they could hope for was to prolong the conflict until darkness should come to their aid. The only remaining dozen cannon they had, were placed where each one must do the work of a battery. The rebels could be distinctly seen re-arranging their men for another onset. The patriots could only wait in stern patience to meet the storm.

Just then, through dust and smoke, begrimed and mud-spattered, Brigadier-General Garfield, chief of General Rosecrans's staff, appeared with Captain Gaw, General Thomas's chief of topographers, at the headquarters. They had ridden from Chattanooga, passing through a fiery ordeal. General Garfield's horse had been shot from under him, his orderly killed, his clothes tattered and torn, and almost by a miracle he had forced his way through, to share the fate of the devoted band of patriots. He brought the cheering message that General Rosecrans had not forgotten his brave companions; he was organizing his scattered troops, and would soon bring them forward to their relief. The glad news was rapidly circulated among the men, inspiring them with fresh courage.

By this time the foe were again seen advancing. At the same moment a large white dove lighted upon a dead tree, nearly over the head of General Thomas, and sat there, calmly watching the battle from her dangerous perch, until the patriot shout of victory startled her away, as if to spread the joyful news. The Unionists, in perfect silence, with loaded guns and compressed lips, awaited the dreadful onset. The explosion of a single cannon was heard; a rebel shell was hurtled shrieking through the air, and exploding over the heads of the patriots. It was the signal for the rebel charge. They rushed as the storm-swept billow rushes; they were met as the rock dashes back the surge. Colonel Turchin, who occupied the centre, rushed forward in pursuit of the broken bands of the foe. With great impetuosity he followed them, capturing nearly the whole of a Mississippi regiment. Chasing the fugitives farther than was prudent, he became himself involved in the masses of the enemy. He was nearly surrounded; but turning his men, he cut his way back with three hundred prisoners, though not without severe loss to himself.

The rebels now prepared for another charge; it was the final fling of foiled desperation and rage. Our men were becoming fearfully reduced. The Third Kentucky Regiment, which went into the battle with three hundred and sixty men, had now but eighty left. The largest company numbered ten. Many other regiments had met with nearly an equal loss. The ammunition was again failing, and it was found necessary to search the dead and the wounded for cartridges. Still the patriots remained firm and undaunted. They were formed in two lines; the first would fire and then step back to load; the second line would then advance and deliver its fire, again to yield place to the first.

With such incessant velocity were these discharges made, that the rattle of musketry was blended into almost an uninterrupted roar. Yet all seemed to be done with the precision of a holiday parade; but the men were so exhausted by the protracted fight as almost to stagger as they advanced to deliver their fire. It was indeed bravely done. That little handful of men, assaulted on flank and in front, and assailed by an artillery

fire on three sides, for two days resisted every assault, and finally repelled the utmost energies of the whole rebel army.

Just as the sun was sinking behind the peaks of Lookout Mountain, the rebels were seen retreating, to get beyond the range of those trusty rifles which had already laid so many of them low in death. With glowing hearts, but with voices faint from fatigue, there burst forth from the patriot lips the cheer of victory. They had not only saved the army, but they had made the name Chickamauga resplendent with the glory of our arms. Many a patriot eye was moistened with the tear of gratitude, and many a Christian heart breathed forth the words of thanksgiving.

During the night, General Thomas, with his troops, fell back, unmolested, to a strong position at Rossville. The enemy advanced upon them. the next day, and made a cautious reconnoissance, but did not venture upon an attack. The military stores, ambulances, and guns, which had not been captured by the enemy, were removed during the day, and the patriot troops retired to Chattanooga, where, strongly intrenched, they awaited the future. The battle of Chickamauga was disastrous to both parties. The patriot loss was estimated at one thousand six hundred and fifty-six in killed, nine thousand three hundred and twenty-three wounded, and five thousand and sixty-seven missing, making a total of sixteen thousand and forty-six. The rebel loss has never been accurately ascertained. They claimed that it did not much exceed twelve thousand men. But the partial returns indicate that it was even heavier than ours.

The battle of Chickamauga was a serious check to the patriot arms, arresting our advance. Still, it did not wrest from us any territory which we had previously gained. It was supposed that Chattanooga could not be captured without a severe battle. Had we fought this battle to gain admittance to the place, instead of fighting it, as we did, to secure possession, the contest would have been deemed a signal victory.

