USA > Iowa > History of the Thirtieth Iowa Infantry Volunteers : giving a complete record of the movements of the regiment from its organization until mustered out > Part 5
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17
In the darkness Sherman had placed his men on detached hills which had appeared to be at the end of the Ridge, but which were separated from the ridge proper by a deep ravine. Through this end of the ridge ran a railroad timnel, which is called Tunnel Hill. The same mist that had enveloped Hooker's manouvers, mislead Sherman. At daylight the steamer, Dunbar, came up from Chat- tanooga to assist in the ferrying and the pontoons were quickly - converted into a substantial bridge over which General Jeff C. Davis division, the artillery and horses were passed at 1 o'clock p. 1. Sherman marched from the river up on the hills with his com- mand in three columns. The division of General Morgan L. Smith was the column of direction, and followed substantially the course of the Chicamaugua river. General John E. Smith's division was in the center and General Ewing's on the right rear. General Howard had come up from the position of the eleventh corps be- hind ('itico creek with three regiments of Burchbeck's brigade to join General Sherman. Proceeded by skirmishers, the columns pushed forward through the mists and the drizzling rain and up the sides of the hill to the crest, where they were halted and order- ed to fortify. Up to this time the surprise had been complete and no resistance had been offered. "By 4 o'clock General Sherman was
4-4
HISTORY OF THE THIRTIETH IOWA INFANTRY.
in complete possession of the hills, with his men busily engaged in fortifying. The enemy's artillery opened on him from Missionary Ridge, but did no damage, and some infantry which were pushed forward in reconnoissance, but fell back to the top of Missionary Ridge after exchanging a few shots with Sherman's skirmishers. The attack was renewed a little later with more earnestness, and both musketry and artillery mingled in the fight, but the enemy was finally driven off. General Giles A. Smith was severely wounded and compelled to go to the rear. General Howard's three regiments were put in on General Ewing's right and Howard re- turned to his corps at Citico Creek. General Jeff C. Davis left one of his brigades at the bridge head, sent another close up to Sher- man, while the third maintained a position between the two.
The rain ceased and the clouds sped away as night came on and a sharp frost cleared the air, through which the stars shone bright- er than gems. With the night came soul cheering sights to the soldiers at Chattanooga. To their left and up the river they saw Sherman's camp fires running up over the high hills where he had effected a lodgement. On back of them the lines of camp-fires ran to the river. Then there were dots of fire connecting with the long sweep of fires which marked yesterday's advance of the Army of the Cumberland to Orchard Knob. During the day everyone in Chattanooga had watched with the keenest interest, the signs of General Hooker's advance. They had been cheered by the gradual approach of the noise of the battle, until it had reached the north of the mountain, and there for a few minutes they actually caught sight of Hooker's men, the third brigade, first division, fifteenth army corps, as they rushed across the open field at the Craven House in pursuit of the fleeing enemy. This was General William's brigade consisting of the 4th, 9th, 25th, 26th, 30th and 31st Iowa troops. Then the mist settled down and hid everything from view. The noise of battle came no further, but at least it did not go back. When the clouds cleared away they saw Hooker's camp-fires shin- ing brighter than the stars on a summer night, and stretching from the foot of the palisades clear down to the Tennessee river. Three long miles of bright illumination marking everywhere the glorious advance, reflected into their soldier hearts a glow of military pride and sanguine anticipations for the morrow. The exultation which possessed them on the night of November 24th, 1863, as the drums and bugles called away to slumber the wet and weary soldiers, was measured by the depression and anxiety of the fearful ordeal through which they had been passing. General Hooker had pru-
一
H
15
HISTORY OF THE THIRTIETH IOWA INFANTRY.
dently halted after passing the open fiekl about the Craven House, and fortified. He had been meeting increased resistance as he ad- vanced, from the enemy's troops hurried forward from the lines across Chattanooga valley and had to face the contingency of Bragg, suddenly hurling a crushing force upon him.
Grant was alive to this possibility, and had advanced Johnson's division out on his right to come into communication with Hooker. Carlin led his brigade down the railroad toward the nose of the mountain, crossed Chattanooga creek by means of a flat boat, and finally, after night fall, succeeded in reaching Hooker, bringing with him a supply of much needed ammunition, which Carlin's men had carried in their pockets and haversacks. Hooker advanced with great caution, for the mist still covered the valley. He push- ed out reconnoitering parties, who presently returned with infor- mation that the rebs had evacuated everything west of Chattanoo- ga creek. Soon after the fog raised it revealed the entire rebel line from the mountain as far as the cross of Chattanooga creek, four miles from Chattanooga, and one mile from Rossville as aban- doned.
