CHAPTER X.

AT CHATTANOOGA.

A DESPERATE SITUATION-HELPING A STARVING ARMY TAKING PART IN THE BATTLE OF MISSIONARY RIDGE-LEADING A DESPERATE CHARGE UP THE HEIGHTS-A SINGULAR STORY OF WAR WITH GRANT ON ORCHARD KNOB -LOOKING at hooker'S FIGHT—A GREAT DAY'S WORK-COMMENDED FOR GALLANTRY AND ABILITY.

AFTER the battle of Chickamauga the situation within the "Gate City" of Georgia soon became a fearful one. Bragg's army held the two great mountain lines: Lookout to the east, enfilading, as it were, our positions; Missionary Ridge, commanding our entire west front and the great bend of the Tennessee River with its marvelous defensible positions. The Chattanooga Valley, between Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain, formed the great battle amphitheatre in which the mighty combat for the control of the region was to be fought. It is as notable a field for tremendous military tactics and struggles as that other famous one of the Civil War, the historic valley of Gettysburg. The latter is eminently simple, though large in topography. It is also lovely and sylvan in its picturesque aspects. At Chattanooga the shock of armies was heightened and enhanced in imaginative effect by the massive details of the topography and the bold, rugged, and frowning aspects of the grand yet rude details of a superb and mighty landscape, which holds in its vast ensemble the culminating conjunction of the great Appalachian Range that combines the Cumberland and Blue Ranges with the mighty, haze-draped plateau of Northern Georgia. Through this great mountain formation the Tennessee has forced its way by deep gorges, rapids, great bends, serpentine channels, and over the Mussle Shoals, adding marvelously to the romantic beauty and wonderful picturesqueness of the whole region. It was a field fit for the combat of Titans for the settlement of a continental destiny. A story is told of

a Confederate soldier which illustrates this. He declared after the

battle that Grant's orders were not those of an ordinary commander. Against Bragg, he affirmed that the Yankees came

The Confederates, who were at this time well handled by Bragg, succeeded in cutting off our railroad supply line at Bridgeport, on the Tennessee, twenty-six miles to the west of Chattanooga. As a consequence the situation of the Army of the Cumberland rapidly assumed, after Chickamauga, the aspect of a closely beleaguered post, camp, and force. The animals died from want of forage; the troops were placed on half rations, and those of the poorest quality. The only road open to the army was a round-about line on the river, north of, and over the Waldron Range, through the Sequatchie Valley, some sixty miles in length. It was liable to be overwhelmed by a raid of the successful enemy at any time. Eastward, Burnside at Knoxville was in great danger. The worst feature of all was Rosecrans' own discouragement.

In this plight, the Washington authorities turned to Grant as a suitable commander to reorganize victory. Previously, however, Sherman had been ordered by Halleck from Vicksburg to the relief of Chattanooga. He was to start from Memphis, following the railroad to Corinth, with all the troops that could be obtained from Hurlbut. Those from Vicksburg were to be under McPherson. These orders were received on the 23d of September. After Vicksburg, Grant had urged a movement against Mobile. This was to be done in order to relieve Rosecrans, by compelling the withdrawal southward of Bragg's troops. The Ninth Corps was ordered to Tennessee. On the 29th Halleck ordered all forces possible to Rosecrans' relief. At that time, Grant says in his Memoirs: "The National troops were now strongly intrenched in Chattanooga Valley, with the Tennessee River behind them, and the enemy occupying commanding heights to the east and west, with a strong line across the valley, from mountain to mountain, and Chattanooga Creek for a large part of the way in front of their line."

Both Sherman and McPherson were then moving slowly eastward; Sherman being hindered by orders to repair the railroad line. General Hooker's corps from the Army of the Potomac was also started to Chattanooga. On the 3d of October, Grant was ordered to Cairo to receive orders from Washington. Arriving there, he was directed to proceed to Louisville. He then met Secretary Stanton at Indian

apolis, and they went to Louisville together. There Grant was offered and accepted the command of the Division of the Mississippi, embracing all territory between the river and the Alleghanies north of the region under Banks in the Department of the Gulf. In this division were the armies of the Ohio, holding Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio, that of the Tennessee, and of the Cumberland, with Burnside's army in East Tennessee, Hancock's fighters from the Potomac, and Pope's troops in the Northwest Department. It included as corps commanders such men, among others, as Thomas, Sherman, Hooker, Burnside, Granger, Blair, and Stanley; such department chiefs as Hurlbut, Pope, Wright, Boyle, and others; and a host also of great division commanders, among whom were growing soldiers and fighters, like our hero, Sheridan, T. J. Wood, Howard, Geary, Palmer, Wilcox, W. F. Smith, Steadman, Baird, Jeff. C. Davis, Hazen, Willich, Mitchell, Brannan, Minty, Wilder, Logan, McPherson, Innis, Johnson, Negley, and many others. Grant and Stanton were in Louisville on October 17th. That night, Assistant Secretary of War Charles A. Dana, who was at Chattanooga, telegraphed of Rosecrans' desire to evacuate or surrender. Either involved the worst disasters. Thomas by telegraph was at once placed in chief command at Chattanooga. He was directed by Grant to hold the place at all hazards. Hooker was then in supporting distance, O. O. Howard being at Jasper, and Geary near by. Thomas declared he would "stick." Grant reached Chattanooga October 22d. He was on crutches at the time, and was carried by men part of the way over the Waldron Ridge. Rosecrans was met at Bridgeport, and gave Grant some "good suggestions," which the latter naively wonders he "had not himself adopted."

