General Rosecrans had now been removed from the command of the Army of the Cumberland, and General Grant assumed control. The army occupied the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee; while the rebel army under General Bragg occupied Mission Ridge, immediately in front of and overlooking the city. The task of driving Bragg from this position was assigned to General Grant.
Before entering upon this campaign, however, it was necessary to re-enforce the Army of the Cumberland; for it had not entirely recovered from the disastrous battle of Chickamauga. For this purpose it was necessary to draw on the Army of the Potomac, now lying idle on the banks of the Rapidan. At this time this army had, positively speaking, accomplished nothing. It had barely saved Washington from the enemy. To be sure, it had seen many hard-fought battles, and on all occasions sustained its reputation for courage and endurance. But the results following these battles were entirely negative; and after more than two years of marches, counter-marches, sieges, and battles, when graves had been dug from the Potomac to the James, and filled with the best blood of the land, and the country left in mourning for her fallen braves, but little territory had been gained, and the possession of this little being constantly disputed by a well-organized and gallant army. A sort of fatality had thus settled down upon the Army of the Potomac. Some of the best generals had been summoned to its command, but to no purpose. The hand of fate rested upon it heavily. When about to seize upon victory, some stream would rise in its rear, or some unseen accident happen to its communications or line of supplies, compelling it to let go its hold on victory, and in its stead to accept defeat. No wonder, then, that the authorities saw fit to send a part of this not very promising army to a department where victory sometimes rested upon the Federal arms. Hooker's corps was therefore ordered to report to Grant.
The Seventh being a part of this command, left its camp on the Rapidan in the latter part of September, and moving up to Washington, passed over to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, when it left for Nashville, Tennessee, by the way of Columbus, Indianapolis, and Louisville. It soon after left for Wartrays, by the way of Murfreesboro'. It was now ordered to construct winter-quarters, but having them nearly completed, it was ordered to Bridgeport, Alabama, where it arrived in due time.
This entire trip from the East was accomplished without any delay, and nothing occurring to lessen the good opinion the people entertained for this veteran corps.
CHAPTER XXI.
The Seventh joins Grant's army. — The battles of Lookout Mountain, Mission Ridge, and Ringgold.
After remaining for some time at Bridgeport, the regiment was ordered to the vicinity of Lookout Mountain. It marched to the little village of Wahatcha, at the base of this mountain, and went into camp. It remained, however, but a short time, and then returned to Bridgeport, where it went into permanent camp.
Late in the fall, General Grant had perfected his arrangements to attack the rebel stronghold on Lookout Mountain; and, as a preparatory measure, his vast army was concentrated in the vicinity of Chattanooga. An immense quantity of stores had been gathered, while garrisons were placed at points to be held for the purpose of keeping up communication with the army after its advance. Early in November, the Seventh left its quarters in Alabama, and joined the grand army.
On the 24th of November, the army was set in motion. The Seventh passed up the northern slope of the mountain, and crossing Lookout Creek, formed in line of battle. It now steadily advanced, arriving at the rebel camp to find it in the hands of our men. But desultory firing was kept up by the rebel sharpshooters concealed in the timber and behind rocks on the summit of the mountain. The regiment was now ordered on picket. Passing around to the east side of the mountain, it was fired upon by the enemy; but owing to their being entirely hidden from view by the dense fog that had settled over the combatants, it did not return the fire, but secured a safe harbor behind rocks and trees. This fire was kept up for nearly two hours, with a loss to the regiment of only four men wounded. Before night the regiment was relieved from duty and marched to the rear, bivouacking in a peach orchard.
About ten A.M. of the 25th, it moved down the opposite side of the mountain, and passing through a small valley, soon reached Mission Ridge. Without halting, the command moved steadily up this mountain, and on arriving on its summit, found that the rebels had fled. Passing into another valley, it bivouacked for the night. On the 26th, the command moved to the vicinity of Pigeon Mountain, where it remained till the following day. Early on the morning of the 27th, it moved on to Ringgold, Georgia, where it found the enemy securely posted on Taylor's Ridge. On arriving in this town, the brigade was ordered to scale the mountain. It was formed on the railroad, in two lines of battle; the second line being ordered to preserve a distance of one hundred yards. Two Pennsylvania regiments formed the first line, and the Sixty-sixth and Seventh Ohio the second line; the Seventh being on the left. The enemy soon discovered the intention of our troops, and made his dispositions to meet the attack by extending his right. As soon as the advance began, the enemy opened fire. Arriving at the foot of the hill, the first line halted to return the fire, and the second line passed through. The Seventh now moved into a ravine, where it was exposed to a terrible fire from the front and both flanks, but it pressed on without firing a shot. Arriving almost on the crest of the hill, the fire became too effective for even these gallant veterans to withstand, and the line gave way, fighting as it went. In this manner, the surviving few reached the foot of the hill.