Grant's plan was for Hooker to attack Rossville and Bragg's left simultaneously with Sherman's assault on Braggs right flank six miles away. Hooker's instructions were to move directly forward, Johnson's division keeping him in touch with the right of the Army of the Cumberland. It was nine o'clock before Hooker moved and at ten o'clock he came to the crossing of Chattanooga creek, to find the bridge burned, and the stream swollen beyond its banks, a formidable obstacle to arrest his advance. He halted and begun the construction of a bridge.
So far Osterhaus had lost comparatively few men while he had taken more than two thousand prisoners, two cannons, five flags, and Stevenson's rations and camp equipments. Grant had sent Sherman orders to attack at daylight, and he with his character- istic promptitude was up while it was yet dark busily engaged in preparing for the assault. The last gleam of the setting sun had been a bitter revelation to him in the mistake he had made with regard to the Ridge. From all that the glass could tell him from across the river, the ridge was continuous to the posi- tion he had taken. All the maps he had, showed this to be so. Now he found himself on an isolated ridge composed of two large peaks and separated by a deep valley. Through this gorge ran the wagon roads, and the tunnel of the Chattanooga and Stephenson railroads. His position gave him no advantage whatever in at
16
HISTORY OF THE THIRTIETH IOWA INFANTRY.
tacking Missionary Ridge, and his movement had only served to expose his intentions and give Bragg time to prepare against him. The Army of the Tennessee was now confronted with a hard prop- osition. Before them rose steep heights, which the confederates under Hardy and Cleburn had industriously fortified during the night. General Sherman assigned the brigades of Cockerel, Alex- ander and Lightourn to hold the hill as the key point, and General Corse, with as much of his brigade as he could employ along the narrow ridge, was to attack from the right. Morgan L. Smith was to move along the cast base of Missionary Ridge, connecting with General Corse, and Colonel Loomis was to move along the west base supported by two reserve brigades of John E. Smith. Corse was eager to begin the fray and his bugle greeted the rising sun with "Forward!" General Corse formed his columns with the 40th Illinois in advance, Co's. A, F and B of the 103rd Illinois as skirmishers, and the 46th Ohio in reserve. The remainder of the brigade, 15th Michigan and 6th lowa and one wing of the 103rd Illinois was in support. General Corse put himself in charge of his command and rushed forward to find the enemy strongly fortified on a lone crest, from which it was driven after a sharp fight and ran back to the protection of the guns on the higher ridge behind. General Corse reformed his troops and sounded the charge upon this battery, again leading the charge in person. They were now in short range, only eighty yards away from both cannister and musketry, and the fire that opened upon them was simply terrific. The charge was pressed forward, however, until General Corse fell, badly wounded, when the men wavered slightly, but were in- stantly steadied to their work by Colonel Chas. C. Walcott of the 46th Ohio, who assumed command, and pressed forward in repeat- ed efforts to reach the battery. A few of the men actually succeed- ed, but were killed at the moment they did so. Colonel Walcott at last sounded the retreat, and retired the main forces of his com- mand to the right, but some of his men remained in good- coverts which they had found, and kept up, during the remainder of the day, an annoying and destructive fire upon the enemy. The gal- lant brigade maintained, until the end of the battle, the position which it first captured, despite all the efforts of the enemy to re- cover it.
General Grant was also disappointed in not hearing from Gien eral Hooker but it was not until this time that the bridge across Chattanooga creek was so far completed as to admit of the passage of the troops. Osterhaus was leading Hooker's advance with the
47
HISTORY OF THE THIRTIETH IOWA INFANTRY.
30th Iowa, Lieutenant Colonel Roberts in front, and the impetu- ous Iowans rushed across the narrow footway in the face of a heavy fire of musketry, shell and sharpnel from the troops and batteries on Missionary Ridge. It was then too late to give im- mediate relief to Sherman. Osterhaus, with the first division of the 15th army corps, had a hard fight at Rossville Gap, drove the rebels off, and at night camped on the point of Missionary Ridge, station 25, about 150 feet just east of where General Bragg had his headquarters the night before. It was on the northern slope of Missionary Ridge while the front assault was going on. Hooker was busily engaged in rolling up Bragg's left wing which was commanded by General John E. Breckenridge.
