Lookout Mountain--The Battle--The Regiment Re-enlist.
The line of General Geary’s division now extends along the foot of
Lookout mountain, parallel with the rebel line, and only separated from
it by the creek along its base. For nearly ten days the commissary
stores intended for us have been largely forwarded to Chattanooga,
leaving us with scarcely anything to eat. When on the skirmish line
we often sent our reserves around to the right of the mountain to
secure corn from a field in that location, held by the rebels, and
quite lively little fights would result. Our boys always returned with
corn, however, which we parched to allay in part the bitter pangs of
hunger. As with everything earthly our long fast ended, rations came,
and life began to seem almost worth living, exchanges of coffee and
tobacco were almost hourly made between the Union and rebel soldiers,
each forgetting for the time the hate engendered over the fight for
corn. Our main line was being strongly fortified, the rebels meanwhile
keeping up an almost continuous bombardment of our line from their
batteries on the heights of Lookout. Strong details were employed in
cutting away the forest on our front to enable our artillery to cover
an hourly expected attack. The situation remained the same until
November 23d, when, toward night, the beat of the “long roll” called
Geary’s division to arms. It at once moved promptly forward, formed
line of battle, facing Lookout heights, and advanced to its base along
the creek. Osterhaus’ division of the Fifteenth corps, and Whittaker’s
brigade, of the Fourth corps, now advanced to the left of Geary’s
division. The rebels soon discovered this movement and promptly moved
a strong force down the mountain side within easy musket range, where
they strongly fortified during the night.
The morning of November 24th opened out a simultaneous discharge of
our entire artillery, which was parked along the mountain’s point, the
infantry on our left advancing to the base of the mountain. The First
brigade, led by Colonel Creighton, and followed by the Second and
Third brigades, moved rapidly up the creek to the right under cover
of the woods, then debouching to the left. The First brigade took
the advance and began the ascent of Lookout heights, being favored
by a friendly ravine extending toward the crest of the mountain. The
brigade had advanced perhaps two-thirds of the distance before the
enemy discovered its movements, and now the men renew their efforts,
driving the enemy before them despite the terrible fire poured into
our advance, and after a desperate struggle reach the rocky crest and
disappear in a thick mist (referred to by most writers, we believe,
as clouds, and which gave this engagement the title of the “battle
above the clouds”). The line of the whole division is extended, and in
a moment sweeps down in an impetuous charge on both the rebel flank
and rear. Their batteries are reached, the cannoniers beaten back,
and the guns captured. Onward, upward, with loud cheers our columns
rush to victory, carrying everything before them. A whole brigade is
captured, and Lookout mountain, since famous in song and story, is
ours. This victory was won by Geary’s men, assisted only by Whittaker’s
brigade acting as support. The troops below now came gallantly(?) up
the mountain to claim, as usual, the honors won, as the voluminous
reports subsequently written by their generals amply attest. Geary
and his brigade commanders had no reports to make save that their
division stormed the heights and carried them, capturing the enemy’s
artillery and the entire rebel force occupying the main defenses of the
mountain. Some time after the capture the standard of the “white star”
division was planted on the crest and the stars and stripes was soon
waving beside it. No danger was incurred by this, as none of the enemy
remained except the prisoners, yet it has been written and rewritten as
if it were an event of some importance.
“The morning of November 25th revealed the white star standard of Geary
and the glorious old stars and stripes to the army below, floating
triumphantly side by side on Lookout’s rocky crest. Prolonged huzzas
greeted the victors from below, and to confirm that ‘to the victors
belong the spoils,’ a detachment from two regiments of Geary’s command
take charge of the prisoners, seven stand of colors, and a great number
of cannon captured.”
The rebels had burned the bridge across Lookout creek, which delayed
our further advance a short time. A bridge was soon improvised,
however, and a crossing was effected. The command moved on to
Rossville, where it engaged Braggs’ left, while General Thomas,
advancing from Chattanooga valley, moved up Missionary ridge, striking
Bragg a crushing blow in the center, and Pap Sherman was making it warm
for his right flank. About 2 o’clock P. M. the firing became general
along the entire line, which continued until late in the afternoon,
when the rebels were driven from the field with great loss. The Union
army advanced a short distance and bivouacked for the night.
November 26, we moved on after the retreating army, and at a small
creek near Greysville, Georgia, had a skirmish, driving the enemy as
far as Ringgold and Taylor’s ridge, where they were in position behind
breastwork in the narrow pass extending through the ridge in the
direction of Dalton.
27th. Geary’s division made a gallant charge upon the rebel works.
The First brigade, commanded by Colonel William R. Creighton, made a
direct assault on Taylor’s ridge, while the Second and Third brigades
engaged the rebels in the narrow defile. After a terrible struggle
the Nationals were forced back a short distance. A battery was moved
forward and placed in position, which opened with double shotted guns
upon the enemy, soon driving them precipitately to the rear, leaving
the Nationals in possession of the field. In this engagement the Union
loss was quite heavy.
On the 28th the army moved back, Geary’s division reaching Wauhatchie
valley on the 29th. Resting a few days, when the Twenty-ninth Ohio
regiment broke camp and on December 3d moved across Lookout creek,
marched about two miles west of Summerville, on Lookout mountain,
where it camped for the night. Returned to its old camp at Wauhatchie,
Tennessee, on the 5th day of December, and the campaign of 1863 ended.
At Wauhatchie, on the 10th day of December, 1863, the Twenty-ninth
Ohio, though now reduced to less than three hundred effective men for
duty, almost to a man re-enlisted for three years more, should the
war so long continue, and were given a thirty-days’ furlough home
for the purpose of recruiting. The headquarters of the regiment was
established at Cleveland, Ohio. It remained here some two months. At
last the decimated ranks were filled and, on the morning of February
8, 1864, the regiment bade a second good bye to friends, and amidst
their prayers for success and a safe return departed for the front,
determined to die for the flag if necessary, and, after a tedious ride
of many weary miles arrived at Bridgeport, Alabama, via Louisville,
Nashville, and Murfreesboro, where it went into winter quarters and
remained until the opening of the spring campaign of 1864.