A Grandstand View of Missionary Ridge: A Voice from the 10th Ohio

Stationed in Fort Wood in Chattanooga as officer of the day, Lieutenant Alfred Pirtle of the 10th Ohio enjoyed a grandstand seat of the Army of the Cumberland's daring and successful charge upon Missionary Ridge on November 25, 1863.

    "At 3 o’clock or later, orders were issued from Orchard Knob, General Thomas’s headquarters, for the line in front of Missionary Ridge to advance. It is beyond my powers of description to give any idea of the excitement we all felt at Fort Wood, from our heart of hearts, as we heard the first shots that told the hot work that was coming.  The firing broke forth at all points almost at the same moment. Fort Wood joined in, with the heaviest guns on the batteries at Bragg’s headquarters, more than two miles away on the summit of the ridge. The enemy’s batteries threw shells at our men, who were charging across the open at the entrenchments, while we could see the Rebels rushing from behind the crest of the ridge to line the breastworks, thrown up along the very highest part of the ridge, from battery to battery, six of which were playing on our men in the fields below," he remembered.

          "For a few moments the roar of the battle was tremendous and incessant and then we saw the Rebels leaving the rifle pits, scampering for the second line. Our men paused for a few moments under cover, charged the second line and took a few prisoners. Here the fire of the enemy’s batteries was very hot, when to seek protection from it our officers led the way to the ridge. Now commenced the most exciting and brilliant feat of arms yet performed during the war. The ridge is about 500 feet high, very steep, free from underbrush where the assault was made, having been cleared, as I before remarked. Several wagon roads led to the top, by which then Rebs had communication with the camps below, but these roads were raked by artillery. Here and there sharp ridges of only a few feet in altitude broke the general formation of the slope, affording protection against flanking fire to a few men who availed themselves of the gullies between."

    Lieutenant Pirtle's letter, written just two days after Missionary Ridge, first saw publication in Volume 6 of the papers read to the Ohio Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. 

Captain Alfred Pirtle of the 10th Ohio Infantry lived until 1926, writing extensively of his experiences during his service as a soldier in the Army of the Cumberland. 

Camp of 10^th Ohio Infantry, Chattanooga, Tennessee

November 27, 1863

          We have gained a great victory and shown the world what can be done by science and bravery. On the morning of the 23^rd, it was expected that we would commence the battle, but it seems that General Sherman had not crossed the Tennessee River north of Chattanooga, as was expected, and the program was delayed. During the forenoon, the steamer Dunbar which the enemy had burned at the wharf here when they left in haste for Georgia, had been rebuilt by mechanics from our army, was engaged in ferrying at the wharf, where our pontoon bridge had been swept away by Rebel rafts sent down the night before.

          At 1:55 p.m., skirmishing commenced in front of Fort Wood, which was near the left of the ground occupied by the 4^th Army Corps. This seemed to be the signal for a general advance, as our forces moved from our lines simultaneously from all points in the front of Chattanooga, throwing out their skirmishers and grandly, slowly, and surely occupying Rebel ground once more. From a commanding elevation in the center, I saw this magnificent panorama of war, unexcelled by anything I ever imagined. Facing to the enemy, the heavy guns from Fort Wood boomed at intervals and the rush and roar of their projectiles, overpowering the minor arms, gave dreadful note of our coming.

          Small arms sounded in the woods east of the Atlantic & Western Railroad embankment and our men were in the enemy’s lines on the left. The center swung out in fine order, slowly as I said, as if expecting sharp resistance, but still advancing, their long black lines bristling and flashing with bright arms. From Fort Negley, a long line of artillery opened and rattling shells exploded and crashed in the woods in front of the troops advancing from our center. Those batteries cease, for our first line is in the woods, the second in the open ground, massed and ready to move in any direction. Now our right is going ahead, slowly also, over disputed territory, but without meeting opposition, reaching the timber where the enemy formerly picketed.

          The enemy’s big gun mounted on the top of Lookout Mountain now joins in, to drop shells at our spiteful battery on Moccasin Point, which is blazing away at a column of Rebel troops on the slope of the mountain descending to the valley on the road toward their right. A Rebel battery away toward the enemy’s right on Missionary Ridge opened fire on our men near the left, who have occupied the rifle pits where they captured a Georgia regiment. This artillery fire from the enemy brings answering fire from one of our batteries; the Rebels throw forward a larger force and our men were obliged to retire. Not long do they rest, but, reinforced and encouraged, they returned to the fray, reoccupied the ground and remained.

          While this is going on the dropping fire to the right indicated that skirmishers are moving; the fire increases, declines, growing more and more distinct, until at dusk a half mile advance has been fought over, driving the enemy that far. The results are reported as highly satisfactory; 200 prisoners taken and much ground secured with trifling loss. Both armies kept quiet during the night.

