ments struggle on to the ridge; but of our part of the line, our color-bearer says the 22nd Indiana was first, while he was second, and declares if he had been without his overcoat, he would have been first, and the 88th we know was close by. Lieut. Hemingway and Sergt. Hall, Company E, were the first to reach the New Orleans Battery and demand the surrender of the guns. The charge was full of personal incidents, some of which must be put on record.

First, must be mentioned Col. Miller, whose gallant conduct drew the attention that day of his superior officers, even to Gen. Thomas, the Department Commander. B. F. Taylor says: "A division general turned abruptly to me with, 'If you write anything about Wednesday's affair, as you will, don't forget Col. Miller, of the 36th Illinois-one of the most gallant little fellows that ever drew a sword.' I did not need the injunction, for Col. Silas Miller rode through the storm to the summit of the ridge, at the head of his regiment, like a veteran, inspiring his men, till the little 36th was a phalanx of heroes. The Colonel used to be adjutant of types, and lead a column, now and then, in the old days, and true to his early love, he headed a column at Mission Ridge." The horse he rode that day was not his ownwhich, with the other regimental horses, had been sent to the head of the Sequatchie Valley to be near forage-but an inferior gray horse, which he used in emergencies. He did not dismount, but through all that long and perilous charge of over an hour, in the teeth of every kind of deadly missile, he kept his seat, moving one direction and then another, rallying his demi-brigade and inspiring every officer and man. His enthusiastic nature was wrought up to its highest pitch, making him all unconscious of personal danger, and giving to his very language an exalted tone, which astonished himself in cooler moments. As he moved about from one point to another, he came upon a man sheltering

COL. LEIBOLD OF MISSOURI.

and resting himself behind some covering.

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He struck him a

smart blow with the flat side of his drawn sword, and pointing to the top of the ridge, he cried out, "Excelsior!"

There was a young fellow who had disgraced the regiment by cowardice at Chickamauga, and Col. Miller had threatened to have him court martialed, but permitted him to go into this fight to redeem himself, with the understanding that if his cowardice was repeated, he would suffer. He went in; stood his ground, and was wounded in the hand. He was so overjoyed that he ran to the Colonel and showed his wound with all the pride he might have felt if he had been promoted.

Side by side with the First Brigade moved the Second, a portion of it under the command of Col. Leibold, of the 2nd Missouri. Near the beginning of the ascent he was wounded in his left hand, and two fingers were shot away. Lieut. Hemingway, Company E of the 36th, was close by and saw him holding up his bleeding hand, exclaiming, "Shust see dhat! I gives dree kegs lager peer if dem fingers shust comes back on mein hand again." On he went, however, his hand dripping blood over his clothes and making him a most unsightly object. On reaching the top he spied a Rebel officer near by and demanded his sword. The officer haughtily replied, "Sir, I am a Colonel in the Confederate army and commander of a brigade, and desire to surrender my sword to an officer of equal rank. What rank are you, sir?" Col. L., who was covered with dirt and blood, and looked as rough as a private, replied, "Ah, you bees a Colonel and commands von prigade ha! Vel, I does dat peesness meinself sumdimes. You givs dat sword to me shust now, or I puts mein sword through your life so quick as von minnit." He complied, of course, and was sent a prisoner to the rear.

Lieut. Turnbull adds the following: "The timber on the side of the ridge had been cut down and formed a kind of abattis.

Some of the Rebels, on retreating, stopped about two-thirds of the way up the ridge, and determined to sell their lives as dearly as possible. The 36th color-guard lay down to rest behind a log, having got too far ahead of the troops. On commencing to rise, the Sergeant in charge saw a man with a musket leveled on them only a short distance away. Lie down,' he whispered sharply to the boys. They did so, and he coolly laid his musket over the log in front of him. 'Now,' said he, 'show him your knapsack.' The color-bearer, who had a full one on his back, rose carefully on all fours, exposing only his knapsack. The Sergeant's gun went off. 'Lie down again,' said he. He reloaded. 'Do that again,' said the Sergeant. The color-bearer did so, and the SerNow,' said he, we can go.' One

geant's gun went off again.

