personal memoirs-1-第49章

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to　join　my　troops。



As　soon　as　the　men　saw　me；　they　surged　forward　and　went　over　the

works　on　the　crest。　　The　parapet　of　the　intrenchment　was　too　high　for

my　horse　to　jump；　so；　riding　a　short　distance　to　the　left；　I　entered

through　a　low　place　in　the　line。　　A　few　Confederates　were　found

inside；　but　they　turned　the　butts　of　their　muskets　toward　me　in　token

of　surrender；　for　our　men　were　now　passing　beyond　them　on　both　their

flanks。



The　right　and　right　centre　of　my　division　gained　the　summit　first；

they　being　partially　sheltered　by　a　depression　in　the　face　of　the

ridge；　the　Confederates　in　their　immediate　front　fleeing　down　the

southern　face。　　When　I　crossed　the　rifle…pits　on　the　top　the

Confederates　were　still　holding　fast　at　Bragg's　headquarters；　and　a

battery　located　there　opened　fire　along　the　crest；　making　things　most

uncomfortably　hot。　　Seeing　the　danger　to　which　I　was　exposed；　for　I

was　mounted；　Colonel　Joseph　Conrad；　of　the　Fifteenth　Missouri；　ran　up

and　begged　me　to　dismount。　　I　accepted　his　excellent　advice；　and　it

probably　saved　my　life；　but　poor　Conrad　was　punished　for　his

solicitude　by　being　seriously　wounded　in　the　thigh　at　the　moment　he

was　thus　contributing　to　my　safety。



Wildly　cheering；　the　men　advanced　along　the　ridge　toward　Bragg's

headquarters；　and　soon　drove　the　Confederates　from　this　last

position；　capturing　a　number　of　prisoners；　among　them　Breckenridge's

and　Bates's　adjutant…generals；　and　the　battery　that　had　made　such

stout　resistance　on　the　crest…two　guns　which　were　named　〃Lady

Breckenridge〃　and　〃Lady　Buckner〃　General　Bragg　himself　having　barely

time　to　escape　before　his　headquarters　were　taken。



My　whole　division　had　now　reached　the　summit；　and　Wagner　and　Harker

the　latter　slightly　woundedjoined　me　as　I　was　standing　in　the

battery　just　secured。　　The　enemy　was　rapidly　retiring；　and　though

many　of　his　troops；　with　disorganized　wagon…trains　and　several　pieces

of　artillery；　could　be　distinctly　seen　in　much　confusion　about　half　a

mile　distant　in　the　valley　below；　yet　he　was　covering　them　with　a

pretty　well　organized　line　that　continued　to　give　us　a　desultory

fire。　　Seeing　this；　I　at　once　directed　Wagner　and　Harker　to　take　up

the　pursuit　along　Moore's　road；　which　led　to　Chickamauga　Station

Bragg's　depot　of　supplyand　as　they　progressed；　I　pushed　Sherman's

brigade　along　the　road　behind　them。　　Wagner　and　Harker　soon　overtook

the　rearguard；　and　a　slight　skirmish　caused　it　to　break；　permitting

nine　guns　and　a　large　number　of　wagons　which　were　endeavoring　to　get

away　in　the　stampede　to　fall　into　our　hands。



About　a　mile　and　a　half　beyond　Missionary　Ridge；　Moore's　road　passed

over　a　second　ridge　or　high　range　of　hills；　and　here　the　enemy　had

determined　to　make　a　stand　for　that　purpose；　posting　eight　pieces　of

artillery　with　such　supporting　force　as　he　could　rally。　　He　was

immediately　attacked　by　Harker　and　Wagner；　but　the　position　was

strong；　the　ridge　being　rugged　and　difficult　of　ascent；　and　after　the

first　onset　our　men　recoiled。　　A　staff…officer　from　Colonel　Wood's

demi…brigade　informing　me　at　this　juncture　that　that　command　was　too

weak　to　carry　the　position　in　its　front；　I　ordered　the　Fifteenth

Indiana　and　the　Twenty…Sixth　Ohio　to　advance　to　Wood's　aid；　and　then

hastening　to　the　front　I　found　his　men　clinging　to　the　face　of　the

ridge；　contending　stubbornly　with　the　rear…guard　of　the　enemy。

Directing　Harker　to　put　Opdyke's　demi…brigade　in　on　the　right；　I

informed　Wagner　that　it　was　necessary　to　flank　the　enemy　by　carrying

the　high　bluff　on　our　left　where　the　ridge　terminated；　that　I　had

designated　the　Twenty…Sixth　Ohio　and　Fifteenth　Indiana　for　the　work；

and　that　I　wished　him　to　join　them。



It　was　now　dusk；　but　the　two　regiments　engaged　in　the　flanking

movement　pushed　on　to　gain　the　bluff。　　Just　as　they　reached　the　crest

of　the　ridge　the　moon　rose　from　behind；　enlarged　by　the　refraction　of

the　atmosphere；　and　as　the　attacking　column　passed　along　the　summit

