personal memoirs-1-第44节

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first　onset　our　men　recoiled。　　A　staff…officer　from　Colonel　Wood's

demi…brigade　informing　me　at　this　juncture　that　that　command　was　too

weak　to　carry　the　position　in　its　front；　I　ordered　the　Fifteenth

Indiana　and　the　Twenty…Sixth　Ohio　to　advance　to　Wood's　aid；　and　then

hastening　to　the　front　I　found　his　men　clinging　to　the　face　of　the

ridge；　contending　stubbornly　with　the　rear…guard　of　the　enemy。

Directing　Harker　to　put　Opdyke's　demi…brigade　in　on　the　right；　I

informed　Wagner　that　it　was　necessary　to　flank　the　enemy　by　carrying

the　high　bluff　on　our　left　where　the　ridge　terminated；　that　I　had

designated　the　Twenty…Sixth　Ohio　and　Fifteenth　Indiana　for　the　work；

and　that　I　wished　him　to　join　them。



It　was　now　dusk；　but　the　two　regiments　engaged　in　the　flanking

movement　pushed　on　to　gain　the　bluff。　　Just　as　they　reached　the　crest

of　the　ridge　the　moon　rose　from　behind；　enlarged　by　the　refraction　of

the　atmosphere；　and　as　the　attacking　column　passed　along　the　summit

it　crossed　the　moon's　disk　and　disclosed　to　us　below　a　most

interesting　panorama；　every　figure　nearly　being　thrown　out　in　full

relief。　　The　enemy；　now　outflanked　on　left　and　right；　abandoned　his

ground；　leaving　us　two　pieces　of　artillery　and　a　number　of　wagons。

After　this　ridge　was　captured　I　found　that　no　other　troops　than　mine

were　pursuing　the　enemy；　so　I　called　a　halt　lest　I　might　become　too

much　isolated。　　Having　previously　studied　the　topography　of　the

country　thoroughly；　I　knew　that　if　I　pressed　on　my　line　of　march

would　carry　me　back　to　Chickamauga　station；　where　we　would　be　in　rear

of　the　Confederates　that　had　been　fighting　General　Sherman；　and　that

there　was　a　possibility　of　capturing　them　by　such　action；　but　I　did

not　feel　warranted　in　marching　there　alone；　so　I　rode　back　to

Missionary　Ridge　to　ask　for　more　troops；　and　upon　arriving　there　I

found　Granger　in　command；　General　Thomas　having　gone　back　to

Chattanooga。



Granger　was　at　Braggy's　late　headquarters　in　bed。　　I　informed　him　of

my　situation　and　implored　him　to　follow　me　up　with　the　Army　of　the

Cumberland；　but　he　declined；　saying　that　he　thought　we　had　done　well

enough。　　I　still　insisting；　he　told　me　finally　to　push　on　to　the

crossing　of　Chickamauga　Creek；　and　if　I；　encountered　the　enemy　he

would　order　troops　to　my　support。　　I　returned　to　my　division　about

12　o'clock　at　night；　got　it　under　way；　and　reached　the　crossing；

about　half　a　mile　from　the　station；　at　2　o'clock　on　the　morning　of

the　26th；　and　there　found　the　bridge　destroyed；　but　that　the　creek

was　fordable。　　I　did　not　encounter　the　enemy　in　any　force；　but　feared

to　go　farther　without　assistance。　　This　I　thought　I　might　bring　up　by

practicing　a　little　deception；　so　I　caused　two　regiments　to　simulate

an　engagement　by　opening　fire；　hoping　that　this　would　alarm　Granger

and　oblige　him　to　respond　with　troops；　but　my　scheme　failed。　　General

Granger　afterward　told　me　that　he　had　heard　the　volleys；　but

suspected　their　purpose；　knowing　that　they　were　not　occasioned　by　a

fight；　since　they　were　too　regular　in　their　delivery。



I　was　much　disappointed　that　my　pursuit　had　not　been　supported；　for　I

felt　that　great　results　were　in　store　for　us　should　the　enemy　be

vigorously　followed。　　Had　the　troops　under　Granger's　command　been

pushed　out　with　mine　when　Missionary　Ridge　was　gained；　we　could　have

reached　Chickamauga　Station　by　12　o'clock　the　night　of　the　25th；　or

had　they　been　sent　even　later；　when　I　called　for　them；　we　could　have

got　there　by　daylight　and　worked　incalculable　danger　to　the

Confederates；　for　the　force　that　had　confronted　Sherman　did　not　pass

Chickamauga　Station　in　their　retreat　till　after　daylight　on　the

morning　of　the　26th。



My　course　in　following　so　close　was　dictated　by　a　thorough　knowledge

of　the　topography　of　the　country　and　a　familiarity　with　its　roads；

bypaths；　and　farm…houses；　gained　with　the　assistance　of　Mr。

Crutchfield；　and　sure　my　column　was　heading　in　the　right　direction；

though　night　had　fallen　I　thought　that　an　active　pursuit　would　almost

certainly　complete　the　destruction　of　Bragg's　army。　　When　General

Grant　came　by　my　bivouac　at　the　crossing　of　Chickamauga　Creek　on　the

26th；　he　realized　what　might　have　been　accomplished　had　the

successful　assault　on　Missionary　Ridge　been　supplemented　by　vigorous

efforts　on　the　part　of　some　high　officers；　who　were　more　interested

in　gleaning　that　portion　of　the　battle…field　over　which　my　command

had　passed　than　in　destroying　a　panic…stricken　enemy。



Although　it　cannot　be　said　that　the　result　of　the　two　days'

operations　was　reached　by　the　methods　which　General　Grant　had

indicated　in　his　instructions　preceding　the　battle；　yet　the　general

outcome　was　unquestionably　due　to　his　genius；　for　the　manoeuvring　of

Sherman's　and　Hooker's　commands　created　the　opportunity　for　Thomas's

corps　of　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland　to　carry　the　ridge　at　the　centre。

