On the morning of the 23d of November, the brigade broke up camp at
Whitesides and took up the line of march towards Chattanooga. About six
o'clock that evening it went into quarters at the foot of Lookout
Mountain. The anticipation was that the command would cross the river
the next morning and join General Sherman, who was about engaging the
enemy above Chattanooga. This anticipation was not realized. Early on
the morning of the 24th the men were under arms and facing the Lookout.
Soon the column commenced moving, and now the object of the move became
apparent--which was no less than the storming of Lookout Mountain. Is
it possible that these men are to march up that rugged mountain side in
the face of a relentless foe above, who are prepared to hurl
destruction down upon them from the height. Nothing daunted by the
formidable task assigned them, the troops moved boldly forward. The
enemy resisted stubbornly, but could not withstand the onward move of
our brave men. The fight was terrific for about five hours. The Third
brigade acted nobly, and the Fifty-Ninth Illinois added new laurels to
her war-worn banner. Not a man wavered, but each vied with the other in
urging on the advance.
Those who witnessed the maneuvering of the men--and every move could be
seen from Chattanooga and the adjacent hills--expressed the greatest
admiration at the masterly manner in which the regiments made their
charges. The Fifty-Ninth retained an unbroken line during the whole of
this arduous contest. General Hooker, who witnessed the whole affair,
remarked that he never saw a more perfect line of battle maintained by
any regiment, during successive charges, than was here maintained by
the Fifty-Ninth Illinois. The regiment lost but one killed and three
wounded. The rebels invariably over-shot us. James Medford, of Company
G, was killed while in the act of shooting at the enemy.
The morning of the 25th revealed to all in the valley below the
glorious flag of the Union floating over the point of Lookout.
Early on the morning of the 25th our brigade again advanced and
skirmished with the enemy all the way across Chattanooga Valley to
Missionary Ridge. Here the enemy attempted to make another stand. With
a shout our men charged upon them with fixed bayonets and again put
them to flight. In this charge the Fifty-Ninth was in the advance, and
was the first regiment to reach the summit of the Ridge. Although the
charge was a most dangerous one, only one man of the regiment was
wounded.
The regiment lay on the Ridge that night, and at sunrise continued the
pursuit. On the morning of the 28th, the command reached Ringgold,
eighteen miles from Chattanooga. At this place the rebels made another
stand, and the battle raged most furiously all the forenoon, but
terminated in the complete rout of the enemy. The Fifty-Ninth was on
the field and in line of battle, but did not become engaged.
After the battle, the Third Brigade was ordered to move five miles down
the railroad towards Tunnel Hill, and ascertain how far the rebs had
gone. About four miles from town a line of battle was discovered in our
front, and the brigade was halted. Here it remained 'till after dark,
when many fires were kindled as if it was intended to remain all night,
but the men silently withdrew behind the lights and returned to town.
On the afternoon of the 30th, the brigade started on its return to
Whitesides. The division returned through the Chickamauga battle field,
and spent all the 1st day of December in burying the dead that had been
left unburied by the rebs. After over two months' exposure, there was
nothing left of the bodies but bones to bury. Hundreds of these were
found and covered. They had buried their own dead, but the Union
soldier was left to moulder where he fell. On the 6th day of December
the regiment again went into winter quarters, in their old camp at
Whitesides.
There was now a fair prospect of remaining in camp for some time, and
the boys went to work in earnest to prepare themselves comfortable
shanties. In a few days they were all comfortably housed, and ready for
all kinds of mischief.
Corporal William A. Gilbert was left in hospital at Whitesides when the
regiment marched, and soon after its return he departed this life. He
was buried with the honors of war, on a pleasant spot above camp, on
the side of Raccoon Mountain.
The regiment, on this expedition, was commanded by Major Clayton Hale,
Lieutenant Colonel Winters having resigned and gone home, a short time
before the regiment moved. Captain James H. Stookey was Acting Major.
These two officers, soon afterwards, received a promotion--the one,
Major Hale, received a commission as Lieutenant-Colonel; the other,
Captain Stookey, a commission as Major of the Fifty-Ninth Regiment
Illinois Volunteers. Captain Stookey's promotion was highly pleasing to
the men of the regiment. By his unassuming manners, and kindly
disposition, he had obtained the good will and esteem, not only of the
men belonging to his own company, but of the whole regiment. He had
proven himself a brave, good officer, and one of the best tacticians in
the regiment. His promotion was richly merited. Major Hale had never
taken any pains to conciliate the feelings of the men towards himself,
but had ever been reticent in his manners towards the private soldier,
and, consequently, had lost that feeling of regard which friendly
communings, and social manners, always engenders.