General Joseph Hooker and his staff in Lookout Valley in 1863

          The morning of the 24^th was damp and disagreeable, promising rain. About noon, a brisk skirmish rattled from the western slope of Lookout Mountain on our extreme right, where General Hooker’s army corps had been encamped so long. Behind the slope of the point of the mountain, hidden from us in Chattanooga, a fierce fight was going on, but no one could tell to whom was the advantage. The deep roar of the artillery from batteries in Lookout Valley reverberated from the sides of Raccoon and Lookout Mountains, and curling wreaths of smoke marked where their shells burst in the woods.

          A lull occurred and everyone anxiously gazed at the open ground near a large white house on the northern slope in full view, expecting to see some signs of the fight, stragglers or wounded men, but none of them appeared. Bragg had not looked for an attack on his left, for a letter or dispatch to one of his generals had been captured, saying we were massing on our left, and he was concentrating his troops there. The supports we supposed would soon go to the enemy at length appeared on the eastern slope of Lookout Mountain, concealed from our battery on Moccasin Point. The fight reopened on the western slope and grew heated; hearty cheers and rattling volleys; a silence and then, a rush of Rebels across the open fields, hurrying indiscriminately from our victorious lines.

          Into this mass of fugitives our guns from Moccasin Point and Fort Negley poured shells, ceasing to fire when our bluecoats emerged from the woods. Forming line of battle, the first regiment advanced at double quick across the field, their colors borne 30 yards before them, and amid the shouts of our army, who saw the gallant deed, took the white house, made good their hold on the enemy’s rifle pits and remained under heavy fire. A second regiment soon joined them, and the enemy’s supports came up too late. The 40^th and 99^th Ohio regiments are said to have done this gallant deed, and, whoever they were, they deserve to be remembered well by their country, for it filled all our army with admiration. A tremendous rain and mist soon came down, hiding the fight from us, but the steady rattle of musketry behind the veil showed a stubborn resistance from the enemy. This fire was kept up, dying away at times, again to be renewed and lull again, until about 10 p.m. when it ceased.

          The rain was over by dusk, giving way to a most splendid moon about full, and the night turned very cold before day. On Lookout Mountain, over the space newly gained so bravely, gleamed a line of fires, beacons of loyalty, carrying glorious news and encouragement to General Grant’s army that lay at the mountain’s foot. Early in the night from the east slope of Lookout Mountain, the side where the two lines of foemen lay fighting, bright sparkles of vivid light, quick and bright as lightning, gleamed at each shot, sometimes so frequent as to almost illuminate the spot where the brisk skirmish was going on, kept up by the enemy to enable them to extricate the forces from the summit of Lookout and hide the rattling of wagons that all night long were hurrying down the big guns and supplies.

          The 25^th was bright and cool, bracing, and exhilarating. General Sherman’s corps had made good their footing on the night previous, as their long lines of fires gleamed on the hillside at the north end of Missionary Ridge, opposite the campfires of the enemy on a knoll just south of theirs. About 8 a.m., the battle began on Sherman’s front. Fort Wood had a commanding position, giving a view of the whole lines of both armies, and we could see two batteries on Sherman’s front at work, as well as an answering one from the enemy; but as both remained stationary, we concluded neither side was gaining ground. The sounds of musketry only came at intervals, borne on the wind, but the boom of the cannon followed regularly on each shot.

          The 11^th Army Corps moved from its place in front of Fort Wood about 9 o’clock, crossed Citico Creek, advancing under skirmishers toward Sherman; for we could see the enemy’s column hurrying along the top of Missionary Ridge to mass on their right, and all were apprehensive of an attack on our extreme left or Sherman. While these movements were going on, a sharp fire opened up on General Thomas’s front, as if he was going to take the enemy’s rifle pits, eliciting a heavy artillery fire from the ridge, replied to by one of our batteries on Orchard Knob, Fort Wood, and a battery in Sheridan’s division. This advance drove the enemy from the woods and forced them to retire on their entrenchments in the open ground near the foot of the ridge.

          Our attention was drawn from our immediate front toward the left again where an effort was beginning toward the top of the ridge. A line of battle could be seen moving over an open field, up a hill, directed on a Rebel battery that that had been playing on our left up to this time. Up went the regiment until near the crest where it halted to take breath and throw our skirmishers toward the enemy. A strong support moved up and the two lines closed upon the foe, followed by a third line. When the latter arrived near enough to be in supporting distance, a brisk fire opened, a charge was soon made, the Rebel battery fired, reinforcements to the enemy rushed along the ridge and after a hard struggle we see with deep sorrow our men fall back down the hill.

          One of our batteries pitched into the pursuing forces, who are checked, and finally fall back in turn. Forming again, our undaunted warriors, after a rest, try another line of approach farther to our left, fight with renewed vigor as well as a determination that drives all before it, giving us possession of the hill, but at considerable loss. From the fact that Bragg had massed the majority of his troops on his right, the fight there was not attended on our side with the same amount of success as followed our operations on his center and left.