In　directing　Sherman　to　attack　the　north　end　of　the　ridge；　Grant

disconcerted　Braggwho　was　thus　made　to　fear　the　loss　of　his　depot

of　supplies　at　Chickamauga　Stationand　compelled　him　to　resist

stoutly；　and　stout　resistance　to　Sherman　meant　the　withdrawal　of　the

Confederates　from　Lookout　Mountain。　　While　this　attack　was　in　process

of　execution　advantage　was　taken　of　it　by　Hooker　in　a　well…planned

and　well…fought　battle；　but　to　my　mind　an　unnecessary　one；　for　our

possession　of　Lookout　was　the　inevitable　result　that　must　follow　from

Sherman's　threatening　attitude。　　The　assault　on　Missionary　Ridge　by

Granger's　and　Palmer's　corps　was　not　premeditated　by　Grant；　he

directing　only　the　line　at　its　base　to　be　carried；　but　when　this　fell

into　our　hands　the　situation　demanded　our　getting　the　one　at　the　top

also。



I　took　into　the　action　an　effective　force　of　6；000；　and　lost　123

officers　and　1；181　men　killed　and　wounded。　　These　casualties　speak

louder　than　words　of　the　character　of　the　fight；　and　plainly　tell

where　the　enemy　struggled　most　stubbornly　for　these　figures　comprise

one…third　the　casualties　of　the　entire　body　of　Union　troops

Sherman's　and　all　included。　　My　division　captured　1；762　prisoners

and；　in　all；　seventeen　pieces　of　artillery。　　Six　of　these　guns　I

turned　over　with　caissons　complete；　eleven　were　hauled　off　the　field

and　appropriated　by　an　officer　of　high　rankGeneral　Hazen。　　I　have

no　disposition　to　renew　the　controversy　which　grew　out　of　this

matter。　　At　the　time　the　occurrence　took　place　I　made　the　charge　in　a

plain　official　report；　which　was　accepted　as　correct　by　the　corps　and

army　commanders；　from　General　Granger　up　to　General　Grant。　　General

Hazen　took　no　notice　of　this　report　then；　though　well　aware　of　its

existence。　　Nearly　a　quarter　of　a　century　later；　however；　he

endeavored　to　justify　his　retention　of　the　guns　by　trying　to　show

that　his　brigade　was　the　first　to　reach　the　crest　of　Missionary

Ridge；　and　that　he　was　therefore　entitled　to　them。　　This　claim　of

being　the　first　to　mount　the　ridge　is　made　by　other　brigades　than

Hazen's；　with　equal　if　not　greater　force；　so　the　absurdity　of　his

deduction　is　apparent：



NOTE：　In　a　book　published　by　General　Hazen　in　1885；　he　endeavored　to

show；　by　a　number　of　letters　from　subordinate　officers　of　his

command；　written　at　his　solicitation　from　fifteen　to　twenty　years

after　the　occurrence；　that　his　brigade　was　the　first　to　mount

Missionary　Ridge；　and　that　it　was　entitled　to　possess　these　guns。

The　doubtful　character　of　testimony　dimmed　by　the　lapse　of　many　years

has　long　been　conceded；　and　I　am　content　to　let　the　controversy　stand

the　test　of　history；　based　on　the　conclusions　of　General　Grant；　as　he

drew　them　from　official　reports　made　when　the　circumstances　were

fresh　in　the　minds　of　all。



General　Grant　says：　〃To　Sheridan's　prompt　movement；　the　Army　of　the

Cumberland　and　the　nation　are　indebted　for　the　bulk　of　the　capture　of

prisoners；　artillery；　and　small…arms　that　day。　　Except　for　his　prompt

pursuit；　so　much　in　this　way　would　not　have　been　accomplished。〃



General　Thomas　says：　〃We　captured　all　their　cannon　and　ammunition

before　they　could　be　removed　or　destroyed。　　After　halting　a　few

moments　to　reorganize　the　troops；　who　had　become　somewhat　scattered

in　the　assault　of　the　hill；　General　Sheridan　pushed　forward　in

pursuit；　and　drove　those　in　his　front　who　had　escaped　capture　across

Chickamauga　Creek。〃



REPORT　OF　COLONEL　FRANCIS　T。　SHERMAN；　COMMANDING　FIRST　BRIGADE：

〃When　within　ten　yards　of　the　crest；　our　men　seemed　to　be　thrown

forward　as　if　by　some　powerful　engine；　and　the　old　flag　was　planted

firmly　and　surely　on　the　last　line　of　works　of　the　enemy；　followed　by

the　men；　taking　one　battery　of　artillery。〃



REPORT　OF　COLONEL　MICHAEL　GOODING；　TWENTY…SECOND　INDIANA：

。。。。〃I　pushed　men　up　to　the　second　line　of　works　as　fast　as　possible；

on　and　on；　clear　to　the　top；　and　over　the　ridge　they　went；　to　the

hollow　beyond；　killing　and　wounding　numbers　of　the　enemy　as　we

advanced；　and　leaving　the　rebel　b