P^9 TEXT TO NUMBER SEVEN , OF PRANG'S WAR PICTURES. ''BATTLE OF CHATTANOOGA.' NOVEMBER 25, 1863 BOSTON: L. PRANG & CO 615j3 > (SHAJPTANOOGA. TJMONG the more important struggles for the I JL preservation of the Union on the one hand, and its dismemberment on the other, none stands out in a bolder or more picturesque light than the battle of Chattanooga, Tenn., which was fought Nov. 22-25, 1863, between the Confederates under Bragg, and the Union forces commanded by Grant. The opposing armies comprised the flower of American youth, seasoned by the experience of several campaigns, and organized, disciplined, and led by grnerals who had won their grades, in most cases, a' the cannon's mouth, and who, in at least three instances, were destined to tread the topmost round of the ladder of military fame. But here the parallel ends. The Confederates were equal if not superior in numbers, well supplied with food, and occupying a position of great natural strength, Chattanooga. made well-nigh impregnable by earthworks, rising tier above tier, on the eastern and southern side of the Union lines; while on their west and north, nearly all communication with the outer world was closed. The Union troops had been for some time on half rations, and were reduced to sharing the corn with their draught animals, of which more than ten thousand perished of starvation during the campaign. The troops had also suffered reverses at Chickamauga, and were somewhat dispirited. It seemed a mere question of days when the gray eagle soaring over the besieged force would swoop down upon the gaunt and hungry bluecoats in the valley. The venerable saying, " Brag is a good dog, but Holdfast 's a better one," was nevertheless to be again verified. General Thomas had ofiRcially re- ported, while yet Grant was afar off, " We will hold the town till we starve ! " At the time of the battle the situation was as follows : The town of Chattanooga, with a nominal population of 5,000, was nestled in one of the nu- Chattanooga. merous curves for which the Tennessee River is noted, and on its eastern bank. Opposite the town, on the east, and about three miles distant, ran a mountainous range, five hundred feet high, and fairly covered with tiniber ; this was called Mis- sionary Ridge. Southwest of Chattanooga towered Lookout Mountain, fifteen hundred feet above the river level. Both of these imposing positions were occupied by the Confederates, while half-way be- tween these points and the town a line of tem- porary works had been erected on high ground by the Union troops. On this line were several de- tached crests or knolls ; one of these, in the centre and about equidistant between the town and Mis- sionary Ridge, is called Orchard Knob. Above the town and connecting the line of Missionary Ridge with the Tennessee River, Is Chickamauga Creek, while farther to the southward and nearly parallel to the creek was the embankment of the Chatta- nooga and Cleveland Railroad, which penetrated the northern extremity of the ridge by a tunnel. The ground lying between the ridge and the town was Chattanooga. known as Chattanooga Valley, from the stream which runs through its centre. Upon assuming command, General Grant first gave attention to a plan initiated by General Thomas to open communication with Nashville via Bridgeport, a station on the railroad to which access had hitherto been barred by the enemy. This plan, with some modifications, was approved, and in a few days additional supplies reached Chat- tanooga, and the spirits of the Army of the Cum- berland rose in proportion. General Bragg did not view this change in the programme favorably, and sent Longstreet to attack the forces guarding what General Grant called his "cracker line." But Longstreet was repulsed by General Geary, and did not repeat the attack. On the 20th of November, re-enforcements under General Sherman arrived, and taking advantage of this and the fact that Bragg had detached a portion of his force. Grant, who had been preparing to move upon the Confederate position, issued the necessary orders. ChattanoogB. Sherman was to attack the enemy on his right, and advance to "the tunnel"; Hooker was directed to do the same on Bragg's left; and Thomas was expected to attack in the centre, as soon as the forces on the flanks became engaged. On account of excessive rains and other unfore- seen obstacles, the plan was slightly modified, and on the 23d, Thomas was directed to open the ball with Granger's corps (the divisions of Wood and Sheridan) and Palmer's corps (the divisions of Baird and Johnson) on the right. After a brisk engage- ment, lasting all day, the enemy was driven back on his left for more than a mile. On the 24th, Sherman's force crossed the Ten- nessee and attacked the enemy's right under cover of a mist. They reached the top of the ridge, but after two or three attempts to drive the Confeder- ates from that point, were forced to intrench and take breath. On the same day. General Hooker had attacked Lookout Mountain, "fought the battle above the clouds," gained an important foothold on the eastern slope, and captured some 2,000 prisoners. Chattanooga. The morning of the next day, Nov. 25, dawned brightly upon the battle-field. At sunrise, Sherman made a vigorous attack upon the enemy's right flank and rear, threatening Bragg's communications and gaining some advantage ; but the natural and artificial defences were so strong and the resistance so stout that, after severe fighting, lasting nearly all day, the Union forces at this point of the line were barely holding their own. General Grant now ordered a diversion in Sherman's favor, by a charge of Thomas's troops in the centre and immediately in front of Orchard Knob. Hooker's operations on the right had not been so unobstructed as antici- pated, and his troops had been delayed four pre- cious hours in crossing Chattanooga Creek, as the enemy in retiring had burned the bridges. General Grant says in this period of the fight: *' Sheridan's and Wood's divisions had been lying under arms from early in the morning, ready to move the instant the signal was given. I directed Thomas to order the charge at once. The enemy was strongly intrenched on the crest of the ridge Chattanooga. in front of us, and had a second line half-way down, and another at the base. Our men drove the troops in front of the lower line of rifle pits so rapidly, and followed them so closely, that rebel and Union troops went over the first line of works almost at the same time. Many rebels were captured and sent to the rear under the fire of their own friends half-way up the hill.