The Southern press did not exult over the result of the conflict. Though the rebels claimed a victory, still they admitted that its fruits did not compensate for its losses. They gained nothing in territory, but little in plunder, and nothing in position. They only retarded for a few days the avenging march of the patriots, at the expense of a loss of probably from sixteen to twenty thousand men. A few more such victories would prove their utter ruin.

The patriots retreated from their repulse to the strong intrenchments of Chattanooga. The rebels gathered around them, and from various elevations in the vicinity endeavored to shell them out. Failing in this, squads of men were sent in every direction to cut lines of communication, destroy supply trains, and pick off any stragglers on the roads. These measures were prosecuted with so much energy, that fears were seriously entertained that our army would be compelled to evacuate Chattanooga for want of supplies. The National Government, awake to the importance of maintaining the ground gained at the expense of so terrible a battie, immediately forwarded to General Rosecrans large reënforcements. It was judged expedient to unite all the armies of the West for better coöperation. General U. S. Grant, the hero of Donelson and Vicksburg,

was directed to take the general command. Some unhappy differences occurring between General Rosecrans and the War Department, he was removed, and General Thomas appointed to fill his place.

While all admitted the ability and fitness of the new commander, yet the genius of General Rosecrans had inspired such confidence in the community, that universal regret was expressed at his removal. As we study the battle after the excitement has passed, there seems to have been no mistake made which should warrant censure.

General Grant arrived at Chattanooga on the 23d of October, and assumed command. By reference to the map, it will be seen that Chattanooga is situated on a bend of the river. Two and a half miles southwest there is a high hill, rising twenty-four hundred feet above the water, called Lookout Mountain. Two miles west of this mountain there is a parallel hill called Raccoon Mountain, which, like Lookout, runs down to the edge of the river. A stream meanders through the little valley between these two ridges, called Lookout River. The railroad from Chattanooga south runs along the edge of this little stream, crossing a depression in Raccoon Mountain.

The rebels held both of these ridges, thus commanding both the railroad and Tennessee River. East of Lookout Mountain there was another elevation, called Missionary Ridge, extending north and south about seven miles. This the rebels also occupied, having strongly fortified it with earthworks and with three very respectable forts, called Breckinridge, Hindman, and Buckner. These works so effectually encircled the town, from the river above to the river below, that it became very difficult to supply the numerous wants of the army. General Rosecrans immediately commenced such measures as were then in his power to displace the rebel troops from their commanding position.

On the morning of October 27th, the forces of General Hooker and General Howard, who had been sent from Virginia to reënforce Rosecrans, left Bridgeport, crossing the river on a pontoon bridge, and marched some fourteen miles on the Chattanooga road, comparatively unmolested. On the 28th they continued their march, crossing Raccoon Mountain into the valley, dispersing a force at Brown's Ferry. As General Smith's Brigade marched along by the right of the railroad, almost under the mountain, they were so near the enemy on the hills above that they threw percussionshells by hand at them, and some few exploded in their midst.

Even during the most fearful scenes of war, occasionally an incident will occur exciting mirth. While the enemy were shelling our troops near a house, some of our soldiers entered the dwelling and found a woman protecting a pet calf from shells, by placing it carefully under a bed. She herself courageously maintained her position in a chair, exposed to the peril from which she was so tenderly protecting the calf.

On the evening of the 28th, the enemy managed to get between General Hooker's two corps, the advance being General Geary's Division. The rebel divisions of Hood and Jenkins were massed on a spur of Raccoon Mountain, thus enabling them to concentrate their forces so as to fall on either corps.

The night, illumined by nearly a full moon, was almost as bright as day, except where the sombre shadows from abrupt cliffs or gloomy forests darkened the earth. The enemy, about one o'clock in the morning, opened on General Geary's forces, a mile and a half in advance. General Schurz's Division was immediately sent to their relief. As they passed the hill on which the enemy were intrenching themselves, they were opened upon vigorously. General Howard, however, dashed into the fire to urge forward the reënforcements, to aid General Geary, or to turn General Jenkins's Division, as future events should dictate.

With two or three of his staff he advanced considerably beyond his troops, when suddenly he came. upon a small force of the enemy. The rebel officer, not recognizing his uniform as belonging to a Unionist, asked who he was. Not losing self-command, Howard replied, "Friend," and immediately asked, "Have you whipped the enemy?"

