LONGSTREET AT KNOXVILLE.



of Fort Loudon, and had been finished by the Fed-
erals and by them called Fort Sanders. It was
upon a hill that fell off to the north-west, so that a
large force could be marched under cover and
approach within two hundred yards of the fort
without being exposed to view or to fire either
from the fort or the adjacent lines on either side,
which here made an obtuse angle. (See p. 7.39.]
  All of our artillery, thirty-four guns, was posted
in the most available positions to fire upon this fort
and enfilade the adjacent lines, except four how-
itzers, which were rigged as mortars to drop shells
behind the parapets and to search out spaces shel-
tered from direct fire. To accomplish this, skids
were prepared inclined at an angle of forty-five
degrees, one end resting on the ground and the
other on a horizontal pole supported about six
feet from the ground by forked posts. The axle
of the howitzer was run up on these skids, raising
the wheels in the air on each side of the skids, and
leaving the trail on the ground between them, until
the piece had an elevation of about sixty degrees.
I had experimented with the arrangement in Vir-
ginia, and also at Chattanooga, and found it to work
nicely and to give very fair mortar practice. Of
course the range was regulated by the charge of
powder used. We also rigged up an old flat-boat
anid made a ferry with some telegraph wire, by
which we carried Parker's rifle-guns to the south
side of the river and established a battery on a
(nommanding hill, from which we could enfilade the
western front of the fort at a range of 2600 yards.
All of our guns were protected by earth-works.
  These arrangements occupied us closely until
Tuesday, the 24th. The attack was ordered to
begin at sunrise on the 25th, and was to be made
as follows: First, th. mortars were to open and
get the range by slow and deliberate practice.
Next, the direct-fire guns were to do the same.
Next, a strong line of sharp-shooters was to cap-
ture and occupy the enemy's line of rifle-pits in
which their pickets were posted, and from these
pits, an average distance of 200 yards, maintain
a concentrated fire upon the parapet and embra-
sures of the fort. Next, all thirty of the guns and
mortars were to pour a rapid fire into the fort for
about a half hour, to dismount its guns and demor-
alize its garrison, and under cover of this fire and
the sharp-shooters the storming column, previously
massed under shelter, was to advance. As it alp
proeached, the guns would shift their fire to the
right and left, and the mortars would resume their
natural functions as howitzers and limber up and
follow the storming column.
  On the night of the 24th we learned that Bush-
rod Johnson's and Graeie's brigades, about 2600
men, were on their way to reenforce us, and would
arrive the next night. The attack was accordingly
postponed to await their arrival. With them eame
General Leadbetter, chief engineer to Bragg, who
had been stationed at Knoxville and was familiar
with its fortifications. Under his advice Longstreet
again postponed the attack, and the next day went
in person with him to look at the enemy's lines
above the town, with a view to making the attack
there. On their return Thursday night I was or-



dered to withdraw our guns from the south side of
the river, as it was intended to move up above the
town and make the assault on Mabry's Hill.
On Friday I accompanied Generals Longstreet,
Leadbetter, and others on a careful reconnoissance
of this locality with a force of cavalry under Gen-
eral Wheeler, who drove in the enemy's pickets.
This reconnoissanee convinced every one that an
attack in that quarter was impossible. The hill
was strongly fortified, the approaches inundated,
and there was no cover within a mile for the for-
mation and advance of an assaulting column. It
was unanimously decided to go back to the plan
of assaulting Fort Sanders, and I was ordered to
get the guns back upon the hills across the river
early Saturday morning. This was done, but the
day turned out rainy and the assault was again
postponed until Sunday, the 28th. So General
Leadbetter's advent cost us three as valuable days
as the sun ever shone upon. Meanwhile a rumor
reached us that Bragg had had a severe battle at
Chattanooga, and had been defeated and driven
back to Dalton.
  Late on Saturday afternoon General Longstreet
suddenly changed the plan of attack (I believe
under advice of General Leadbetter) and ordered
that instead of beginning at sunrise, and being
preceded by a crashing fire of artillery concen-
trated on the fort and covered by an enveloping
swarm of sharp-shooters, a surprise should be at-
tempted just before dawn by the infantry.alone.
This was a bitter disappointment to the artillery,
after so many days spent in preparation. We be-
lieve that in daylight, with our aid, the result would
have been different.
  About 11 o'clock that night our infantry skir-
mishers were ordered to move forward and capture
the enemy's pickets, which was successfully ac-
complished with a little firing, and our sharp-
shooters established themselves in the enemy's line
of rifle-pits within 15 Oyards of the fort. But it put
the enemy on the alert, and during the rest of the
night they fired occasional rounds of canister over
our ground. The troops were brought up as soon as
the rifle-pits were taken and formed in the sheltered
ground in the rear. Those assigned to the storming
of the fort were Humphreys's Mississippi brigade,
and Bryan's and Wofford's Georgia brigades (the
latter under Colonel Ruff), all of MeLaws's divi-
sion. Anderson's Georgia brigade, of Jenkins's
division, was to support their left flank. The bri-
gades averaged about one thousand men each.
  The night was wretehed, the temperature freez-
ing, and a fine mist falling. The troops lay upon
their arms without fires and suffered greatly.
  At the earliest indication of dawn three signal-
guns were fired in rapid succession from different
batteries. Their shells were visible like meteors in
the air and they exploded over the fort. Instantly
the recumbent ranks of gray sprang to their feet
and formed for a charge, not so famous in history
as Pickett's charge at Gettysburg, and not so in-
spiriting a sight to see, for only the flashes of guns
were visible in the dim light, but a charge that
illustrated as well as Pickett's or any other ever
made those splendid qualities of Longstreet's in-



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