Today in History:

94 Series I Volume XXXI-I Serial 54 - Knoxville and Lookout Mountain Part I

Page 94 KY.,SW.VA.,Tennessee,MISS.,N.ALA.,AND N.GA. Chapter XLIII.

movement of the column, and about 5 p.m. halted for the night, and went into camp a mile or more up the valley from Brown's Ferry. Here we learned that a pontoon bridge had been thrown across the river, and that General Hazen's brigade held the heights on the south side of it. Geary's division being in the rear, and being anxious to hold both roads leading to Kelley's Ferry, he was directed to encamp near Wauhatchie, 3 miles from the position held by Howard's corps. Pickets were thrown out from both camps on all the approaches, though no attempt was made to establish and preserve a communication between them.

The commands were too small to keep up a substantial communication that distance, and I deemed it more prudent to hold the men well in hand than to have a feeble one. In my judgment, it was essential to retain possession of both approaches to Kelley's Ferry, if practicable, as it would cause us inconvenience to dispossess the enemy if he established himself on either. Before night Howard threw out three companies in the direction of Kelley's Ferry to intercept and capture, if possible, the enemy's sharpshooters,who had been engaged in firing across the river into our trains, and had in fact compelled them to avoid that line entirely. A regiment was also sent toward the point where the Chattanooga road crosses Lookout Creek, and about 12 o'clock had a little skirmishing with the enemy. An hour after, the mutterings of a heavy musketry fell upon our ears from the direction of Geary. He was fiercely attacked, first his pickets, and soon after his main force, but not before he was in line of battle to receive it. Howard was directed to double-quick his nearest division (Schurz's) to his relief, and before proceeding far a sheet of musketry was thrown on him from the central hills, but at long range, and inflicting no great injury. This was the first intimation that the enemy were there at all.

Directions were immediately given for one of the brigades en route to Geary (Tyndale's) to be detached and assault the enemy in the hills on the left, and for the other brigade to push on as ordered. Meanwhile, Howard's First Division, under Steinwehr, came up, when it was discovered that the hill to the rear of Schurz's division was also occupied by the enemy in force, and Smith's brigade, of this division, was ordered to carry it with the bayonet. This skeleton, but brave brigade, charged up the mountain, almost inaccessible by daylight, under a heavy fire, without returning it, and drove three times their number from behind hastily thrown up intrenchments, capturing prisoners, and scattering the enemy in all directions. No troops ever rendered more brilliant service. The name of their valiant commander is Colonel Orland Smith, of the Seventy-third Ohio Volunteers. Tyndale, encountering less resistance, had also made himself master of the enemy's position in his front.

During these operations a heavy musketry fire, with occasional discharges of artillery, continued to reach us from Geary. It was evident that a formidable adversary had gathered around him, and that he was battling him with all his might. For almost three hours, without assistance, he repelled the repeated attacks of vastly superior numbers, and in the end drove them ingloriously from the field. At one time they had enveloped him on three sides, under circumstances that would have dismayed any officer except one endowed with an iron will and the most exalted courage. Such is the character of General Geary. With this ended the fight. We had repelled every attack, carried every point assaulted, thrown the enemy head-


Page 94 KY.,SW.VA.,Tennessee,MISS.,N.ALA.,AND N.GA. Chapter XLIII.