it　crossed　the　moon's　disk　and　disclosed　to　us　below　a　most

interesting　panorama；　every　figure　nearly　being　thrown　out　in　full

relief。　　The　enemy；　now　outflanked　on　left　and　right；　abandoned　his

ground；　leaving　us　two　pieces　of　artillery　and　a　number　of　wagons。

After　this　ridge　was　captured　I　found　that　no　other　troops　than　mine

were　pursuing　the　enemy；　so　I　called　a　halt　lest　I　might　become　too

much　isolated。　　Having　previously　studied　the　topography　of　the

country　thoroughly；　I　knew　that　if　I　pressed　on　my　line　of　march

would　carry　me　back　to　Chickamauga　station；　where　we　would　be　in　rear

of　the　Confederates　that　had　been　fighting　General　Sherman；　and　that

there　was　a　possibility　of　capturing　them　by　such　action；　but　I　did

not　feel　warranted　in　marching　there　alone；　so　I　rode　back　to

Missionary　Ridge　to　ask　for　more　troops；　and　upon　arriving　there　I

found　Granger　in　command；　General　Thomas　having　gone　back　to

Chattanooga。



Granger　was　at　Braggy's　late　headquarters　in　bed。　　I　informed　him　of

my　situation　and　implored　him　to　follow　me　up　with　the　Army　of　the

Cumberland；　but　he　declined；　saying　that　he　thought　we　had　done　well

enough。　　I　still　insisting；　he　told　me　finally　to　push　on　to　the

crossing　of　Chickamauga　Creek；　and　if　I；　encountered　the　enemy　he

would　order　troops　to　my　support。　　I　returned　to　my　division　about

12　o'clock　at　night；　got　it　under　way；　and　reached　the　crossing；

about　half　a　mile　from　the　station；　at　2　o'clock　on　the　morning　of

the　26th；　and　there　found　the　bridge　destroyed；　but　that　the　creek

was　fordable。　　I　did　not　encounter　the　enemy　in　any　force；　but　feared

to　go　farther　without　assistance。　　This　I　thought　I　might　bring　up　by

practicing　a　little　deception；　so　I　caused　two　regiments　to　simulate

an　engagement　by　opening　fire；　hoping　that　this　would　alarm　Granger

and　oblige　him　to　respond　with　troops；　but　my　scheme　failed。　　General

Granger　afterward　told　me　that　he　had　heard　the　volleys；　but

suspected　their　purpose；　knowing　that　they　were　not　occasioned　by　a

fight；　since　they　were　too　regular　in　their　delivery。



I　was　much　disappointed　that　my　pursuit　had　not　been　supported；　for　I

felt　that　great　results　were　in　store　for　us　should　the　enemy　be

vigorously　followed。　　Had　the　troops　under　Granger's　command　been

pushed　out　with　mine　when　Missionary　Ridge　was　gained；　we　could　have

reached　Chickamauga　Station　by　12　o'clock　the　night　of　the　25th；　or

had　they　been　sent　even　later；　when　I　called　for　them；　we　could　have

got　there　by　daylight　and　worked　incalculable　danger　to　the

Confederates；　for　the　force　that　had　confronted　Sherman　did　not　pass

Chickamauga　Station　in　their　retreat　till　after　daylight　on　the

morning　of　the　26th。



My　course　in　following　so　close　was　dictated　by　a　thorough　knowledge

of　the　topography　of　the　country　and　a　familiarity　with　its　roads；

bypaths；　and　farm…houses；　gained　with　the　assistance　of　Mr。

Crutchfield；　and　sure　my　column　was　heading　in　the　right　direction；

though　night　had　fallen　I　thought　that　an　active　pursuit　would　almost

certainly　complete　the　destruction　of　Bragg's　army。　　When　General

Grant　came　by　my　bivouac　at　the　crossing　of　Chickamauga　Creek　on　the

26th；　he　realized　what　might　have　been　accomplished　had　the

successful　assault　on　Missionary　Ridge　been　supplemented　by　vigorous

efforts　on　the　part　of　some　high　officers；　who　were　more　interested

in　gleaning　that　portion　of　the　battle…field　over　which　my　command

had　passed　than　in　destroying　a　panic…stricken　enemy。



Although　it　cannot　be　said　that　the　result　of　the　two　days'

operations　was　reached　by　the　methods　which　General　Grant　had

indicated　in　his　instructions　preceding　the　battle；　yet　the　general

outcome　was　unquestionably　due　to　his　genius；　for　the　manoeuvring　of

Sherman's　and　Hooker's　commands　created　the　opportunity　for　Thomas's

corps　of　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland　to　carry　the　ridge　at　the　centre。

In　directing　Sherman　to　attack　the　north　end　of　the　ridge；　Grant