0:00

The French Revolution set Europe

0:02

ablaze. It was an age of enlightenment

0:04

and progress, but also of tyranny and

0:06

oppression. It was an age of glory

0:09

and an age of tragedy. One man

0:11

stood above it all. This was the

0:13

Age of Napoleon. I'm Everett

0:16

Rummage, host of the Age of Napoleon podcast.

0:19

Join me as I examine the life and times

0:21

of one of the most fascinating and enigmatic

0:23

characters in modern history.

0:26

Look for The Age of Napoleon wherever you find

0:28

your podcasts.

1:02

Hey everyone, thanks for tuning in

1:04

to episode 432 of our Civil War podcast. I'm

1:09

Rich.

1:09

And I'm Tracy. Hello

1:11

y'all. Welcome to the podcast.

1:14

As you guys will recall, by the end of the last

1:16

show, we'd set the stage for

1:19

another dramatic event in the

1:21

battles for Chattanooga.

1:23

The storming of Missionary Ridge

1:25

by the Yankees on November 25, 1863.

1:29

The previous day, the 24th,

1:32

Hooker's Federals had captured Lookout Mountain

1:35

in a remarkable action that came to

1:37

be called the Battle Above the Clouds.

1:40

The imposing mass of Lookout loomed

1:42

over Chattanooga to the southwest

1:44

of the town, but while its capture

1:47

by Hooker was undeniably dramatic,

1:49

the key to the Confederate position was

1:52

actually Missionary Ridge, which

1:54

dominated Chattanooga

1:55

to the east. That's

1:57

because behind Missionary Ridge...

2:00

was the rail head at Chickamauga Station

2:03

on the Western and Atlantic Railroad which

2:05

was the Confederates lifeline to Atlanta

2:08

to the south. The Western

2:10

and Atlantic was Braxton Bragg's line

2:13

of communication and supply and if

2:16

it came to it would be his line

2:18

of retreat away from Chattanooga

2:21

and down into northwest Georgia.

2:23

In formulating a plan to crack the

2:25

rebel position and once and

2:28

for all in the deadlock at Chattanooga

2:30

Ulysses S. Grant had always intended

2:33

that his main blow would land against

2:35

the north end of Missionary Ridge and

2:37

would be made by his favorite lieutenant

2:40

William Tecumseh Sherman. But

2:42

as we talked about in that last episode

2:45

Sherman had run into a spot of trouble on

2:47

the 25th at a place called Tunnel

2:49

Hill where Confederate Division

2:51

commander Patrick Clayburn

2:53

stopped him cold. With

2:55

Sherman's attack stalled at Tunnel Hill

2:58

at the north end of Missionary Ridge on

3:00

the Confederate right Grant's

3:02

plan suffered another setback when

3:05

his strike against Rossville Gap

3:08

to the south on the Confederate left

3:10

ran into trouble when Hooker's advance

3:13

was delayed for hours after

3:15

fighting Joe reached Chattanooga Creek

3:18

and discovered that the rebels had burned

3:20

the bridge there.

3:21

Ulysses S. Grant had grown increasingly

3:24

frustrated as the day wore on. Sherman's

3:27

attack on the north end of Missionary Ridge

3:29

was late getting started and then

3:31

appeared to be making little headway. To

3:34

the south Hooker's movement against

3:36

the Confederate left was

3:38

also stalled while a new

3:40

bridge was built across Chattanooga

3:42

Creek. Grant along

3:44

with George Thomas was positioned

3:46

on Orchard Knob the hundred-foot

3:49

hill that stood almost alone in

3:51

the otherwise flat ground between

3:54

Chattanooga and Missionary Ridge.

3:57

Thomas's troops had seized Orchard Knob

3:59

to days ago on the 23rd. About

4:03

two o'clock on the afternoon of the 25th, Grant was

4:06

hungry and walked down Orchard Knobbs'

4:09

reverse slope for a bite to eat. After

4:12

having lunch and smoking a cigar, Grant

4:15

made his way back to the hilltop, having

4:17

been gone about half an hour. What

4:20

he saw upon his return shocked

4:22

him to his core.

4:23

Visible on the west face

4:25

of Tunnel Hill were Sherman's men,

4:28

and although before lunch they had been

4:30

positioned on the side of the ridge, now

4:33

they could be seen falling back down the slope

4:35

in disarray.

4:36

With Hooker's advance

4:38

against the rebel left delayed and

4:41

Sherman's attack on the enemy right in

4:43

trouble, and given the amount

4:45

of daylight remaining on this late

4:47

November afternoon, Grant immediately

4:50

realized he had to do something. He

4:54

turned to Brigadier General Thomas Wood, one

4:56

of George Thomas's division commanders,

4:59

and noted that Sherman had run into difficulty,

5:02

and perhaps something should be done to

5:04

help him.