Osterhaus passed on through Rossville along the eastern slope of the ridge, taking the enemy's lines in reverse, while Cruft ascended the ridge directly from Rossville, and Geary struck the ridge on the western side, in the neighborhood of Breckenridge's headquar- ters. Cruft found the enemy stationed in the breastworks thrown up by our army the day after Chicamaugua, and encountered a sharp fire, which the 9th and 36th Indiana responded to with a bayonet charge which swept over the works, and started a retreat. Cruft put all his men into action with the utmost promptness, and brought pressure to bear along the whole of the enemy's front, while Osterhaus and Geary were making a very disconcerting ap- pearance upon the enemy's flanks and rear. Those whom Cruft routed ran into Osterhaus and Geary's lines, in their attempt to escape, and finally by sundown they found retreat entirely cut off by Johnson's division, which had gained the ridge.
Osterhaus alone captured 2100 prisoners. His division lost 52 · killed, 337 wounded, 43 missing. Total first division, fifteenth army corps, 432. 4th Iowa, 10 killed, 37 wounded, 2 missing; 9th Iowa, 3 killed, 12 wounded; 25th Iowa, 29 wounded; 26th Iowa, 16 wounded; 30th Iowa, 4 killed, 23 wounded; 31st Iowa, 2 killed, 17 wounded. In the brigado, 19 killed, 134 wounded, 2 missing.
GENERAL BRAGG'S REPORT OF THE BATTLE.
On my return to this pointabout 4 a. m., the enemy's forces were being moved in heavy masses from Lookout and beyond to our front, while those in front extended to our right. They form- ed three lines, with great deliberation, just beyond the range of our guns, and in plain view of our position. Though greatly out- numbered, such was the strength of our position, that no doubt was entertained of our ability to hold it, and every disposition was
.
18
HISTORY OF THE THIRTIETH IOWA INFANTRY.
made for that purpose. During this time they had made several attempts on our extreme right and had been handsomely repulsed with very heavy loss by Major General Cleburn's command. under Lieutenant General Hardee. By the road across the Ridge, Ross- ville far to our left, a route was open to our rear. Major General Breckenridge commanding on the left, had ocenpied this with his brigade and a battery. It being reported to me that a force of the enemy had moved in that direction, the General was ordered to have it recommoitered and to make every disposition necessary to secure his flanks, which he proceeded to do. At about 3:30 p. m. the immense force in front of our left and center advanced in three lines, preceded by heavy skirmishers. Our batteries opened with fine effect and much confusion was produced before they reached musket range. In a short time the roar of the musketry became very heavy, and it was soon apparent that the enemy had been repulsed in my immediate front. While riding along the crest congratulating the troops, intelligence reached me that our lives were broken on my right, and the enemy had crowned the ridge. Assistance was promptly dispatched to that point under General Bates, who had so successfully maintained the ground in my front. and I proceeded to the rear of the broken lines to rally our retir- ing troops, and return them to the crest to drive the enemy back. General Bates found the disaster so great that a small force conld not repair it. About this time I learned that our extreme left had also given away, and that my position was almost surrounded. Bates was immediately directed to form a second line in the rear, where by the efforts of my staff. a nucleus of stragglers had been formed upon which to rally. General Hardee, leaving General ('le- burn in command on the extreme right, moved toward the left, when he heard the heavy firing in that direction. He reached the right of Anderson's division just in time to find that it had nearly all fallen back, commencing on his left where the enemy had first carried the Ridge. By a prompt and judicious movement he threw a portion of Cheetaham's division directly across the Ridge and facing the enemy, who was now moving a strong force immediately on his left flank. By a decided stand here, the enemy wasentirely checked and that portion of our force to the right remained intact. On the left, however, except a portion of Bates' division, was entire ly routed and in rapid fight, nearly all the artillery having been shamefully abandoned by its infantry support. Every effort which could be made by myself and staff and many other mounted officers availed but.little; a panie which I had never before witnessed
19
HISTORY OF THE THIRTIETH IOWA INPANTRY.
