We moved forward the next evening, and threw up a line of works on the site of this night attack.
CHAPTER XII.
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.