Sheridan and others of " Rosey's" division commanders awaited without enthusiasm Grant's arrival. Finding a second pontoon bridge in process of construction, the boats being hidden from Bragg's outlooks up the North Chickamauga, the new commander determined to load them with picked men, move Hooker from Bridgeport up the Tennessee on the south side, developing also a force on the north side under General Palmer, and thus run the river by night, seizing the enemy's pickets, make a new crossing, and open the railroad from Bridgeport to Kelley's Ford, eight miles from Chattanooga with a good wagon road thereto. It was successfully done, and once more the "cracker line," as the boys called it, was established. The inspiring effect was immediate. Men were fed and reclothed. Medicines, vegetables, etc., were received and new means of field transportation obtained. Much credit for all this

is due to General W. F. Smith, who as engineer-in-chief, began, before Grant's arrival, measures of the kind that commander accepted and enlarged. It was all done by the 28th, and the river was again opened to Lookout. Our extreme right was thus connected in Lookout Valley with Chattanooga and the army there. During Hooker's movements in support, Howard had a sharp and successful fight near Brown's Ferry. On the 29th of October, Geary's division was savagely attacked at Wauhatchie, north of the Tennessee, by Longstreet in force. Hooker marched rapidly to Geary's support, who held his own for three hours against a larger force. The fighting continued till long after dark. It ended rather ludicrously, though, in a Union victory. Hooker's teamsters got panic stricken and the mules stampeded, rushing towards the rebel lines, which, supposing the rush to be a cavalry charge, retired in haste and without order. A camp parody embalms the "Battle of the Mules," and it is given here:

The Union loss in these movements was 489 killed and wounded. Of the Confederates, 150 were left dead on the field, and 100 remained prisoners. Their wounded were removed.

Already the siege had been lifted in large degree. There was great peril, however. Sherman was hastening eastward with the Army of the Tennessee. Burnside's position grew worse. He was over one hundred miles from a railroad or his base of supplies, with insufficient forces and stores, but holding Knoxville and the Union

settlements with a cheery courage. Grant was earnestly pressed to relieve him, and the only way to do so was to fight a great battle at Chattanooga. Bragg made a vigorous effort to recover the line broken by Grant's first movements. Longstreet and Wheeler, with 20.000 men, had been sent against Burnside, halting, however, at Loudon, East Tennessee, where their railroad terminated. This enabled them to threaten Knoxville or reinforce Bragg.

On our side, Sherman and McPherson were marching steadily and rapidly to Stephenson. Sherman under Grant's orders had abandoned. the railroad work that Halleck imposed. But in order to get more railroad transportation, Granville M. Dodge was left at Athens, Tennessee, with 8,000 men, to repair and hold the Nashville and Decatur line, with its 102 miles of broken road and its 182 bridges. This in a region swarming with guerrillas. Seeing the impossibility of otherwise relieving Burnside, Grant on the 7th of November ordered Thomas to make an attack in force. As he was without animals to move artillery, this Thomas declined to do. On the 14th, however, Sherman's advance was at Bridgeport. Burnside was telegraphed to that effect, and assured that the fight was imminent which would relieve him. The weather was rainy. It was decided to fight on the 24th. This was begun a day earlier, however, to encourage our troops at Knoxville. Longstreet's absence at Loudon weakened Bragg very seriously.

Chattanooga's lines of defense were very strong, and extended for a mile along Cetico Creek, near the base of Missionary Ridge. This stream empties two miles below. All elevations were carefully fortified. The fort closest to the ridge was named after General Wood, and with its twenty-two guns could reach the nearest points on the enemy's lines. Cetico Creek is south of Chattanooga. Bragg's main army was aligned for six miles along the crest of Missionary Ridge to the west. From the centre of the slope to Chattanooga River they held a strong line of works. In other words, Thomas held the interior lines, making a sickle-shaped position, with Chattanooga and the Tennessee River as the handle. The rebel position might be counted as a scythe blade without handle, while from the centre lay an irregular swath of troops. This was met and faced with a series of independent redoubts which Grant's new lines had erected. The north end of Lookout Valley was in our possession. Hooker had moved across it, and his lines faced alike the northwest slope of Lookout and were headed toward the northeast slope of the Missionary Ridge. Sherman was moving into the great field from the direction of Chickamauga to the south and east.