CHAPTER XIX. THE ENEMY RETREATING.—GENERAL GRANT RECEIVES THE RANK AND COMMAND OF LIEUTENANT-GENERAL. The Pursuit of the Enemy.-Reprisals and Skirmishes.-Battle at RinggoldLongstreet at Knoxville.-His Retreat.-Congratulations by the President.— Thanksgiving.-General Hardee succeeds Bragg.-General Grant's Health.— General Scott's Opinion of him.-Expressions of Popular Regard.—The Proposition and Discussion in Congress of the Rank of Lieutenant-General. —Mr Washburne's Speech.-The Bill Passed.-General Grant Appointed to the Command. THE great struggle was over-the siege of Chattanooga was raised; but still the beaten rebels must not be allowed to gather their remnants together within any long day's march of the battle-field. A pursuit of their flying columns was ordered, and to Generals Sherman, Hooker, and Palmer was assigned the task of completing the rebel discomfiture. The pursuing forces went forward in the clear morning of a splendid day, animated by the great victories of the recent conflict, falling upon the flank of the flying columns. At ten o'clock, Chickamauga Dépôt was reached, and found in flames. Although fifty thousand dollars' worth of property was destroyed, the amount of commissary stores which fell into our hands was large. For three days the chase was marked with skirmishes, and picking up stragglers. At Pigeon Ridge the rebels made a stand, and opened their artillery. Our columns emerged from the woods into the open fields with flying banners, presenting a beautiful spectacle in the cloudless rays of the noon-day sun-with no enemy in sight. Charg ing up the hights, they soon sent the rebels on their path of retreat. General Sherman was in command. Friday, November 27th, Hooker's column advanced along the Rossville road toward Ringgold, a small town of twenty-five hundred inhabitants, the county seat of RETREAT OF THE ENEMY. 401 Catoosa county, Georgia, and is situated in front of Ringgold Gap, at the foot of White Oak Mountain Ridge. It is in the midst of wildly romantic scenery, although itself a dingy, dilapidated place in general appearance. The decisive moment came at last. The grand movement was made. Slowly our men advanced, and slowly the rebels retired toward the gap and up the mountain slope. Our artillery, too, kept up a steady fire, almost immediately silencing that of the enemy. Osterhaus's division occupied the center, one brigade of Geary's was on the extreme left, and the other two on the extreme right. After much patient effort, we outflanked the rebels on the right and left of the hills, gained these, and drove the remaining rebels from the Gap, and held the latter position. In the final movements the rebels retreated in the most disorderly manner. We took about three hun dred prisoners. After the enemy were driven through and from the Gap, we established our lines in the next valley beyond. The enemy fell back to Tunnel Gap, situated in the succeeding ridge to that of White Oak. After Sherman made a junction with Palmer, on Friday. morning, the Eleventh Army Corps, under command of Major-General Howard, was sent off to the left to take Parker's Gap, this being situated on the enemy's right, and the second gap from Ringgold Gap in the same ridge. The position was taken and occupied without opposition, the enemy's scouting parties falling back without firing. During the battle of Ringgold, the Eleventh Corps was in a position almost in the enemy's rear, and we could at any time have turned their right flank. A portion of the Eleventh Corps pressed on to the line of the Dalton and Cleveland Railroad, reaching Red Clay Station about dark. The object in destroying the railroad line at Red Clay was to prevent Longstreet from using it to make a junction with Bragg. Another point was, that if the cavalry failed of accomplishing its object at Cleveland, we would carry out the design at Red Clay. General Grant had his head-quarters in the town of Ringgold on November 28. The General was much pleased with the success of his plans, spoke freely on the subject, and was of opinion that this campaign had been successful to an almost extraordinary degree, and had been fruitful in results of the most unqualifiedly gratifying character. It was decided not to pursue the enemy farther, as more important operations were afoot. The rebels retreated as far as Dalton, Georgia, and finding the Union troops did not pursue farther than Ringgold, there turned and made a stand. General Grant, by taking possession of Red Clay, Cleveland, and Chattanooga, thus breaking the rebel railroad triangle, the corners of which rest on Dalton, Cleveland, and Chattanooga, compressed the principal artery of the heart of the rebel Confederacy, and smote it in its most vital part. General Longstreet learned the reason why he was allowed to besiege Knoxville. The news of Hooker's mountain climbing, and of Yankee flags on Missionary Ridge, dispelled his dream of success. The proud rebel was exasperated, and determined to save his name from sharing the disgrace of Chattanooga. He therefore, on November 29, 1863, made an assault upon Fort Sanders and the other works around Knoxville. The assault proved a failure, and, long before he could recover from the effects of the repulse, he found our columns were gathering around him, and, if he did not soon withdraw, he would be encircled by them. General Foster's column was advancing from the north, and General Granger's, with other forces under General Sherman, from Chattanooga. This movement caused the withdrawal of troops from the pursuit of the rebels beyond Ringgold, Georgia. General Sherman's cavalry arrived at Knoxville on December 3, and on the next night General Longstreet raised the siege of that place, retreating eastward toward Virginia, pursued by both Foster's and Sherman's cavalry. December 7, it was telegraphed to Washington that Knoxville had been relieved and re-enforced by Granger's THE PRESIDENT AND THE VICTORIES. 