seemed to have seized upon officers and men, and each seemed to be struggling for his own personal safety, regardless of his duty or his character. In this distressing and alarming state of affairs, General Bates was ordered to hold his division covering the road for the retreat of Breckenridge's command, and orders were im- mediately sent to Generals Hardee and Breckenridge to retire their forces to the depot at Chicamauga. Fortunately, it was now near. ly nightfall and the country and roads in our rear were quite well known to us, but equally nnknown to the enemy. The routed left made its way back in great disorder, effectnally covered however, by Bates' small command, which had a sharp conflict with the enemy's advance; driving it back. After night, all being quiet, Bates retired in good order, the enemy attempting no pursuit. General Hardee's command, under his judicious management, re- tired in good order and unmolested. As soon as all troops had crossed the Chicamanga, the bridge was destroyed to impede the enemy, though the stream was fordable at several places. No sat- isfactory exeuse can possibly be given for the shameful conduct of our troops on the left for allowing the lines to be penetrated. The position was one that ought to have been held by a line of skirm- ishers against any assaulting column and wherever resistance was made, the enemy fled in disorder after suffering a heavy loss. Those who reached the Ridge, did so in an exhausted condition from the great physical exertion of climbing, which rendered them powerless, and the slightest effort would have destroyed them. Hav- ing secured much of our artillery, they soon availed themselves of onr panic and, turning our guns upon us, enfiladed the lines, both right and left, rendering them entirely untenable. Had all the parts of the line maintained with equal gallantry and persistance, no enemy could have dislodged us, and but one possible reason pre- sents itself to my mind in explanation of this bad conduct in vet- eran troops who had never before failed in any duty assigned them, however difficult and hazardous. They had for two days confront- ed the enemy, marshalling his innnense forces in plain view, and exhibiting to their right, such a superiority in numbers, as may have intimidated weak-minded and untried soldiers, but our voter ans had so often encountered similar hosts when the strength of position was against us, and with perfect success, that not a doubt crossed my mind. As yet I am not fully informed as to the com- mands which first fled and brought this great disaster upon our arms. Investigation will bring out the truth however, and full justice shall be done to the good and the bad.
.
1
HISTORY OF THE THIRTIETH IOWA INFANTRY.
The above is General Bragg's report of the battle, but we think he had never before run up against the Army of the Tennessee; but had fought with the Army of the Cumberland and nearly al- ways got the best of them.
We, the Army of the Tennessee, had been gophering around the hills of Vicksburg and had become accustomed to hard fighting and exposure. As General Bragg says, his left was broken first. That was by Osterhaus, while Sherman was hokling nearly all of Bragg's army on the latter's right and had been from early morning till nearly 4 p. m. Had Thomas moved when ordered by Grant, the whole army under Bragg would have been captured, but he waited an hour, so says Grant, and saw Bragg massing his forces on Sherman all afternoon. They had taken nearly all the troops from Thomas' front. It is a wonder that Sherman hold them at all with such odds against him, but it was the army of the Tennessee showing its hand to the fighting world. It is doubtful if there ever was such a battle anywhere on earth such as this one was. It was a clear victory for the union army. They had left over 1695 of the very best soldiers on the field, killed. Iowa alone had 416 killed. This was surely a grand battle, well planned and executed to the best possible advantage. Surely Grant was a great general, as also we found Sherman to be his second in every- thing. 1
From Chickasaw, Alabama, wo marched with the rest of the army to Chattanooga. We reached Stephenson November 16th. The roads from there to Chattanooga were well nigh impassible, being not only cut up by the large trains, but from the large num- ber of dead mules and horses belonging to General Thomas'army, which were starved to death and left in the roadway. We never saw such a sight of dead animals. On the 23rd we arrived at Lookout creek, and Oh! such a rain as we had, and such mnd! It was near- ly impossible to get along. The pontoon bridge across the Tennes- see river at Brown's ferry, was broken that night. The first divi- sion of the 15th corps was assigned to General Hooker.
We then went with Hooker on Lookout mountain. About noon of the 24th of November, after the troops of Gerres's division had become engaged on the western and more accessible slope. Colonel Williams, leading the Towa brigade, consisting of the 1th, 9th, 25th, 26th, 30th and 31st, crossed the point of Lookout monn- tain, covered by the fire of heavy guns from Moccasin point, climbed up among the rocks enveloped in the thick mist which for a time enshrouded its frowning peak, and before the rebels were
51
HISTORY OF THE THIRTIETH IOWA INPANTRY.
aware of it, had ent off the retreat of a brigade of rebel troops who had no alternative but to surrender, which they did and were soon marched down where we had come up not long before. Rebel General Walthall received reinforcements of about 800 men and kept np a brisk firing in our front, but did not attempt to dislodge Us. Posted as we were, in works of their own construction. we now had the advantage of position. and about 3 a. m. November 25th, they retreated, leaving us in possession, and close up to the lifts of the mountain. We lay here all night and really suffered from cold and hunger.
