Left Camp Sliver and
arrived at Camp Haste, 12½ miles. At 2 o'clock, got orders to fall in again for
fight. We marched about one mile, feeling our way cautiously as we went,
understanding that fifteen thousand rebels had crossed the Tennessee river and
were moving on us, between the river and town, in haste. There were two
companies of the 79th Pa. Inf. detailed and sent down the river in front of
Chattanooga, to advance slowly and cautiously to feel the enemy; while a force
of cavalry was sent around to come up the river and advance until they would
meet, if not fired upon. The rest of our army, with six pieces of artillery,
passing down' the river on the right, about one mile and a quarter from the
river, to the centre, and our brave commander, General Negley, at the head of
our forces, gave us the order to left face and advance toward the river and
town. On we went to the top of a high hill or mountain in sight of the town,
which surprised the rebels in their forts and town to see the Yankees in sight;
so the orders, “Lie down, infantry, flat to the ground, and be ready to support
your batteries,” was no sooner given than it was obeyed. We could see the rebs
coming out of their forts and pits like bees out of a scap, and turning their
artillery on us; so feeling that our cavalry and infantry might meet, and
hearing they were across the river, might fire on each other when meeting, four
men were detailed off the head of each company, to be sent down to the river as
skirmishers, to report to them, and then return to the hill again. As I was one
of the front files, it so happened to be my lot to go, and on reaching the
river the rebs opened fire on us from the other side, killing two men and
wounding several of our force. At three o'clock we opened our batteries on them
and their town, shelling them hard, and causing them to silence their guns,
only four shots of theirs reaching us. We shelled the town until four in the
evening, causing them all to move out of the town and call for reinforcements
from the Gap, which was all we wanted, to draw them out with this feint attack,
so that our army might go in, which it did without being interrupted, the rebs
having evacuated the place. So we returned back to camp for the night, making a
march of 14 miles.
SOURCE: Adam S.
Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, p. 15-6