* Without awaiting further orders or stopping to re-form, on our troops went to the second line of works, over that and on for the crest. I watched their progress with intense interest. The fire along the rebel line was terrific ; cannon and musket balls filled the air." General Howard says of this sight : " The enemy fly up the ridge without stopping to re-form. With no par- ticular namable formation, in squads, with flags now drooping, now fallen, again uplifted, the men, * Note. — General Whipple (who was General Thomas's chief-of- staff) says that he was carrying an order to General Wood at this time, and met numbers of the enemy running toward him in a very headlong and demoralized manner, without their guns : they were making haste to get away from the fire of their own people higher up the hill, and sought safety behind the advancing Federals. 7 Chattanooga. with no more orders, followed by their officers, move on up, up the ridge. Batteries upon the crest bear upon them and burst the shells over their heads, and cross-musketry fire from the rifle trenches on the heights kills some and wounds others, but our men do not stop until they have fully crowned the summit of this angry mountain and turned the enemy's guns to fire in another direction, — upon his own fragments." General Grant says of this moment : " General Thomas, with his staff, General Gordon Granger, commander of the corps making the assault, and myself and staff, occupied Orchard Knob, from which the entire field could be observed." TAzs is the scene which the artist, M. de Thul- strupy has successfully depicted. In the group of three figures in the left fore- ground will be recognized the compact form of General Grant lifting his field-glass to his eye; on his left stands General Granger; while the heroic proportions of General Thomas, then newly chris- tened the " Rock of Chicamauga," stand out boldly Chattanooga. against the horizon. Near this historic trio may be seen a signal officer vainly endeavoring to commu- nicate with General Sherman, for whose relief the attack immediately in front has been made. Far- ther in rear stand officers of the staff in attendance upon the principal commanders. To the right is the corps headquarters flag and color-guard with their horses. The battle of Chattanooga was full of those inci- dents peculiar to war, but which are too often overshadowed by the important results of the opera- tions of which they are not the least interesting part. The limited space available here permits but a passing allusion to one or two occurrences of this nature. The signal for the charge of Sheridan's and Wood's divisions was the firing of six guns from Orchard Knob. The first gun was aimed at a point on the centre of the ridge believed to be Bragg's headquarters ; it was afterwards learned that this shot blew up a Confederate caisson. General Whipple was carrying an order from Chattanooga. Orchard Knob. Just as the advancing line had carried the rifle-pits at the foot cf the ridge, he encountered two men carrying a wounded officer of an Ohio regiment. Whipple, who wore the uniform of a brigadier-general, was surprised at the saluta- tion from the occupant of the stretcher, of " How are you, Lieute^iant 1 '' It proved to be a former private of Whipple's company in the Third Infantry of the Regular Army, who, while leading his brave volunteers up the ridge, had been hit in the leg. General Howard relates a pathetic incident. After the last charge, four stout men carried a sergeant to the rear. They stopped to rest. E. P. Smith, then of the Christian Commission, drew near the stretcher, and speaking kindly, asked, " Where are you hurt, sergeant 1 " He answers, " Almost up, sir." "I mean, in what part are you injured?" He fixes his eye on the speaker, and answers again, "Almost up to the top." Just then Mr. Smith uncovers his arm, and sees the frightful shattering wound of the shell that struck him. " Yes," he says, turning his eye thither, " that 's what did it. Chattanooga. I was almost up : but for that I should have reached the top." The sergeant was bearing the flag when he was hit. He died with the fainter and fainter utterance of "Almost up," while his companions on the heights he almost reached were echoing the cheers of the triumph that he would have so much enjoyed. General Sheridan with characteristic ardor had led his division in person, and says that, on arriving at the top of the hill on horseback, he was looking along the parapet to find a place to jump his horse over the works ; some of the Confederates, unable to get away, thrust the buts of their muskets toward him in token of surrender. Suddenly, the general felt himself seized from behind, and nearly pulled off his horse. It proved to be one of his own colonels, who, thinking that his commander was needlessly exposing himself, adopted this un- ceremonious way to save his life. By universal testimony, the completeness of the success at Missionary Ridge was due to the promptness with which Sheridan, without specific LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 013 702 497 4 Chattanooga. orders, pursued the enemy after the crest had been carried. It has been estimated that the forces actually engaged numbered 45,000 Confederate and 55,000 Union soldiers; the advantage in position would be considered, however, as giving the Southern side superior numbers. Grant's casualties were 757 killed, 4,529 wounded, and 330 missing; total, 5,616. Bragg's loss was nearly 10,000 in all, of which num- ber more than 6,000 were captured, together with 40 pieces of artillery and 7,000 small arms. The battle of Chattanooga was one of the most important events of the year, which comprised in its history the great achievements of Vicksburg and • Gettysburg. 12 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 013 702 497 4