menu_book Chapter 10

chapter ten of company h missionary ridge after retreating from chickamauga the yankees attempted to reform their broken lines on missionary ridge we advanced to attack them but they soon fell back to chattanooga we knew they were in an impregnable position we had built those breastworks and forts and knew whereof we spoke we stopped on missionary ridge and gnashed our teeth at chattanooga i do not know what our generals thought i do not know what the authorities at richmond thought but i can tell you what the privates thought but here we were on missionary ridge and lookout mountain looking right down into chattanooga we had but to watch and wait we would starve them out the federal army had accomplished their purpose they wanted chattanooga they laughed at our triumph and mocked at our victory they got chattanooga now where are you johnny rebb what are you going to do about it you've got the dry grins aren't you

we've got the key when the proper time comes we'll unlock your doors and go in you are going to starve us out eh we are not very hungry at present and we don't want any more pie when we starve out we'll call on you for rations but at present we are not starving by a jugful but if you want any whisky or tobacco send over and we'll give you some we've got all we wanted and assure you we are satisfied the above remarks are the supposed colloquy that took place between the two armies bragg in trying to starve the yankees out was starved out himself ask any old rebel as to our bill of fare at missionary ridge in all the history of the war i cannot remember of more privations and hardships than we went through at missionary ridge and when in the very acme of our privations and hunger when the army was most dissatisfied and unhappy we were ordered into line of battle to be reviewed by hon jefferson davis when he passed by us with his great retinue of staff officers and play outs at full gallop cheers greeted him with the words send us something to eat master jeff give us something to eat master jeff i'm hungry i'm hungry

sergeant tucker and general wilder at this place the yankee outpost was on one side of the tennessee river and ours on the other i was on the detail one sunday commanded by sergeant john t tucker when we were approaching we occurred the old guard and the yankee picket talking back and forth across the river the new guard immediately resumed the conversation we had to halloo at the top of our voices the river being about three hundred yards wide at this point but there was a little island about the middle of the river a yankee hallooed out oh johnny johnny meet me half way in the river on the island all right said sergeant tucker who immediately undressed all but his hat in which he carried the chattanooga rebel and some other southern newspapers and swam across to the island when he got there the yankee was there but the yankee had waited i do not know what he and john talked about but they got very friendly and john invited them to come clear across to our side which invitation he accepted i noticed at the time that while john swam the yankee waited remarking that he couldn't swim

the river was but little over waist deep well they came across and we swapped a few lyes canteens and tobacco and then the yankee went back wading all the way across the stream that man was general wilder commanding the federal cavalry and at the battle of missionary ridge he threw his whole division of cavalry across the tennessee river at that point thus flanking bragg's army and opening the battle he was examining the ford and the swapping business was but a mere by-play he played it sharp and bragg had to get further moccasin point mamie's brigade fortified on top of lookout mountain from this position we could see five states the yankees had built a fort across the river on moccasin point and were throwing shells at us continually i have never seen such accurate shooting in my life it was upon the principle of shooting a squirrel out of a tree and they had become so perfect in their aim that i believed they could have killed a squirrel a mile off we could have killed a great many artillerymen if we had been allowed to shoot but no private soldier was ever allowed to shoot a gun on his own hook if he shot at all it must be by the order of an officer for if just one cartridge was shot away or lost the private was charged twenty-five cents for it and had to do extra duty

and i don't think our artillery was ever allowed to fire a single shot under any circumstances our rations were cooked up by special detail ten miles in the rear and were sent to us every three days and then those three days rations were generally eaten up at one meal and the private soldier had to starve the other two days and a half never in all my whole life do i remember of ever experiencing so much oppression and humiliation the soldiers were starved and almost naked and covered all over with lice and camp itch and filth and dirt the men looked sick hollow-eyed and heart-broken living principally upon parched corn which had been picked out of the mud and dirt under the feet of officers horses we thought of nothing but starvation the battle of missionary ridge was opened from moccasin point while we were on lookout mountain but i knew nothing of the movements or maneuvers of either army and only tell what part i took in the battle battle of missionary ridge one morning theodore sloane hogg johnson and i were standing picket at the little stream that runs along at the foot of lookout mountain in fact i would be pleased to name our captain fulcher and lieutenant lansdowne of the guard on this occasion because we acted as picket for the whole three days engagement without being relieved