403 corps, and that Longstreet was retreating. On the same day President Lincoln issued the following proclamation of thanksgiving: EXECUTIVE MANSION, Reliable information being received that the insurgent force is retreating from East Tennessee, under circumstances rendering it probable that the Union forces cannot hereafter be dislodged from that important position, and esteeming this to be of high national consequence, I recommend that all loyal people do, on receipt of this information, assemble at their places of worship, and render special homage and gratitude to Almighty God for this great advancement of the national cause. A. LINCOLN. The President also sent a dispatch to Major-General Grant: Major-General GRANT: WASHINGTON, December 8. Understanding that your lodgment at Chattanooga and Knoxville is now secure, I wish to tender you and all under your command my more than thanks-my profoundest gratitude for the skill, courage, and perseverance with which you and they, over so great difficulties, have effected that important object. God bless you all! A. LINCOLN. The above was embodied in an order by General Grant, and so read to every regiment in his command. In reference to this brief but decisive campaign, General Halleck added the following supplementary remarks to his annual report: HEAD-QUARTERS OF THE ARMY, In compliance with your instructions, I submit the following summary of the operations of General Grant's army since my report of the 15th altimo: It appears from the official reports which have been received here, that our loss in the operations of the 27th, 28th, and 29th of October, in reopening communications on the south side of the Tennessee River, from Chattanooga to Bridgeport, was seventy-six killed, three hundred and thirty-nine wounded, and twenty-two missing; total, four hundred and thirty-seven. The estimated loss of the enemy was over fifteen hundred. As soon as General Grant could get up his supplies, he prepared to advance upon the enemy, who had become weakened by the detachment of Longstreet's command against Knoxville. General Sherman's army moved up the north side of the Tennessee River, and during the nights f the 23d and 24th of November established pontoon bridges, and crossed to the south side, between Citico Creek and Chickamauga. On the afternoon of the 23d, General Thomas's forces attacked the enemy's rifle-pits between Chattanooga and Citico Creek. The battle was renewed on the 24th along the whole line. Sherman carried the eastern end of Missionary Ridge up to the tunnel, and Thomas repelled every attempt of the enemy to regain the position which he had lost at the center; while Hooker's force in Lookout Valley crossed the mountain and drove the enemy from its northern slope. On the 25th, the whole of Mission Ridge, from Rossville to the Chickamauga, was, after a desperate struggle, most gallantly carried by our troops, and the enemy was completely routed. Considering the strength of the rebel position, and the difficulty of storming his intrenchments, the battle of Chattanooga must be considered the most remarkable in history. Not only did the officers and men exhibit great skill and daring in their operations on the field, but the highest praise is due to the commanding general, for his admirable dispositions for dislodging the enemy from a position apparently impregnable. Moreover, by turning his right flank, and throwing him back upon Ringgold and Dalton, Sherman's forces were interposed between Bragg and Longstreet so as to prevent any possibility of their forming a junction. Our loss, in killed, wounded, and missing, is reported at about four thousand. We captured over six thousand prisoners, besides the wounded left in our hands, forty pieces of artillery, five or six thousand small arms, and a large train. The enemy's loss in killed and wounded is not known. While Generals Thomas and Hooker pushed Bragg's army back into Georgia, General Sherman, with his own and General Granger's forces, was sent into East Tennessee, to prevent the return of Longstreet, and to relieve General Burnside, who was then besieged in Knoxville. We have reliable information that General Sherman has successfully accomplished his object, and that Longstreet is in full retreat toward Virginia. But no details have been received with regard to Sherman's operations since he crossed the Hiwassee, nor of Burnside's defense of Knoxville. It is only known that every attack of the enemy on that place was successfully repulsed. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, H. W. HALLEOK, General-in-Chief. Honorable E. M. STANTON, Secretary of War. On December 5, 1863, General Burnside, the commander at Knoxville, issued a congratulatory order to his troops in reference to the raising of the siege, which had lasted about three weeks. While Washington was all excitement over the magnificent results of Grant's campaign, General Scott said to an official, with whom the old veteran fell into a very unreserved talk, that General Grant's operations displayed |