5:14

Every eye on Orchard Knobbs was

5:16

turned on General Sherman's operation,

5:19

keenly watching his movements, and

5:22

in profound a sympathy, ardently

5:24

desiring success to crown his

5:26

sturdy efforts. But

5:29

all in vain, assault

5:31

after assault was repulsed. About

5:34

half past 2 p.m. it was plainly

5:36

and painfully evident to every

5:39

beholder on Orchard Knobbs that

5:41

General Sherman's attack, which according

5:43

to the plan of battle, was to be the

5:45

dominant coup of the battle, had

5:47

been hopelessly defeated, and was an

5:49

irretrievable failure. It

5:52

was evident that his further progress toward

5:54

the crest of the ridge was definitively

5:57

stopped.

5:58

of the repulse

6:01

General Grant was standing near me. He approached

6:04

and said, General Sherman seems

6:06

to be having a

6:07

hard time. I replied,

6:10

he does seem to be meeting with rough usage.

6:13

To this General Grant said, I think

6:16

we ought to try to do something to help him. I

6:18

said, I think so

6:20

too General, and whatever you order

6:22

we will try to do. General

6:25

Grant continued,

6:26

I think if you and Sheridan were to advance

6:29

your divisions and carry the rifle pits

6:31

at the base of the ridge, it would so

6:33

threaten Bragg's center that he would

6:35

draw enough troops from the right to secure

6:38

his center to ensure the success

6:40

of General Sherman's attack. I

6:42

replied, perhaps

6:44

it might work in that way and if

6:46

you order it we will try it and

6:48

I think we can carry the entrenchments at

6:50

the base of the ridge.

6:52

General Grant walked

6:54

immediately from me to General Thomas, distant

6:56

about ten paces. They

6:59

were in conversation a very short time, perhaps

7:01

two or three minutes, when General Thomas

7:04

called General Granger who stood near to him.

7:07

After perhaps two minutes conversation, General

7:10

Granger came to me and said, you

7:12

and Sheridan are to advance your divisions, carry

7:15

the entrenchments at the base of the ridge if

7:17

you can and if you succeed

7:20

to halt there.

7:21

He further said, the movement

7:23

is to be made at once so give

7:25

your orders to your brigade commanders immediately

7:28

and the signal to advance will

7:30

be the rapid success of discharge of

7:32

the six guns of this battery.

7:34

I immediately sent

7:36

from my brigade commanders, Hazen,

7:39

Willock and Beatty, repeated

7:41

to them the orders received from General Granger

7:44

and directed them to give the orders to their

7:46

regimental commanders in person, who

7:49

in turn were to give the orders to their

7:51

company commanders in person. I

7:54

was thus careful in having the orders transmitted

7:57

because I desired commanders of every

7:59

grade.

9:53

and

10:00

others to arrange the details of the

10:02

movement. Even though his troops

10:05

made up nearly two-thirds of the force that

10:07

would make the advance, Granger

10:09

was focused on making the arrangements for

10:11

the firing of the six artillery

10:13

pieces whose firing would signal

10:15

the start of the assault. According

10:17

to one source, Grant became so

10:20

impatient that he strode over

10:22

to Granger and barked, if

10:24

you will leave that battery to its captain and

10:27

take command of your corps, it will be

10:29

better for all of us.

10:30

Finally, Granger received

10:33

word that all units were formed up and in

10:35

line of battle, ready to advance. At 340,

10:37

he gave the order

10:40

and the sixth cannon fired in quick succession,

10:42

jolting everyone into action.

10:45

As they had two days previously when

10:48

they'd captured Orchard Knob, the

10:50

men of the Army of the Cumberland now, once

10:52

again, put on a grand show. Ranged

10:56

in neat parade ground ranks,

10:59

some 24,000 men in the four divisions of Absalom

11:03

Baird, Thomas Wood, Phil

11:05

Sheridan, and Richard Johnson

11:08

advanced under waving flags. From

11:11

the crest of Missionary Ridge and from

11:14

the rifle pits at the base of the ridge, thousands

11:17

of Confederates watched in awe

11:19

as the more than two mile long line of

11:21

Federals started forward.

11:23

One of the watching Confederates, Sergeant

11:26

Charles Hemming of the third Florida,

11:29

later recalled, quote, we

11:31

looked out on the plane and with the precision

11:34

of a dress parade, their magnificent

11:36

army came into view. The

11:38

officers, all superbly dressed,

11:41

pranced out on their high-medaled chargers.