and haven't been relieved yet but that battle has gone into history we heard a yankee call oh johnny johnny reb i started out to meet him as formerly when he hallooed out go back johnny go back we are ordered to fire on you what is the matter is your army going to advance on us i don't know we were ordered to fire i jumped back into the picket post and a minnie ball ruined the only hat i had another and another followed in quick succession and the dirt flew up in our faces off our little breastworks before night the picket line was engaged from one end to the other if you had only heard it dear reader it went like ten thousand woodchoppers and an occasional boom of a cannon would remind you of a tree falling we could hear colonels giving commands to their regiments and we could see very plainly the commotion and hubbub but what was up we were unable to tell the picket line kept moving to our right the second night found us near the tunnel and right where two railroads cross each other or rather one runs over the other high enough for the cars to pass under we could see all over chattanooga and it looked like myriads of bluecoats swarming days and manigault's brigades got into a night attack at the foot of lookout mountain i could see the whole of it it looked like lightning bugs on a dark night

but about midnight everything quieted down theodore sloane hogg johnson and myself occupied an old log cabin as vidette we had not slept any for two nights and were very drowsy i assure you but we knew there was something up and we had to keep awake the next morning nearly day i think i had dropped off into a pleasant doze and was dreaming of more pretty things than you ever saw in your life when johnson touched me and whispered look there are three yankees must i shoot i whispered back yes a bang awa what a shriek he had got one sure everything got quiet again and we heard nothing more for an hour johnson touched me again and whispered yonder they come again look look i could not see them was too sleepy for that sloane could not see them either johnson pulled down and another unearthly squall rendered the night air the streaks of day had begun to glimmer over missionary ridge and i could see in the dim twilight the yankee guard not fifty yards off said i boys let's fire into them and run we took deliberate aim and fired at that they raised i thought a mighty sickly sort of yell and charged the house we ran out but waited on the outside we took a second position where the railroads cross each other but they began shelling us from the river

when we got on the opposite side of the railroad and they ceased i know nothing about the battle how grant with one wing went up the river and hooker's corps went down will's valley etc i heard fighting and commanding and musketry all day long but i was still on picket balls were passing over our heads both coming and going i could not tell whether i was standing picket for yankees or rebels i knew that the yankee line was between me and the rebel line for i could see the battle right over the tunnel we had been placed on picket at the foot of lookout mountain but we were five miles from that place now if i had tried to run in i couldn't i got separated from sloane and johnson somehow and in fact was waiting either for an advance of the yankees or to be called in by the captain of the picket i could see the blue coats fairly lining missionary ridge in my head the yankees were swarming everywhere they were passing me all day with their dead and wounded going back to chattanooga no one seemed to notice me they were passing to and fro cannon artillery and everything i was willing to be taken prisoner but no one seemed disposed to do it i was afraid to look at them and i was afraid to hide for fear some one's attention would be attracted toward me i wished i could make myself invisible i think i was invisible i felt that way anyhow i felt like the boy who wanted to go to the wedding but had no shoes

casabianca never had such feelings as i had that livelong day say captain say if my task be done and yet the sweeping waves rolled on and answered neither yea nor nay about two or three o'clock a column of yankees advancing to the attack swept right over where i was standing i was trying to stand aside to get out of their way but the more i tried to get out of their way the more in their way i got i was carried forward i know not whither we soon arrived at the foot of the ridge at our old breastworks i recognized robert brank's old cornstalk house in althorsley's fort an old log house called fort horsley i was in front of the enemy's line and was afraid to run up the ridge and afraid to surrender they were ordered to charge up the hill there was no firing from the rebel lines in our immediate front they kept climbing and pulling and scratching until i was in touching distance of the old rebel breastworks right on the very apex of missionary ridge i made one jump and i heard captain turner who had the very four napoleon guns we had captured at perryville halloo out number four solid and then a roar the next order was limber to the rear

the yankees were cutting and slashing and the cannoneers were running in every direction i saw day's brigade throw down their guns and break like quarter horses bragg was trying to rally them i heard him say here is your commander and the soldiers hallooed back here is your mule the whole army was routed i ran on down the ridge and there was our regiment the first tennessee with their guns stacked and drawing rations as if nothing was going on says i colonel field what's the matter the whole army is routed and running hadn't you better be getting away from here the yankees are not a hundred yards from here turner's battery is surrendered day's brigade is thrown down their arms and look yonder that's the stars and stripes he remarked very coolly you seem to be demoralized we've whipped them here we've captured two thousand prisoners in five stands of colors just at this time general bragg and staff rode up bragg had joined the church at shelbyville but he had backslid at missionary ridge he was cursing like a sailor says he what's this ah ha have you stacked your arms for a surrender no sir says field take arms shoulder arms by the right flank file right march just as cool and deliberate as if on dress parade bragg looked scared he had put spurs to his horse and was running like a scared dog before colonel field even had a chance to answer him

