running near the base of Missionary Ridge and emptying into the

Tennessee about two miles below the mouth of the South Chickamauga, on

the left, to Chattanooga Creek on the right. All commanding points on

the line were well fortified and well equipped with artillery. The

important elevations within the line had all been carefully fortified

and supplied with a proper armament. Among the elevations so fortified

was one to the east of the town, named Fort Wood. It owed its

importance chiefly to the fact that it lay between the town and

Missionary Ridge, where most of the strength of the enemy was. Fort

Wood had in it twenty-two pieces of artillery, most of which would reach

the nearer points of the enemy's line. On the morning of the 23d

Thomas, according to instructions, moved Granger's corps of two

divisions, Sheridan and T. J. Wood commanding, to the foot of Fort Wood,

and formed them into line as if going on parade, Sheridan on the right,

Wood to the left, extending to or near Citico Creek. Palmer, commanding

the 14th corps, held that part of our line facing south and southwest.

He supported Sheridan with one division (Baird's), while his other

division under Johnson remained in the trenches, under arms, ready to be

moved to any point. Howard's corps was moved in rear of the centre. The

picket lines were within a few hundred yards of each other. At two

o'clock in the afternoon all were ready to advance. By this time the

clouds had lifted so that the enemy could see from his elevated position

all that was going on. The signal for advance was given by a booming of

cannon from Fort Wood and other points on the line. The rebel pickets

were soon driven back upon the main guards, which occupied minor and

detached heights between the main ridge and our lines. These too were

carried before halting, and before the enemy had time to reinforce their

advance guards. But it was not without loss on both sides. This

movement secured to us a line fully a mile in advance of the one we

occupied in the morning, and the one which the enemy had occupied up to

this time. The fortifications were rapidly turned to face the other

way. During the following night they were made strong. We lost in this

preliminary action about eleven hundred killed and wounded, while the

enemy probably lost quite as heavily, including the prisoners that were

captured. With the exception of the firing of artillery, kept up from

Missionary Ridge and Fort Wood until night closed in, this ended the

fighting for the first day.

The advantage was greatly on our side now, and if I could only have been

assured that Burnside could hold out ten days longer I should have

rested more easily. But we were doing the best we could for him and the

cause.

By the night of the 23d Sherman's command was in a position to move,

though one division (Osterhaus's) had not yet crossed the river at

Brown's Ferry. The continuous rise in the Tennessee had rendered it

impossible to keep the bridge at that point in condition for troops to

cross; but I was determined to move that night even without this

division. Orders were sent to Osterhaus accordingly to report to

Hooker, if he could not cross by eight o'clock on the morning of the

24th. Because of the break in the bridge, Hooker's orders were again

changed, but this time only back to those first given to him.

General W. F. Smith had been assigned to duty as Chief Engineer of the

Military Division. To him were given the general direction of moving

troops by the boats from North Chickamauga, laying the bridge after they

reached their position, and generally all the duties pertaining to his

office of chief engineer. During the night General Morgan L. Smith's

division was marched to the point where the pontoons were, and the

brigade of Giles A. Smith was selected for the delicate duty of manning

the boats and surprising the enemy's pickets on the south bank of the

river. During this night also General J. M. Brannan, chief of

artillery, moved forty pieces of artillery, belonging to the Army of the

Cumberland, and placed them on the north side of the river so as to

command the ground opposite, to aid in protecting the approach to the

point where the south end of the bridge was to rest. He had to use

Sherman's artillery horses for this purpose, Thomas having none.

At two o'clock in the morning, November 24th, Giles A. Smith pushed out

from the North Chickamauga with his one hundred and sixteen boats, each

loaded with thirty brave and well-armed men. The boats with their

precious freight dropped down quietly with the current to avoid

attracting the attention of any one who could convey information to the

enemy, until arriving near the mouth of South Chickamauga. Here a few

boats were landed, the troops debarked, and a rush was made upon the

picket guard known to be at that point. The guard were surprised, and

twenty of their number captured. The remainder of the troops effected a

landing at the point where the bridge was to start, with equally good

results. The work of ferrying over Sherman's command from the north

side of the Tennessee was at once commenced, using the pontoons for the

purpose. A steamer was also brought up from the town to assist. The

rest of M. L. Smith's division came first, then the division of John E.