11:44

The bands played and to the music

11:46

came the most wonderful array of splendidly

11:49

equipped soldiers I ever saw. The

11:52

old flag waved beautifully at the head

11:54

of each regiment.

11:55

Hemming continued, saying,

11:58

I love the old flag. flag

12:00

dearly when I was a boy, and when the

12:02

4th of July came, I had my miniature

12:04

cannon lined up to salute the flag. When

12:08

I looked upon it at the head of that wonderful army,

12:11

I confessed that it drew my silent admiration,

12:14

as I suppose it did of many of our Confederate

12:17

soldiers. However,

12:19

we had a duty to perform, and

12:21

a new flag to serve. So

12:24

we lay down on the top of the hill, waiting

12:27

for the coming foe.

12:29

Hutchinson, Minnesota had some problems.

12:39

For the adults of Hutchinson, the problem was

12:42

the teenagers. They

12:44

kept sneaking off at night to empty barns, where they'd,

12:47

brace yourselves, dance. Who knew

12:49

what sort of sin and heavy petting and French literature

12:51

these barn dances might lead to. So,

12:54

the adults of Hutchinson, Minnesota did not approve.

12:57

Neither, it seemed, did the devil. One

12:59

summer night, Satan himself suddenly appeared

13:01

in the middle of the dance floor, and the debauched teens

13:04

ran in fear. He showed up at the next

13:06

dance, too. For a few months, it seemed like

13:08

you couldn't go to a late night barn dance in Hutchinson

13:11

without getting chased out by the devil, pitchfork

13:13

in tow. Until one night, when a 14-year-old

13:16

boy had the good sense to shoot him in the chest.

13:18

At which point the devil was revealed, Scooby-Doo style

13:21

but bloodier, to be the local Methodist minister,

13:23

dressed in a costume, and flown in from the roof

13:25

by rope and pulley. This

13:28

is The Constant, a history of getting things wrong. I'm

13:30

Mark Chrysler. Every episode, we look at the accidents,

13:33

mistakes, and bad ideas that helped misshape

13:35

our world. Find us at ConstantPodcast.com,

13:38

or wherever you get your podcasts.

13:51

Hello, this is Matt from the Explorers Podcast.

13:54

I want to invite you to join me on the voyages

13:56

and journeys of the most famous explorers in the history

13:58

of the world. At the Explorers Podcast,

14:01

we plunge into jungles and deserts, across

14:03

mighty oceans and frigid ice caps, over

14:06

and to the top of great mountains, and

14:08

even into outer space. These

14:10

are the thrilling and captivating stories of

14:13

Magellan, Shackleton, Lewis and Clark, and

14:15

so many other famous and not-so-famous

14:17

adventurers from throughout history. So

14:19

come give us a listen. We'd love to have you. Go

14:22

to ExplorersPodcast.com or just

14:24

look us up on your podcast app. That's

14:26

the Explorers Podcast.

14:35

Up on the crest of Missionary Ridge,

14:37

Confederate Brigadier General Alfred Manigault,

14:40

who thought the federal attackers must number

14:43

at least 50,000 men, later admitted, quote,

14:47

the sight was grand and imposing

14:49

in the extreme. Such a sight

14:51

I never saw either before or after,

14:54

and I trust under the same circumstances

14:57

never to see again.

14:58

The rebels deployed in

15:00

the rifle pits at the bottom of the ridge,

15:03

who had a front row seat to that grand

15:05

and imposing sight, numbered

15:08

about 9,000 men. And

15:10

they shouldn't have been there. You

15:13

see, that morning, William Hardy,

15:16

the Confederate commander who was responsible

15:18

for this part of the rebel lines, was

15:21

inspecting the rifle pits at the foot of the

15:23

ridge, along with Division Commander

15:25

Patton Anderson. As

15:27

Hardy and Anderson discussed the possibility

15:30

of a Yankee attack there against

15:32

the center of Missionary Ridge, Anderson

15:35

asked what he should do. Should

15:38

he put up a stiff fight there at the foot of

15:40

the ridge? Or should

15:42

he have the men there retreat up the slope

15:44

to the crest?

15:45

If we rewind the tape

15:48

two days to the evening of the 23rd, Hardy's

15:51

instructions at that time were for

15:53

half of Anderson's division to occupy

15:56

the crest of Missionary Ridge, while

15:58

the other half manned the rest.