every word of this is a fact we at once became the rear guard of the whole army author's note i remember of general maney meeting gary gary i do not know who gary was but maney and gary seemed to be very glad to see each other every time i think of that retreat i think of gary i felt sorry for general bragg the army was routed and bragg looked so scared poor fellow he looked so hacked and whipped and mortified and chagrined at defeat and all along the line when bragg would pass the soldiers would raise the yell here is your mule bully for bragg he's hell on retreat bragg was a good disciplinarian and if he had cultivated the love and respect of his troops by feeding and clothing them better than they were the result would have been different more depends on a good general than the lives of many privates the private loses his life the general his country good-bye good-bye good bye tom we as soon as the order was given to march we saw poor tom we lying on the battlefield shot through the head his blood and brain smearing his face and clothes and he still alive

he was as brave and noble a man as our heavenly father in his infinite wisdom ever made everybody loved him he was a universal favorite of the company and regiment was brave and generous and ever anxious to take some other man's place when there was any skirmishing or fighting to be done we did not wish to leave the poor fellow in that condition and a s horsley john t tucker tennessee thompson and myself got a litter and carried him on our shoulders through that livelong day back to chickamauga station the next morning dr j e dixon of desher's brigade passed by and told us that it would be useless for us to carry him any further and that it was utterly impossible for him ever to recover the yankees were then advancing and firing upon us what could we do we could not carry him any further and we could not bury him for he was still alive to leave him where he was we thought best we took hold of his hand bent over him and pressed our lips to his all four of us we kissed him good-bye and left him to the tender mercies of the advancing foe in whose hands he would be in a few moments

no doubt they laughed and jeered at the dying rebel it mattered not what they did for poor tom webb's spirit before the sun went down was with god and the holy angels he had given his all to his country oh how we missed him it seemed that the very spirit and life of company h had died with the death of good noble and brave tom i thank god that i am no infidel and i feel and believe that i will again see tom webb just as sure and certain reader as you are now reading these lines i will meet him up yonder i know i will the rear guard when we had marched about a mile back in the rear of the battlefield we were ordered to halt so that all stragglers might pass us as we were detailed as the rear guard while resting on the roadside we saw day's brigade pass us they were gunless cartridge boxless knapsackless canteenless and all other military accoutrements less and swordless and officer less

and they all seemed to have the possum grins like bragg looked and as they passed our regiment you never heard such fun made of a parcel of soldiers in your life every fellow was yelling at the top of his voice yeller hammer alabammer flicker flicker flicker flicker flicker i felt sorry for the yeller hammer alabamans they looked so hacked and answered back never a word when they had passed two pieces of artillery passed us they were the only two pieces not captured at missionary ridge and they were ordered to immediately precede us in bringing up the rear the whole rear guard was placed under the command of the noble generous handsome and brave general jist of south carolina i love general jist and when i mention his name tears gather in my eyes i think he was the handsomest man i ever knew our army was a long time crossing the railroad bridge across chickamauga river vaney's brigade of cheatham's division and general l e polk's brigade of claiborne's division formed a sort of line of battle

and had to wait until the stragglers had all passed i remember looking at them and as they passed i could read the character of every soldier some were mad others cowed and many were laughing some were cursing bragg some the yankees and some were rejoicing at the defeat i cannot describe it it was the first defeat our army had ever suffered but the prevailing sentiment was anathemas and denunciations hurled against jeff davis for ordering longstreet's corps to knoxville and sending off generals wheeler's and forrest's cavalry while every private soldier in the whole army knew that the enemy was concentrating at chattanooga chickamauga station when we arrived at chickamauga station our brigade and general lucius e polk's brigade of claiborne's division were left to set fire to the town and burn up and destroy all those immense piles of army stores and provisions which had been accumulated there to starve the yankees out of chattanooga great piles of corn and sacks and bacon and crackers and molasses and sugar and coffee and rice and potatoes and onions and peas and flour by the hundreds of barrels all now to be given to the flames while for months the rebel soldiers had been stinted and starved for the want of those same provisions

it was enough to make the bravest and most patriotic soul that ever fired a gun in defense of any cause on earth think of rebelling against the authorities as they were then every private soldier knew these stores were there and for the want of them we lost our cause reader i ask you who you think was to blame most of our army had already passed through hungry and disheartened and here were all these stores that had to be destroyed before setting fire to the town every soldier in maney's and polk's brigades loaded himself down with rations it was a laughable-looking rear guard of a routed and retreating army every one of us had cut open the end of a corn-sack emptied out the corn and filled it with hardtack and besides every one of us had a side of bacon hung to our bayonets on our guns our canteens and clothes and faces and hair were all gummed up with molasses such is the picture of our rear guard now reader if you were ever on the rear guard of a routed and retreating army you know how tedious it is you don't move more than ten feet at furthest before you have to halt