of the boys fished out a Mississippi captain among the logs. He had his bayonet fixed, and was calling on the captain to surrender. The captain was jumping first one way and then another, saying, 'Call an officer.' The soldier responded, 'I'm officer enough for you; surrender, or I will put the bayonet through you.' I was passing along and said I would receive his sword. He very quickly gave it to me, remarking that we were certainly very rough to prisoners. I answered that the soldier ought to have put the bayonet through him. Why, sir,' said he, 'what do you mean? I have had prisoners in my charge and never treated them in this way.' Then,' said I, take off that overcoat you have stripped from some of our shivering, wounded comrades on Chickamauga.' The poor fellow threw it off quickly, saying that we attacked them so suddenly that he forgot to take it off. I made him take the coat with him to the rear, and told him to trade it for a blanket."

6

Among all the noble spirits that that day struggled so grandly for their country's flag, there was none more heroic than Walter

BRAGG SURPRISED AND MORTIFIED.

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V. Reeder, Company C of the 36th, who, having received the wound in the thigh, of which he died in about two weeks, lay bleeding on the hill-side, and taking a handkerchief out of his pocket, waved it towards the top of the ridge, silently inspiring his comrades to complete what he had so gallantly helped to

commence.

To Bragg and his army, and the whole South, this defeat was a terrible surprise and mortification. Even after the siege was so far raised that he could not hope to starve us out, he felt so safe from any attack, that he did not hesitate to send off Longstreet and other forces to attack Burnside, and in his official report he said: "The position ought to have been held by a skirmish line, against any assaulting column."

With the National Army, besides the combinations of military power, there were forces which, when they come upon soldiers, seem to make every man a hero. In the breasts of both officers and men of the Army of the Cumberland, on which the capture of Mission Ridge devolved, there was shut up a fire of stern determination, which had been burning silently through all the weary days of toil, hunger and storm, and had been fed by hourly gazing upon the white tents and waving flags on the ridge and the mountain. There was the knowledge that the Army of the Potamac had re-inforced them on the right and the Army of the Tennessee on the left; there was the bursting forth of new energy, which came with the successful opening of the battle on Monday, whereby a simple reconnoisance was changed into a substantial advantage. Then followed the forty-eight hours of waiting in this advanced position, almost under the shadow of the ridge, and looking right down into the rifle pits of the enemy. Under their very gaze, Hooker stormed Lookout so gallantly and flung the beautiful flag to the breeze, and Sherman knocked long and

loud at the northern gate of the ridge. On that memorable afternoon, they were so surcharged with inspiring force, and comprehended so clearly-more clearly even than their commanders the crisis that was upon them, that they needed but the sound of those six guns from Orchard Knob to start them on a race of life and death, from which they brought back what was up to that time the completest victory of the war.

Besides all these natural agencies, and working by means of them, we cannot fail to recognize the power of that Spirit which breathed on men of old, till "one could chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight;" which enabled David to say: "By Thee I have run through a troop, and by my God have I leaped over a wall." Indeed, we must not forget that the plans which finally prevailed were not the ones originally laid, and the most successful movements were either afterthoughts, or taken without orders. The plan of this series of victories was in the hands of a Higher Power, and while we render all honor to wise generals and noble men, the real glory belongs to Him who heard the cry of His people and had mercy on our land. Was it not more than a beautiful co-incidence, that the loyal people everywhere were preparing with unusual devoutness to celebrate the first Thanksgiving to which they had ever been called by Federal proclamation, and that when they gathered the next day in their houses of worship, to call to mind the abundant mercies of this never-to-be-forgotten year, their hearts should be thrilled with a new and everwhelming call to thanksgiving?

Nor was it alone amid peaceful congregations that devout gratitude was felt and expressed. The journals of the soldiers show that in many a crisis hearts that were as loyal to God as to their country were lifted in prayer for help, and in thanksgiving for victory. One such group at that time may not pass unnoticed,