LONGSTREET AT KNOXVILLE.



whieh did exist,; to the passive obstacles of wire entanglements, depth of
ditch and unusual relief of the parapet; to the enemy's error in deciding it to
be unnecessary to provide sealing-ladders for the storming party; and, finally
and eniphativally, to a sufficient garrison of the coolest, bravest, andl most
determined men. Each of these reasons seems to me to have contributed its
share to the result, and some of them were surely of much graver moment
than any of those assigned by the other side.
  The successful resistance of the 29th (lid not lead to any remission of labor
on our defenses. Work was continued by the troops with the energy that had
characterized their efforts thus far, but the enemy gave little indication of
a purpose to do anything further upon their works of attack. On the 1st of
December large trains b)elonging to the enemy were seen moving to the east-
ward, and againron the 3d1 and 4th and on the night of the 4th his troops were
withdrawn and the siege was raised. We had not yet heard the result of
General Grant's operations at Chattanooga.
  The signal defeat of Bragg at Missionary Ridge and the happy conclusion
of the siege of Knoxville confirmed our hold upon the direct line of com-
munication between the enemy's forces e ast and west and achieved the per-
manent relief of the friends of our cause in east Tennessee.
  The conduct of the men who stood in the trenches at Knoxville cannot be
overpraised. Half starved, with clothing tattered and torn, they endured with-
out a murmur every form of hardship and exposure that falls to the lot of the
soldier. The question with them was not whether they could withstand the
assaults of the enemy, but simply whether sufficient food could be obtained
to enable them to keep their places in the line. That they were not reduced
to the last extremity in this regard is due to the supplies sent in by the loy-
alists of the French Broad settlements, who took advantage of Longstreet's
inability to invest the place completely, and under cover of the night-fogs
floated down to us such food and forage as they could collect.



P "On the morning of December 6th I rode
from Marysville into Knoxville, and met General
Burnside. . . . We examined his lines of forti-
fications, which were a wonderful production for
the short time allowed in their selection of ground
and construction of work. It seemed to me that



they were nearly impregnable. We examined the
redoubt named 'Sanders,' where on the Sunday
previous three brigades of the enemy had as-
saulted and met a bloody repulse."- Extract from
General Sherman's official report of December
19th, 1863.



         LONGSTREET AT KNOXVILLE.
BY E. PORTER ALEXANDER, BRIGADIER-GENERAL, C. S. A.



ArFTER the return of the Army of Northern Vir-
    ginia from Gettysburg, it took position south
of the Rapidan River, in the vicinity of Orange
Court House, to recuperate from the losses and
fatigue of the campaign. We settled ourselves in
comfortable camps among the wooded hills, en-
joyed better rations than we ever got again,
gradually collected horses, recruits, conscripts,
and returning sick and wounded, and altogether
we felt about as well satisfied with the situation
and prospect as we had ever done before. The
enjoyment of our pleasant camps and still pleas-
   VOL. 111. 48



anter rest was suddenly broken, on September
9th, by orders for Hood's and MIeLaws's divisions
of Longstreet's corps, about 11,000 strong, with
my battalion of artillery, 23 guns, to go under the
personal command of General Longstreet to reen-
force Bragg in Georgia.
It was clear that our now, however, adversary, the
Army of the Potomac, could not resume the offen-
sive for some months, and there would be ample
time to send this force out to enable Bragg to
crush Rosecrans, and bring it back to Virginia be-
fore it would be needed there. It was the only



745