and then ten feet again a few minutes afterwards and so on all day long you haven't time to sit down a moment before you are ordered to move on again and the yankees dash up every now and then and fire a volley into your rear now that is the way we were marched that livelong day until nearly dark and then the yankees began to crowd us we can see their line forming and know we have to fight the battle of cat creek about dark a small body of cavalry dashed in ahead of us and captured and carried off one piece of artillery and colonel john f house general maney's assistant adjutant general we will have to form line of battle and drive them back well we quickly form line of battle and the yankees are seen to emerge from the woods about two hundred yards from us we promptly shell off those sides of bacon and sacks of hardtack that we had worried and tugged with all day long bang bang bang sss we are ordered to load and fire promptly and to hold our position yonder they come a whole division our regiment is the only regiment in the action they are crowding us our poor little handful of men are being killed and wounded by scores

there is general george maney badly wounded and being carried to the rear and there is moon of fulcher's battalion killed dead in his tracks we can't much longer hold our position a minnie ball passes through my bible in my side pocket all at once we are ordered to open ranks here comes one piece of artillery from a mississippi battery bouncing ten feet high over brush and logs and bending down little trees and saplings under whip and spur the horses are champing the bits and are muddied from head to foot now quick quick look the yankees have discovered the battery and are preparing to charge it unlimber horses and caisson to the rear number one shrapnel load fire boom boom load a buoy yacht boom boom i saw sam ca fall badly wounded and carried to the rear i stopped firing to look at sergeant doyle how he handled his gun at every discharge it would bounce and turn its muzzle completely to the rear when those old artillery soldiers would return it to its place and it seemed they fired a shot almost every ten seconds fire men our muskets roll and rattle making music like the kettle and bass drum combined they are checked we see them fall back to the woods and knight throws her mantle over the scene

we fell back now and had to strip and wade chickamauga river it was up to our armpits and was as cold as charity we had to carry our clothes across on the points of our bayonets fires had been kindled every few yards on the other side and we soon got warmed up again ringgold gap i had got as far as ringgold gap when i had unconsciously fallen asleep by a fire it being the fourth night that i had not slept a wink before i got to this fire however a gentleman whom i never saw in my life because it was totally dark at the time handed me a letter from the old folks at home and a good suit of clothes he belonged to colonel breckinridge's cavalry and if he ever sees these lines i wish to say to him god bless you old boy i had lost every blanket and vestige of clothing except those i had on at missionary ridge i laid down by the fire and went to sleep but how long i had slept i knew not when i felt a rough hand grab me and give me a shake and the fellow said are you going to sleep here and let the yankees cut your throat i opened my eyes and asked who are you he politely and pleasantly yet profanely told me that he was general walker the poor fellow was killed the twenty-second of july at atlanta

and that i had better get further he passed on and waked others just then general claiborne and his staff rode by me and i heard one of his staff remark general here is a ditch or gully that will make a natural breastwork all i heard general claiborne say was er i saw general lucius e polk's brigade form on the crest of the hill i went down a little further and laid down again and went to sleep how long i had lain there and what was passing over me i know nothing about but when i awoke here is what i saw i saw a long line of blue coats marching down the railroad track the first thought i had was well i'm gone up now sure but on second sight i discovered that they were prisoners claiborne had had the doggonest fight of the war the ground was piled with dead yankees they were piled in heaps the scene looked unlike any battlefield i ever saw from the foot to the top of the hill was covered with their slain all lying on their faces it had the appearance of the roof of a house shingled with dead yankees they were flushed with victory and success and had determined to push forward and capture the whole of the rebel army and set up their triumphant standard at atlanta then exit southern confederacy

but their dead were so piled in their path at ringgold gap that they could not pass them the spartans gained a name at thermopylae in which leonidas and the whole spartan army were slain while defending the pass claiborne's division gained a name at ringgold gap in which they not only slew the victorious army but captured five thousand prisoners besides that brilliant victory of claiborne's made him not only the best general of the army of tennessee and covered his men with glory and honor of heroes but checked the advance of grant's whole army we did not budge an inch further for many a long day but we went into winter quarters right here at ringgold gap tunnel hill and dalton chapter ten