17:36

We

18:01

mowed them down until they were within thirty

18:03

yards of us, and then we retreated

18:06

up the hill and made a short stand. But

18:08

it was no use, and we were again

18:11

forced to retreat, and then the worst

18:13

part of the fight, for the hill was

18:15

dreadful steep, and the enemy kept

18:17

up a continual fire, and threw

18:19

a continual shower of bullets among us,

18:22

and I only wonder they did not kill all of

18:24

us. Many a poor

18:27

fellow fell exhausted and was taken prisoner.

18:30

I did not think that I should be able to reach the top,

18:33

for I had on a heavy knapsack, and

18:35

three days' rations in my haversack,

18:38

and a canteen full of water. I

18:41

stopped several times and took a shot at the

18:43

Yankees, and at the same time

18:45

it rested me. The

18:47

bullets flew around us so thick that

18:50

it seemed impossible to escape unhurt.

18:53

I would have thrown away my knapsack, but

18:56

could not get it off, and it was lucky

18:58

for me, for a bullet struck my

19:00

knapsack at the right shoulder, and

19:02

came out at the left shoulder, making

19:05

twenty-three holes in my blanket. When

19:08

I reached the top of the ridge, I was so

19:11

much exhausted that I fell down and

19:13

lay there for several minutes to recover my

19:15

breath. Then I got behind

19:17

a log and went to work with a will

19:20

shooting Yankees. Private

19:24

Robert Watson, 7th Florida

19:26

Infantry.

19:38

From the top of the ridge, Alfred

19:40

Manico sought the sight of the 24,000 Federals

19:43

advancing across the open ground toward

19:46

the foot of Missionary Ridge, quote,

19:49

was grand and imposing in the extreme.

19:53

And as you just heard, Private Watson,

19:55

there at the base of the ridge, admitted, quote,

19:58

they advanced on us and made it. fine style.

20:01

But while all of that sounds

20:03

grand and cinematic, in

20:06

reality as the Yankees drew closer,

20:09

there was a wild scene of confusion among

20:11

the Confederates holding the rifle pits

20:13

at the foot of the ridge as some

20:15

rebels promptly departed and started

20:18

scrambling up the slopes while

20:20

others stayed put not knowing what

20:22

to do.

20:23

The Confederates who stayed put

20:25

were killed or captured while those

20:28

who retreated were now forced to scramble 300

20:31

to 400 yards up the steep slope

20:33

to reach the crest all

20:35

while under heavy fire. Many

20:38

rebel soldiers threw away knapsacks,

20:40

blankets, even their muskets to

20:43

move faster

20:43

up the slope. Most

20:45

of the troops who made the scramble to the crest

20:48

were, according to one eyewitness,

20:50

quote, exhausted, demoralized

20:54

and unmanageable. Manigos

20:57

said that after the hurried stressful climb,

21:00

many who reached the top were simply, quote,

21:03

broken down.

21:04

While those who made the climb

21:07

were enduring that ordeal, the Confederate

21:09

infantry and artillery men atop

21:12

the ridge were frustrated and dismayed

21:14

at the unfolding situation. In

21:17

many spots, the cannon couldn't be fired

21:19

directly at the Yankees below because

21:22

their muzzles couldn't be depressed far

21:24

enough. Even worse, in

21:26

many instances, the rebel infantry

21:28

on the crest found they couldn't simply

21:30

cut loose because of the fear of hitting

21:33

their own comrades who were scrambling

21:35

up the slopes.

21:36

Hardee must have

21:38

been appalled. He had envisioned

21:40

an organized, effective defense

21:43

as the troops below withdrew to the crest

21:46

where they would join the mainline of resistance.

21:49

But instead, now, all

21:51

was chaos and confusion. To

21:54

the advancing ranks of blue-coated Federals,

21:57

seeing the slopes of missionary ridge,

22:00

suddenly filled with fleeing rebels was

22:02

incredible. Even

22:04

better, many of the enemy soldiers abandoned

22:07

their works at the base of the ridge without

22:09

firing a shot. A

22:12

lot of federal units raced swiftly

22:14

ahead and occupied the mostly empty

22:17

rifle pits with minimal fighting.

22:20

Despite Private Watson's recollection that

22:23

he and his fellow Floridians mowed

22:26

down the advancing Yankees, it

22:28

was actually incredibly easy

22:30

for the Federals.

22:32

Only later did the Federal soldiers

22:34

learn about the confusion within the Confederate

22:37

ranks that had caused their quick and exhilarating

22:39

victory in capturing the rifle

22:42

pits at the base of the ridge. At

22:45

the time, most of the men of the Army

22:47

of the Cumberland believed the rebels were beaten

22:49

and fleeing in terror. But

22:52

now it was the Federals' turn to become confused

22:54

about

22:54

their orders.

