CHAPTER X.

RE-OPENING OF THE TENNESSEE

HATCHIE.*

RIVER-BATTLE OF WAU

At 3 P. M. on the 28th of October, the head of Gen. Hooker's column arrived from Bridgeport at Wauhatchie Station, in Lookout Valley. Gen. Steinwehr's Division of the Eleventh Corps led, followed by Gen. Schurz's Division, with Gen. O. O. Howard in command of the corps. This force continued to Brown's Ferry, where, at 5 P. M., it united with the troops from Chattanooga, which had occupied that point the day before. Upon reaching the junction of the road over the point of Lookout to Chattanooga with the road to Brown's Ferry, the head of the column was fired upon from the right near the railroad bridge by troops of Law's Brigade, which had retired from Brown's Ferry the preceding day. This attack was repulsed, and the Confederate troops withdrew across Lookout Creek to the foot of Lookout Mountain.

Two brigades of Gen. Geary's Division of the Twelfth Corps reached Wauhatchie at 4:30 P. M., and took position at the Kelly's Ford Road. This was three miles from Gen. Schurz's camp, near Brown's Ferry. Gen. Geary directed his troops to bivouac on their arms, with their cartridge boxes on. Shortly after midnight, his lines were suddenly and heavily assaulted by Jenkins' Brigade of Hood's Division.

Gen. Longstreet was in command of the left of the Confederate line in Chattanooga Valley east of the mountain, with Law's Brigade of Hood's Division in Lookout Valley west of it. The chief duty of this brigade was to picket the river to its passage through the Raccoon Range, six miles

*See map, page 100.

below Brown's Ferry. From this lower point, it had been able to prevent the Union army from using the river road to Bridgeport, on the north bank, and thus forced it to bring its supplies by mountain roads.

The advance of Gen. Hooker's forces from Shellmound was reported to Gen. Longstreet in the afternoon of the 27th, but not credited by Gen. Bragg. While the latter was with Longstreet on the mountain, during the afternoon of the 28th, for the purpose of examining the position of the Union forces at Brown's Ferry, with a view to a movement by Gen. Longstreet to dislodge them, the head of Gen. Hooker's column came in view beyond Wauhatchie, and marched in plain sight of these generals to a junction with the forces at Brown's Ferry. In an hour, they saw Gen. Geary's troops arrive at Wauhatchie, and halt there three miles in rear of the rest of the column. It was immediately decided to make a night attack on them, and, if this succeeded, to turn the attacking force toward Brown's Ferry, attempt to carrry that position, and force those holding it over the river. was necessary that the entire movement should be completed during the night, since the Union batteries at Moccasin Point so swept the north slopes of the mountain as to make it impossible for a column to cross it during daylight.

It

Gen. Jenkins, commanding Hood's Division, was sent for by Gen. Longstreet, and reached the summit in time to closely observe the Union positions before dark. He was ordered to concentrate at the foot of the mountain three brigades of his division which were east of it, and be ready to cross the moment it was dark enough to conceal his troops from the Moccasin Point batteries. Gen. Law's Brigade was ordered to move forward as soon as it was dusk, from the lower bridge over Lookout Creek near its mouth, and occupy the ridge near the junction of the road from the creek with the road to Brown's Ferry. This ridge commanded the latter.

Upon the arrival of the three brigades from the east side

of the mountain, Gen. Jenkins sent Robertson's Brigade to the support of Law's Brigade that had reached the ridge to which it was ordered. Gen. Robertson's regiments were disposed on the right and left of Law's, and also guarded the bridge and picketed a line to the mouth of Lookout Creek.

Jenkins' Brigade of six regiments, under command of Col. Bratton, was ordered to advance on the force at Wauhatchie, while Benning's Brigade was held on the left of Law's position, ready to reinforce Bratton.

Col. Bratton attacked Gen. Geary's lines shortly after midnight, finding them fully formed, although he had advanced without skirmishers. Gen. Geary's outposts had given timely warning, and the troops had bivouacked in line with their accouterments on. The fighting continued at close quarters for three hours, when the Confederates withdrew. Eight regiments of Gen. Geary's command had not come up, leaving six and a battery available for action. Two held an important position, but were engaged only for a few minutes. Gen. Geary's loss was 34 killed, 174 wounded, 8 missing; total, 216. The loss in Col. Bratton's attacking brigade of six regiments was 31 killed, 286 wounded, 39 missing; total, 356.

When the firing opened on Geary's line, Gen. Howard ordered Gen. Schurz's Division forward, with directions to push its leading brigade as rapidly as possible to Geary. Smith's Brigade of Steinwehr's Division, when passing the position occupied in the afternoon by Law's Brigade, was fired upon from its wooded crest, which was parallel to the road. Smith at once assaulted it, under a heavy fire from the summit, and carried it. Tyndale's Brigade of Schurz's Division soon after came under a sharp fire from a more southern crest overlooking the road on which it was proceeding toward Geary, and, after a sharp engagement, carried the hill by a charge. The enemy withdrew across Lookout Creek, and Gen. Jenkins regained his camps on the east side of the mountain before daylight. As a result of these opera

tions, the Confederates abandoned Lookout Valley west of the creek, and thenceforth the Union army at Chattanooga had uninterrupted communication, by way of Brown's Ferry, with Bridgeport and Stevenson, both by the river and the wagon roads on each bank.

A season of great activity followed on the part of Gen. Grant's forces, to prepare for offensive operations. Supplies of all kinds, clothing, ammunition, and heavy guns were rapidly brought forward, and the day of attack finally depended upon the arrival of Gen. Sherman's reinforcements.

CHAPTER XI.

BATTLE OF CHATTANOOGA-ORCHARD KNOB--LOOKOUT MOUN

TAIN-MISSIONARY RIDGE.

Gen. Grant's orders for attacking Bragg's position on Missionary Ridge were sent to Gen. Thomas, Wednesday, November 18, directing the movement to begin Saturday, the 21st, at daylight. On account of the impossibility of Gen. Sherman's troops arriving in time, the attack was first postponed until Sunday, then until Tuesday morning, when, the same conditions still existing, it was delayed until the next day. The battle opened on Wednesday afternoon, November 23d, by a movement of Gen. Thomas against Orchard Knob, not contemplated in the original order.

Gen. Grant's order of battle was as follows:

HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION of the MISSISSIPPI, CHATTANOOGA, TENN., November 18, 1863. Major-General Geo. H. Thomas,

Commanding Department and Army of the Cumberland. GENERAL All preparations should be made for attacking the enemy's position on Missionary Ridge by Saturday morning at daylight. Not being provided with a map giving names of roads, spurs of the mountain, and other places, such definite instructions can not be given as might be desirable. However, the general plan, you understand, is for Sherman, with his force brought with him, strengthened by a division from your command, to effect a crossing of the Tennessee River just below the mouth of the Chickamauga; his crossing to be protected by artillery from the heights on the north bank of the river (to be located by your chief of