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72]
to sneer at the men who formed
Thomas' storming army at
Missionary Ridge.
Let the official record answer him!
General Grant, without waiting till
Thomas' men could see
Sherman fight and take courage, ordered an assault on the ridge.
And, on this point, the records afford the means of correcting a common error in regard to this movement.
The matter will be briefly presented here, although not mentioned in the Memoirs.
It has been frequently said that, after all, the Army of the Cumberland carried the ridge only by chance, and that no orders were given for going beyond the line of rifle pits at its base, but that the forward movement from that point was caused by a portion of the line starting on without orders, and thus leading the whole toward the summit.
General Grant, however, in his report states the character of the orders he gave
General Thomas, and shows that the storming of the ridge was intended from the first:
‘His (Hooker's) approach was intended as the signal for storming the ridge in the center with strong columns, but the time necessarily consumed in the construction of the bridge near Chattanooga Creek detained him to a later hour than was expected. * * * * Thomas was accordingly directed to move forward his troops, * * * * with a double line of skirmishers thrown out, followed in easy supporting distance by the whole force, and carry the rifle pits at the foot of Missionary Ridge, and when carried to reform his lines in the rifle pits, with a view of carrying the top of the ridge.’
The form in which
General Thomas communicated this order to his own troops, is shown by a paragraph from the report of
General Baird who commanded his left division:
‘I had just completed the establishment of my line, and was upon the left of it, when a staff officer from Major-General Thomas brought me verbal orders to move forward to the edge of the open ground which bordered the toot of Mission Ridge, within striking distance of the rebel rifle pits at its base, so as to be ready at a signal, which would be the firing of six guns from Orchard Knob, to dash forward and take those pits.
He added this was preparatory to a general assault on the mountain; that it was doubtless designed by the Major-General commanding that I should take part in this movement; so that I would be following his wishes were I to push on to the summit.’