22:56

Were they supposed to stop or continue

22:58

their attack up the slopes to the crest

23:00

of the ridge?

23:01

Apparently some units

23:03

believed they were supposed to continue

23:06

the attack right up the slopes, while

23:08

other units thought they were supposed to halt

23:11

at the foot of the ridge. But

23:13

regardless, the developing situation

23:16

quickly decided the issue because

23:19

as the Yankee soldiers arrived at the foot

23:21

of the ridge and took possession of the

23:23

Confederate works, they quickly

23:25

realized the rifle pits there were

23:28

no prize, but rather

23:30

a potential death trap. Because

23:33

as the Federals halted at the base of the ridge,

23:36

a new danger quickly made itself known

23:38

in the form of the zip of miniballs

23:41

and blasts of canister from

23:43

the rebel infantry and cannon up

23:45

on the crest.

23:47

An officer in a Minnesota

23:49

regiment later recalled, quote, When

23:51

we got possession of the first line,

23:54

we found that it was only knee-high and

23:56

not protection at all against the musketry

23:59

and canister. that rained down upon

24:01

us from the crest of the ridge.

24:03

Whether it was because

24:05

they thought they were following orders, or

24:08

whether they simply decided to take matters

24:10

into their own hands, the

24:12

Federals at the base of the ridge all

24:14

came to the same conclusion, that

24:17

they couldn't stay where they were. And

24:20

so there was nothing for it but

24:22

to go on, up the slopes

24:24

before them, all the way to the

24:26

top of Missionary Ridge.

24:38

On the afternoon of the 25th, our brigade

24:41

joined in the assault on the ridge. Our

24:43

alignment was not very good after we got

24:46

on the double quick. This explains

24:48

why no general officers got across

24:50

that valley to stop us at the rifle

24:52

pits at the foot of the ridge, because

24:55

we just ran away from them. I

24:57

would suppose we traveled at least a mile

25:00

before

25:00

reaching the works at

25:01

the foot of the ridge. Most the way

25:03

on the run, our nerves strung

25:05

to highest tension. The

25:07

Johnnys rained their shot and shell down into

25:09

the valley, and our own batteries in

25:11

the rear were hurling their shot

25:14

over our heads at the ridge.

25:15

We stopped just long

25:18

enough after taking their first works

25:20

to catch our breath. Then,

25:22

without any general orders, commenced

25:25

to climb the heights, keeping no

25:27

particular order as we fought our way up.

25:30

It is a well-known fact that after leaving the

25:32

works at the foot of the ridge, we went

25:35

the balance of the way on our own responsibility

25:38

without any orders except from

25:40

colonels and captains. It

25:42

has been said that when Grant asked Thomas,

25:45

as they stood on orchard knob, who

25:47

gave the order, Thomas said,

25:50

no one, they just seemed to be going up

25:52

themselves. Private

25:56

Asbury Welsh, 15th Ohio

25:59

Infantry Willick's Brigade,

26:01

Army of the Cumberland.

26:09

That means it's time for this episode's book

26:11

recommendation, and our recommendation

26:14

this time is Voices of the

26:16

Civil War, Chattanooga, by

26:18

the editors of Time Life

26:19

Books. I think with every

26:22

major campaign and battle that we cover, we

26:25

end up recommending this Voices

26:27

of the Civil War series of books by Time

26:29

Life. It's where we get a lot

26:31

of the great quotes that we use in the episodes.

26:35

This series is out of print, but

26:38

the individual titles are

26:40

still available in all the usual

26:42

places on the internet where you find

26:45

used books for sale, and if you

26:47

do pick them up, they're a wonderful

26:49

addition to your Civil War bookshelf.

26:51

You can find a complete list of

26:53

all of our book recommendations if you head

26:56

over to the podcast website, which

26:58

is www.civilwarpodcast.org.

27:02

Also at the website,

27:04

you can find information on how

27:06

to join the Strawfoot Brigade, just

27:09

like Russ G., Bernard

27:12

B., Mark M., and

27:14

Craig did this past week.

27:17

We also want to say thanks to

27:19

James S. for his donation.

27:21

Yep, thanks everyone. We

27:23

appreciate your support of the show.

27:26

Thanks to all of you for listening to

27:28

this episode of the podcast. Rich

27:31

and I do hope that you'll join us again next time

27:33

when

27:33

we'll continue with the story of the storming

27:36

of Missionary Ridge. But until

27:38

then, take care. Thanks

27:40

everyone. Bye. Thank

28:00

you.