some two thousand prisoners, and established himself high up the mountain side, in full view of Chattanooga. This raised the blockade, and now steamers were ordered from Bridgeport to Chattanooga. They had run only to Kelley's Ferry, whence ten miles of hauling over mountain roads, and twice across the Tennessee on ponton-bridges, brought us our supplies.

All night the point of Missionary Ridge on the extreme left, and the side of Lookout Mountain on the extreme right, blazed with the camp-fires of loyal troops.

The day had been one of dense mists and rains, and much of General Hooker's battle was fought above the clouds, which concealed him from our view, but from which his musketry was heard.

At nightfall the sky cleared, and the full moon-"the traitor's doom"shone upon the beautiful scene, until one A. M., when twinkling sparks upon the mountain side showed that picket skirmishing was going on. Then it ceased. A brigade sent from Chattanooga crossed the Chattanooga Creek and opened communication with Hooker.

General Grant's headquarters during the afternoon of the 23d and the day of the 24th were in Wood's redoubt, except when in the course of the day he rode along the advanced line, visiting the headquarters of the several commanders in Chattanooga Valley.

At daylight on the 25th the stars and stripes were descried on the peak of Lookout. The rebels had evacuated the mountain.

Hooker moved to descend the mountain, striking Missionary Ridge at the Rossville Gap, to sweep both sides and its summit.

The rebel troops were seen, as soon as it was light enough, streaming regiments and brigades along the narrow summit of Missionary Ridge, either concentrating on the right to overwhelm Sherman, or marching for the railroad to raise the siege.

They had evacuated the Valley of Chattanooga. Would they abandon that of Chickamauga ?

The twenty-pounders and four-and-a-quarter inch rifles of Wood's redoubt opened on Missionary Ridge, which with rifled Parrott's answered, and the cannonade, thus commenced, continued all day. Shot and shell screamed from Orchard Knob to Missionary Ridge, and from Missionary Ridge to Orchard Knob, and from Wood's redoubt, over the heads of Generals Grant and Thomas and their staff's, who were with us in this favorable position, from whence the whole battle could be seen as in an amphitheatre. The headquarters were under fire all day long.

Cannonading and musketry were heard from General Sherman, and General Howard marched the Eleventh Corps to join him.

General Thomas sent out skirmishers, who drove in the rebel pickets and chased them into their intrenchments; and at the foot of Missionary Ridge Sherman made an assault against Bragg's right, intrenched on a high knob next to that on which Sherman himself lay fortified. The assault was gallantly made.

Sherman reached the edge of the crest, and held his ground for (it seemed to me) an hour, but was bloodily repulsed by reserves.*

A general advance was ordered, and a strong line of skirmishers followed by a deployed line of battle, some two miles in length. At the signal of leaden shots from headquarters on Orchard Knob, the line moved rapidly and orderly forward. The rebel pickets discharged their muskets and ran into their riflepits. Our skirmishers followed on their heels.

The line of battle was not far behind, and we saw the gray rebels swarm out of the ledge line of rifle-pits and over the base of the hill in numbers which surprised us. A few turned and fired their pieces; but the greater number collected into the many roads which cross obliquely up its steep face, and went on to the top.

Some regiments pressed on and swarmed up the steep sides of the ridge, and here and there a color was advanced beyond the lines. The attempt appeared most dangerous; but the advance was supported, and the whole line was ordered to storm the heights, upon which not less than forty pieces of artillery, and no one knew how many muskets, stood ready to slaughter the assailants. With cheers answering to cheers the men swarmed upwards. They gathered to the points least difficult of ascent, and the line was broken. Color after color was planted on the summit, while musket and cannon vomited their thunder upon them.

A well-directed shot from Orchard Knob exploded a rebel caisson on the summit, and the gun was seen being speedily taken to the right, its driver lashing his horses. A party of our soldiers intercepted them, and the gun was captured with cheers.

A fierce musketry fight broke out to the left, where, between Thomas and Sherman, a mile or two of the ridge was still occupied by the rebels.

Bragg left the house in which he had held his headquarters, and rode to the rear as our troops crowded the hill on either side of him.

General Grant proceeded to the summit, and then only did we know its height.

Some of the captured artillery was put into position. Artillerists were sent for to work the guns, and caissons were searched for ammunition.

The rebel log-breast works were torn to pieces, and carried to the other side of the ridge, and used in forming barricades across.

A strong line of infantry was formed in the rear of Baird's line, and engaged in a musketry contest with the rebels to the left, and a secure lodgment was soon effected.