"No," was the reply; "but we should have done so, if our regiments had not run off and left us here. You had better be careful in going forward, for the Yanks are just in the edge of those woods."

"I'll be careful," said the general, as he rode one way and the rebels another.

General Geary was surprised by the rebel attack, and the attempt was made to turn his flank, but the enemy were met with so much determination by the One Hundred and Thirty-seventh New York, One Hundred and Ninth and One Hundred and Eleventh Pennsylvania, assisted by the Seventy-eighth and One Hundred and Forty-ninth New York and Twentyseventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, that all their efforts were in vain. Some thirty men from the Twenty-seventh Pennsylvania, with two artillerymen, dragged a gun of Knapp's Battery, of which all the horses had been killed, to a suitable position, and succeeded in driving back a flanking column of rebels. Every officer of this battery was killed or wounded, but the brave corps succeeded in repulsing their foe before assistance arrived.

While this was transpiring, there was another fight going on. As General Schurz was attacked in passing the rebels on Raccoon Mountain, the importance of their position was at once noticed by General Hooker. Colonel Orlando Smith, of the Seventy-third Ohio, commanding a brigade, was ordered to take it at all hazards. As the soldiers advanced up the hill, a severe fire was opened on them. Slowly struggling up an ascent, difficult even at peaceful times, through brier-brush tangles and fallen trees, the Seventy-fifth Ohio led the way, the Thirty-third Massachusetts followed, and the One Hundred and Thirty-sixth New York brought up the rear. Losing numbers by the way, at last a point was reached whence a charge could be made. With wild and exultant outcry they dashed over the crest of the hill, and in a few moments the enemy were flying in confusion, leaving quite respectable earthworks in the hands of the victors.

Schurz's Division, as it advanced, drove the enemy from a neighboring hill, and thus secured their position, and by half-past four in the morning the firing ceased. By this brilliant achievement our lines of communication were greatly strengthened, and we were prepared for further aggressive

movements.

CONDITION OF THE ARMY AT CHATTANOOGA.-PLANS OF BRAGG.-GENERAL GRANT'S PLAY OF BATTLE.-CAPTURE OF ORCHARD KNOB.-SUCCESSFUL ATTACK UPON LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN.— TOPOGRAPHY OF THE REGION.-ATTACK UPON MISSIONARY RIDGE. THE REBEL CENTRE PIERCED. RETREAT OF THE FOE.-VIGOROUS PURSUIT.—BATTLE OF RINGGOLD.

THE possession of a precarious road for the transmission of supplies beneath the batteries of the rebels did not meet the requirements of the National forces. Chattanooga was virtually besieged by the rebels; not very effectually, it is true, but so menacingly, that it was not safe to employ, on any distant expedition, any portion of its numerous garrison.

The straggling town of Chattanooga, which contains but about four thousand inhabitants, is one hundred miles below the city of Knoxville, and but four miles from the Georgia State line. General Grant, upon his arrival, the latter part of October, to assume the command, immediately took measures to dislodge the foe from his commanding positions on Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. The rebel General Bragg, feeling strong in numbers, and in the impregnability of his fortifications, had detached fifteen thousand men to lay siege to Knoxville, where General Burnside, with a small force, was in command. It was his expectation, as revealed by captured documents, that General Grant would thus be constrained to send reënforcements from Chattanooga to the aid of General Burnside. Bragg then intended to make a rush upon the weakened Union troops and drive them out of Chattanooga. General Grant, however, instead of falling into the trap, decided to make an assault upon the weakened lines of Bragg in their mountain fortresses.

On the night of November 22d, the camp-fires of the rebels gleamed brilliantly along the ridges, as we have mentioned, and illumined the valley below. The lines of the enemy extended from the extreme northern point of Missionary Ridge, across the valley, and up to the summit of Lookout Mountain, embracing a circuit of about seven miles. The plan of battle adopted by General Grant was to attack both extremes of this line with such vigor as to compel them to weaken the centre, and then by an impetuous attack to break through the weakened point. Generals Sherman and Davis were designated to attack Fort Buckner, at the head of Missionary Ridge; Generals Hooker, Geary, Osterhaus, and Stanley were to advance to the assault upon Lookout Mountain; General Thomas, with the corps of Generals Granger and Palmer, was to remain concealed by the forest and the hills, awaiting the signal for them to break through