This was one of the greatest days the "old Both" ever had. We had fought the battle above the clouds and had been victorious, and captured as many rebels as we had men in our division. Gen- oral Osterhaus in his report, after describing the taking of the point of Lookout Mountain, says, "the rebels charged with great vehe- menco and attempted to regain the entrenchments they had thrown np all around to the White House. They were, however, signally repulsed and my regiments held the position during the night. The enemy, full aware of the importance of the position gained by us, made several attempts to dislodge us in the fore part of the night. After midnight they abandoned and commenced a retreat toward Missionary Ridge."
Missionary Ridge is north and east of Chattanooga, and Lookout mountain is between Missionary Ridge and Chattanooga valley. East of Chattanooga valley is Chattanooga creek, and east of that is Roswell Gap. When our regiment left Lookont mountain on the morning of the 25th of November we went across Lookout valley until we came to Chattanooga creek. Here we were delay- . ed about three hours on account of the fact that the rebels had burned the bridge across Lookout creek. When it was repaired we crossed and went east toward Roswell Gap, a narrow path be- tween Lookout mountain and Missionary ridge. Here we met part of Bragg's forces and had another hard fight. At Roswell Gap there is now erected another moment to the memory of our bri- gade
The White House referred to is the Craven house, situated close to the bluff on the high point of rock known as Point Lookout. It is here that the confederate general, Walthall, had his headquart ers, and we came nearly capturing him. A little further and closer to the palisade we captured a confederate brigade of about. 2100.
It is a little south and cast of the Craven House that the lowa
1
52
HISTORY OF THE THIRTIETH IOWA INFANTRY.
monument now stands, bearing inscriptions to those of the Third brigade, as follows: "The 4th, 9th, 25th, 26th, 30th and 31st Iowa regiments " It is a fine momment; I should judge, from thirty to forty feet high. This brigade was the first at round top. This was the proudest scene I ever witnessed. and the 30th should al- ways be proud of the fact that they were with Hooker on the 24th, 25th and 27th of November, 1863, for it was the opportunity of a lifetime.
We gained the point of Missionary Ridge, and camped the night of the 25th about 150 feet just cast of where General Bragg had his headquarters the night before, on the northern slope of Mis- sionary ridge. They now have a fine steel tower where his head. quarters were, which is from 80 to 100 feet high. This was erect- ed by the Government and has five flights of stairways leading to the top of the tower, which commands a fine view of Chattanooga and Lookout mountain; also of Orchard Knob where Grant had his headquarters. Orchard Knob is south and west of Bragg's tower, and close to Highland Park. Highland Park is south and east of Chattanooga. Chattanooga is on the south side of the Tennessee river. North of Chattanooga the Tennessee river rims nearly west and thence makes a bend and runs nearly due south until close to the north end of Lookout mountain. Here it makes a great bend and runs nearly due north, or a little cast of north, and forms what is known as Moccasin Bend. This is where James J. Andrews was captured. Andrews was the man that had charge of the party of soldiers from Sell's brigade, Mitchell's corps, U. S. A., who captured a train from the confederates at Big Shanty, Ga. While the train crew were eating breakfast, Andrews and his men boarded the train, ent it in two and started for the north; but they were run down at Graysville and here abandoned the cars and tried to make their escape. Now Andrews, as we said, got back as far as Chattanooga and was captured and hanged as a spy June 7th, 1862. Eight others of the party were hanged at Atlanta, Ga .. Jnne 18th, 1862. Eight escaped from prison at Atlanta, October 16th, 1862, and six were parolled at City Point, Va., March 17th, 1863. Their object was to barn the railroad bridges, thereby cutting off the rebel supply train. It was a daring and bold undertaking and might have proved a snecess, had not the fiel supply been exhaust ed near Graysville. The engine, known as "the General, " has been repaired and now stands in the union depot at Chattanooga, Tem.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.