Smith. The troops as they landed were put to work intrenching their

position. By daylight the two entire divisions were over, and well

covered by the works they had built.

The work of laying the bridge, on which to cross the artillery and

cavalry, was now begun. The ferrying over the infantry was continued

with the steamer and the pontoons, taking the pontoons, however, as fast

as they were wanted to put in their place in the bridge. By a little

past noon the bridge was completed, as well as one over the South

Chickamauga connecting the troops left on that side with their comrades

below, and all the infantry and artillery were on the south bank of the

Tennessee.

Sherman at once formed his troops for assault on Missionary Ridge. By

one o'clock he started with M. L. Smith on his left, keeping nearly the

course of Chickamauga River; J. E. Smith next to the right and a little

to the rear; and Ewing still farther to the right and also a little to

the rear of J. E. Smith's command, in column, ready to deploy to the

right if an enemy should come from that direction. A good skirmish line

preceded each of these columns. Soon the foot of the hill was reached;

the skirmishers pushed directly up, followed closely by their supports.

By half-past three Sherman was in possession of the height without

having sustained much loss. A brigade from each division was now

brought up, and artillery was dragged to the top of the hill by hand.

The enemy did not seem to be aware of this movement until the top of the

hill was gained. There had been a drizzling rain during the day, and

the clouds were so low that Lookout Mountain and the top of Missionary

Ridge were obscured from the view of persons in the valley. But now the

enemy opened fire upon their assailants, and made several attempts with

their skirmishers to drive them away, but without avail. Later in the

day a more determined attack was made, but this, too, failed, and

Sherman was left to fortify what he had gained.

Sherman's cavalry took up its line of march soon after the bridge was

completed, and by half-past three the whole of it was over both bridges

and on its way to strike the enemy's communications at Chickamauga

Station. All of Sherman's command was now south of the Tennessee.

During the afternoon General Giles A. Smith was severely wounded and

carried from the field.

Thomas having done on the 23d what was expected of him on the 24th,

there was nothing for him to do this day except to strengthen his

position. Howard, however, effected a crossing of Citico Creek and a

junction with Sherman, and was directed to report to him. With two or

three regiments of his command he moved in the morning along the banks

of the Tennessee, and reached the point where the bridge was being laid.

He went out on the bridge as far as it was completed from the south end,

and saw Sherman superintending the work from the north side and moving

himself south as fast as an additional boat was put in and the roadway

put upon it. Howard reported to his new chief across the chasm between

them, which was now narrow and in a few minutes closed.

While these operations were going on to the east of Chattanooga, Hooker

was engaged on the west. He had three divisions: Osterhaus's, of the

15th corps, Army of the Tennessee; Geary's, 12th corps, Army of the

Potomac; and Cruft's, 14th corps, Army of the Cumberland. Geary was on

the right at Wauhatchie, Cruft at the centre, and Osterhaus near Brown's

Ferry. These troops were all west of Lookout Creek. The enemy had the

east bank of the creek strongly picketed and intrenched, and three

brigades of troops in the rear to reinforce them if attacked. These

brigades occupied the summit of the mountain. General Carter L.

Stevenson was in command of the whole. Why any troops, except artillery

with a small infantry guard, were kept on the mountain-top, I do not

see. A hundred men could have held the summit--which is a palisade for

more than thirty feet down--against the assault of any number of men

from the position Hooker occupied.

The side of Lookout Mountain confronting Hooker's command was rugged,

heavily timbered, and full of chasms, making it difficult to advance

with troops, even in the absence of an opposing force. Farther up, the

ground becomes more even and level, and was in cultivation. On the east

side the slope is much more gradual, and a good wagon road, zigzagging

up it, connects the town of Chattanooga with the summit.