The other assault, to the right of our centre, gained the summit, and the rebels threw down their arms and fled.

Hooker, coming into favorable position, swept the right of the ridge, and captured many prisoners.

Bragg's remaining troops left early in the night, and the battle of Chatta

As we bave elsewhere stated, General Sherman denies this repulse.

16

nooga, after days of manœuvring and fighting, was won. The strength of the rebellion in the centre is broken. Burnside is relieved from danger in East Tennessee. Kentucky and Tennessee are rescued. Georgia and the Southeast are threatened in the rear, AND ANOTHER VICTORY IS ADDED TO THE CHAPTER OF "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER GRANT."

To-night, the estimate of captures is several thousand prisoners, and thirty pieces of artillery.

Our loss, for so great a victory, is not severe.

Bragg is firing the railroad as he retreats towards Dalton. Sherman is in hot pursuit.

To-day I viewed the battle-field, which extends for six miles along Missionary Ridge, and for several miles on Lookout Mountain.

Probably not so well-directed, so well-ordered a battle, has taken place during the war. But one assault was repulsed; but that assault, by calling to that point the rebel reserves, prevented them repulsing any of the others.

A few days since, Bragg sent to General Grant a flag of truce, advising him that it would be prudent to remove any non-combatants who might be still in Chattanooga. No reply has been returned; but the combatants having removed from the vicinity, it is probable that non-combatants can remain without imprudence.

M. C. MEIGS, Quartermaster-General.

CHAPTER XXI.

BURNSIDE AT KNOXVILLE.

HIS ENTRANCE INTO KNOXVILLE--FORTIFIES THE TOWN-ADVANCES TO LURE LONGSTREET ON.-LONGSTREET INVESTS AND ATTACKS-REPULSED.-RE-ENFORCEMENTS FROM GRANT.-SHERMAN COMES UP.-GRANT'S ORDER.-SUMMARY OF LOSSES.

. We must now turn for a moment to Knoxville, besieged by the yet hopeful, but soon to be ill-starred, expedition of Longstreet. This place had been occupied by Burnside as early as the 2d of September, and Burnside was a locum tenens, holding over until Foster should relieve him.

On the 16th of August he had moved from Camp Nelson, in Kentucky, on a perilous march for East Tennessee, then held by the rebel General Buckner, whose headquarters were at Knoxville. Avoiding the gaps, which were in the enemy's hands, Burnside marched across the mountains. On the 1st of September he was at Kingston, and on the 2d he entered Knoxville, amid the grateful cheers of the loyal people, who had been writhing under the oppression and cruelty of rebel rule. The enthusiasm was unbounded as the general rode in: he was regarded as a deliverer and a savior. On the 4th, General Shackelford was dispatched northward to Cumberland Gap, which, after a rapid and skilful march, he captured on the 9th.

Knoxville was at once strongly fortified by Burnside; and then, previous to Longstreet's advance, he had moved south

ward by Grant's orders to Loudon, there to await and retard the rebel approach.

This part of the rebel programme could not have been confided to a more competent officer than Longstreet, but he has since complained that he was sent without proper supplies, and was disappointed in the force with which he was expected to make the siege. The division of Stevenson, which had been sent to Loudon, and which he expected to take with him, was recalled. He still, however, largely outnumbered the

small force under Burnside.

At Loudon he was met by Burnside, and arrested in his march; and his cavalry, which he had sent by a detour to try and surprise Knoxville, was met and routed by ours, which had been skilfully posted for the purpose. In obedience to orders, the Federal general retreated slowly towards Knoxville. Again Burnside turned to confront him at Campbell's Station, and having repulsed his attack, withdrew at last within his fortifications at Knoxville. There he was surrounded by Longstreet, on the 17th and 18th of November; and now the fate of Knoxville hung upon the movements at Chattanooga. Nothing was left for Burnside but to hold it to the last. His arrangements were well made. There was a fort on College Hill; one near Summit House; one on the right of the street leading from the square to the depot; two on Temperance Hill; and the heights on the south were fortified. Strong lines of rifle-pits connected the forts.

LONGSTREET ATTACKS.

At length, on the 28th of November, Longstreet having been informed of Bragg's disaster and retreat, and knowing that Burnside would soon be re-enforced, made ready for an assault, which would either give him Knoxville, or what was far more likely-serve to cover his retreat. The point chosen was Fort Sanders, on the northwest angle of our works, a fort standing just outside the town, and commanding an approach by the river. It was of the strongest profile, the ditch ten