          General Hooker, meantime, had been occupied swinging round the right of our line from Lookout Mountain on Rossville, a distance of 4-5 miles, feeling his way, but making good progress, for about 3 o’clock word went round Fort Wood that ‘Hooker was in Rossville’ and everyone expected something great would soon happen, but where the blow was to fall no one appeared to know. By reviewing the position, it will be observed that Grant had so maneuvered that Bragg had concentrated most of his troops on the north end of Missionary Ridge, while the national troops were driving back his center and left. Almost a parallel case to ours at Chickamauga, only the wings were reversed. Events subsequently showed he had no Thomas to save his left. So confident was he of driving us back that he was at his headquarters until our men were on the ridge within rifle shots of him and had taken some of his artillery.

General George H. Thomas
"Rock of Chickamauga"

          Since occupying the ground in September, the enemy had cut the timber off the valley for more than a mile from the foot of the ridge and also trimmed the slopes of the hill so as to give range to their artillery, more than 30 pieces of which bore on the ground over which our troops had to advance if an assault on the ridge was ever attempted. Not far from the timber, from which our lines debouched, a line of rifle pits was thrown up and again between them and the hills heavy breastworks of logs and stones, earth, and other objects had been erected to protect their camps.

          At 3 o’clock or later, orders were issued from Orchard Knob, General Thomas’s headquarters, for the line in front of Missionary Ridge to advance. It is beyond my powers of description to give any idea of the excitement we all felt at Fort Wood, from our heart of hearts, as we heard the first shots that told the hot work that was coming. We, not knowing what vast supports might be near the top of the ridge, hidden from our view. From our outlooking position on Fort Wood we could see the movements made on the hillside, as it lay directly before us, though the first push of our brave boys was concealed by the woods, whence they had driven the enemy about 1 o’clock in the morning.

          The firing broke forth at all points almost at the same moment. Fort Wood joined in, with the heaviest guns on the batteries at Bragg’s headquarters, more than two miles away on the summit of the ridge. The enemy’s batteries threw shells at our men, who were charging across the open at the entrenchments, while we could see the Rebels rushing from behind the crest of the ridge to line the breastworks, thrown up along the very highest part of the ridge, from battery to battery, six of which were playing on our men in the fields below. For these details we had to rely on glasses to bring them out, because Fort Wood is more than two miles from the ridge.

          For a few moments the roar of the battle was tremendous and incessant and then we saw the Rebels leaving the rifle pits, scampering for the second line. Our men paused for a few moments under cover, charged the second line and took a few prisoners. Here the fire of the enemy’s batteries was very hot, when to seek protection from it our officers led the way to the ridge.

          Now commenced the most exciting and brilliant feat of arms yet performed during the war. The ridge is about 500 feet high, very steep, free from underbrush where the assault was made, having been cleared, as I before remarked. Several wagon roads led to the top, by which then Rebs had communication with the camps below, but these roads were raked by artillery. Here and there sharp ridges of only a few feet in altitude broke the general formation of the slope, affording protection against flanking fire to a few men who availed themselves of the gullies between.

          Up the steep slope charged Sheridan’s, Wood’s, and Baird’s divisions in full sight, in the order named, from right to left. Twenty pieces of cannon under General Bragg’s personal supervision rained grape and canister at our gallant fellows, while thousands of small arms cracked from behind the breastworks. We see the glancing arms of our lines slowly creeping up and we mark the dear old flags so bravely blowing in the enemy’s face.

A few yards at a time each man climbed and when exhausted threw himself down behind a tree, stone, stump, or other cover to get his breath. High up the hill one brave fellow has borne his stars and stripes until he falls for want of breath; lying there, he waves and waves his flag and we fancy we can hear his comrades cheer for he does not lie long alone. We see men crawling, climbing up to him, past him, and soon he rises, runs forward to plant his flag in or among the enemy, almost in their ranks. Here he pauses, flaunting his flag at the Rebels, who fire at him in vain. Clustering around we see men forming and gradually the line becomes formidable. Another flag soon stands near the first, and then the two regiments approach the top, their centers forming the point of a wedge toward the enemy.

Swinging the wings around, they clambered over the breastworks and are face to face with the foe, who in superior numbers stretch along both ways. But they are wavering and their line is thin out towards the flanks, while our strengthens every moment, fighting furiously. At another point, up go the supports, straining every nerve. We, who stand watching them so anxiously, see the large numbers of the enemy fighting those already up and we tremble lest the supports do not get there in time.

They are in at the death. Five standards blow out in the north wind, a splendid charge follows, and our men disappear behind the ridge, in pursuit of the Rebs. Those who participated in this grand achievement told us that such cheering was never before heard as pealed from thousands of throats ‘Chickamauga, Chickamauga’ followed in thunder tones the flying foe down the eastern slope where hundreds of them were captured.

          The fighting on Sherman’s front continued till dark but we could not see that he gained any ground from where we stood.

 Sources:

“Three Memorable Days- A Letter from Chattanooga, November 1863,” First Lieutenant Alfred Pirtle, Co. F, 10^th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Sketches of War History, 1861-1865. Papers Prepared for the Commandery of the State of Ohio, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. 1903-1908. Volume 6. Cincinnati: Monfort & Co., 1908, pgs. 35-46