Early on the morning of the 24th Hooker moved Geary's division,

supported by a brigade of Cruft's, up Lookout Creek, to effect a

crossing. The remainder of Cruft's division was to seize the bridge

over the creek, near the crossing of the railroad. Osterhaus was to move

up to the bridge and cross it. The bridge was seized by Gross's brigade

after a slight skirmish with the pickets guarding it. This attracted

the enemy so that Geary's movement farther up was not observed. A heavy

mist obscured him from the view of the troops on the top of the

mountain. He crossed the creek almost unobserved, and captured the

picket of over forty men on guard near by. He then commenced ascending

the mountain directly in his front. By this time the enemy was seen

coming down from their camps on the mountain slope, and filing into

their rifle-pits to contest the crossing of the bridge. By eleven

o'clock the bridge was complete. Osterhaus was up, and after some sharp

skirmishing the enemy was driven away with considerable loss in killed

and captured.

While the operations at the bridge were progressing, Geary was pushing

up the hill over great obstacles, resisted by the enemy directly in his

front, and in face of the guns on top of the mountain. The enemy,

seeing their left flank and rear menaced, gave way, and were followed by

Cruft and Osterhaus. Soon these were up abreast of Geary, and the whole

command pushed up the hill, driving the enemy in advance. By noon Geary

had gained the open ground on the north slope of the mountain, with his

right close up to the base of the upper palisade, but there were strong

fortifications in his front. The rest of the command coming up, a line

was formed from the base of the upper palisade to the mouth of

Chattanooga Creek.

Thomas and I were on the top of Orchard Knob. Hooker's advance now made

our line a continuous one. It was in full view, extending from the

Tennessee River, where Sherman had crossed, up Chickamauga River to the

base of Mission Ridge, over the top of the north end of the ridge to

Chattanooga Valley, then along parallel to the ridge a mile or more,

across the valley to the mouth of Chattanooga Creek, thence up the slope

of Lookout Mountain to the foot of the upper palisade. The day was

hazy, so that Hooker's operations were not visible to us except at

moments when the clouds would rise. But the sound of his artillery and

musketry was heard incessantly. The enemy on his front was partially

fortified, but was soon driven out of his works. During the afternoon

the clouds, which had so obscured the top of Lookout all day as to hide

whatever was going on from the view of those below, settled down and

made it so dark where Hooker was as to stop operations for the time. At

four o'clock Hooker reported his position as impregnable. By a little

after five direct communication was established, and a brigade of troops

was sent from Chattanooga to reinforce him. These troops had to cross

Chattanooga Creek and met with some opposition, but soon overcame it,

and by night the commander, General Carlin, reported to Hooker and was

assigned to his left. I now telegraphed to Washington: "The fight

to-day progressed favorably. Sherman carried the end of Missionary

Ridge, and his right is now at the tunnel, and his left at Chickamauga

Creek. Troops from Lookout Valley carried the point of the mountain, and

now hold the eastern slope and a point high up. Hooker reports two

thousand prisoners taken, besides which a small number have fallen into

our hands from Missionary Ridge." The next day the President replied:

"Your dispatches as to fighting on Monday and Tuesday are here. Well

done. Many thanks to all. Remember Burnside." And Halleck also

telegraphed: "I congratulate you on the success thus far of your plans.

I fear that Burnside is hard pushed, and that any further delay may

prove fatal. I know you will do all in your power to relieve him."

The division of Jefferson C. Davis, Army of the Cumberland, had been

sent to the North Chickamauga to guard the pontoons as they were

deposited in the river, and to prevent all ingress or egress of

citizens. On the night of the 24th his division, having crossed with

Sherman, occupied our extreme left from the upper bridge over the plain

to the north base of Missionary Ridge. Firing continued to a late hour

in the night, but it was not connected with an assault at any point.