Jr. Bradford Ripley Wood

“ With but 25,000 men formed in a semi-circle, of which he himself was the center and soul, he successfully resisted for more than five hours the repeated assaults of an army of 65,000 men flushed with victory and bent on his annihilation. On a portion of his line the last assault was repelled by the bayonet and several hundred of the enemy were captured. When night had closed over the combatants the last sound of battle was the booming of Gen. Thomas' guns. He held the road to Chattanooga and the army of the Cumberland was saved from destruction. ”

“ The change of direction was soon necessary, as the troops in rapid movement first met the enemy's pickets and their reserves, and then his stronger line in his lower intrenchments, and drove all in confusion to the crest of the ridge. The advance of the Union troops had been so rapid that the forces which had so often repeated their furious assaults at Chickamauga lost courage and made no soldierly efforts to maintain their positions, though supported by at least fifty guns which at short range were fast decimating the assaulting columns. ”

“ Having executed their orders holding the enemy's lower defenses, the four divisions stood under his batteries while the troops they had routed threw themselves behind the stronger intrenchments on the summit. To stand still was death, to fall back was not compassed by orders and was forbidden by every impulse of the brave men who with no stragglers had moved so boldly and so successfully upon the foe. ”

“ In the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park many grand and beautiful monuments have been erected by several of the states of the North and South in honor of their fallen soldiers. The Park contains 6965 acres, mostly at Chickamauga, but also at Orchard Knob, at different points on Missionary Ridge, at the battlefield on the slope of Lookout Mountain, at the Point Park on the summit, in Lookout valley and at Ringgold, Georgia. It contains one of the finest cavalry posts in the United States: Fort Oglethorpe. The improved roads in the Park are eighty miles in extent. ”

“ Under cover of the skirmishing the mountain was evacuated and in the morning there were no troops to be seen on the northern slope. The weather was a little foggy, but as it gradually cleared, a line of troops without colors displayed could be seen in the valley through an opening in the trees, marching towards Missionary Ridge. Not being able to distinguish whether they were the enemy's or our own, at 9:30 a.m. Nov. 25 I sent the following message to Capt. Jesse Merrill at army headquarters:—
Can see a long line of infantry on ridge beyond Chattanooga creek a little east of South. ”

“ A generation in Virginia will yet arise who will learn and confess the truth, that George H. Thomas, when he lifted his sword to bar the pathway of her secession, loved her as well as those who joined the cause of the South, and he served her better.
One day in September, 1863, while looking for Gen. A. McD. McCook in Chattanooga valley, I saw a signal flag waving not far away, and riding up to the signal station found Lieut. Wm. Quinton, signal officer on Gen. Thomas' staff, in communication with a signal station on Lookout Mountain. ”

“ Geary's division and Whitaker's brigade in line, sweeping the mountain from base to palisade, came abreast. The batteries then opened fire, and Woods and Grose crossed the creek and aligned their brigades on Geary's left as it swept down the valley. The troops of the enemy in the first positions that escaped the artillery fire ran into the infantry lines so quickly that overthrow occurred to all that had taken position in the valley and near the western base of the mountain. Many were killed and wounded and the remainder were captured. ”

“ From the southern side of the farm the ascent to the summit is very rocky and almost perpendicular. The house was occupied by the confederate general E. C. Walthall as his headquarters. Around the point of the mountain, a little above the river, is the track of the Nashville and Chattanooga railroad cut in the side of the rock, and above it, across the open field, was a wagon road leading into Lookout valley. On the eastern side of the mountain and connecting with this was the road to Summertown, the only wagon road to the summit of the mountain for many miles. ”

“ Hooker as he ascended the ridge at Rossville, availing himself of the intrenchments which had been constructed by the Union army after the battle of Chickamauga. His first resistance was quickly overcome by Grose's brigade. Gen. Cruft's division was then formed in four lines on the summit, and with the lateral division abreast moved rapidly forward, driving the enemy in turn from several positions. Many of his troops that fled east or west were captured by Osterhaus or Geary, and those who tried to escape northward fell into Johnson's hands. ”

“ If I can give you one or two new facts, or increase your love for the West or for all of our great and glorious country, I shall be well pleased. My story is not all original, but what is not I have taken from official and reliable records, so that I can say that it is all true to the best of my knowledge and belief. ”

“ Kind in temper; fierce in fight;
Warrior nobler, gentler, braver,
Never will behold the light!
[1] According to Confederate testimony, which in this case is impartial, the right of Willich's and left of Hazen's brigades, Wood's Division, were the first Union troops to reach the crest of the ridge. (See Obituary of Gen. Thos. J. Wood, Thirty-Fourth Reunion, Society of the Army of the Cumberland, October, 1906, page 98.) ”

“ Sherman's advance at his request, he returned to Chattanooga with his escort. The bridge was finished at 11 a.m., and at 1 p.m. Gen. Sherman moved forward with three divisions in echelon. He met with no serious resistance and at 4 p.m. occupied the two northern summits of Missionary Ridge. There was still one summit between Gen. Sherman and the tunnel. Gen. Grant had expected that he would carry the ridge to the tunnel before the enemy could concentrate against him; but the intervening hill was the one upon which Gen. Bragg's right flank rested. ”

“ Bragg's center was routed. Gen. Hooker soon after swept the ridge northward from Rossville connecting with Gen. Johnson's right. Gen. Hardee's forces opposite Gen. Sherman alone maintained their position. From Gen. Bragg's own declaration and from the observation of those occupying elevated positions, there is no room to doubt that Gen. Thomas J. Wood's division first reached the summit. [1] Gen. Sheridan's and Gen. Baird's, on the right and left, very soon after gained the crest. Gen. Wood's troops enfiladed the enemy's line to the right and left as soon as they broke through it. ”

“ The summit of Orchard Knob was immediately occupied by Bridge's battery of six guns, four 3-inch Rodmans and two Napoleons. This advance was of great advantage to the Union Army and caused Gen. Bragg to transfer Walker's division from Lookout Mountain to sustain the right against what seemed to be a most threatening demonstration. ”

“ Gen. Sheridan's division and Willich's brigade of Wood's division pursued the enemy for a short distance down the eastern slope. Later Gen. Sheridan advanced and drove the enemy from a strong position, captured two pieces of artillery, numerous small arms and several wagons from a supply train. Darkness was now fast coming on and the pursuit could no longer be continued, so the troops bivouacked on the ridge for the night. Gen. Cleburne on Gen. Bragg's right had been able to hold the bridge over the Chickamauga on his right and when night fell Gen. ”

“ Then with the right clinging to the palisades he swept round towards the mountain's point. Simultaneously with Gen. Geary's first movement, Col. Grose attacked the enemy at the bridge and having driven them back commenced to repair. The noise of the conflict called the enemy's nearest forces from their camps. One detachment advanced to the railroad embankment, which formed a good parapet and admitted a sweeping fire upon the Union troops advancing from the bridge. To avoid loss of life in a direct advance, Gen. Hooker directed Gen. ”

“ The deepest of these between the Tennessee river and Rossville separates the second summit, which Gen. Sherman had gained from the third, which was the strongest position for lateral defense within Gen. Bragg's lines. Here Gen. Cleburne's famous division was placed. Heavy barricades constructed of logs and earth, covered the troops on the first defensive line, while the higher ground to the south gave room for successive supporting columns. A somewhat thickly planted forest gave additional protection to the enemy. It was the strength of this position that induced Gen. ”

“ It did not become clear again until nearly dark, so that the batteries did not begin firing again, but I read the message to the commanding officers of the batteries and we considered it a sufficient vindication that Gen. ”