his main attack. Holding his centre with three brigades, he was
then to move along the east and west base of Missionary Ridge with
his right and left flanks. Corse advancing from the right centre
moved forward, supported by Lightburn on the left and Morgan L.
Smith on his right, and occupied a crest in the woods about eighty
yards from the intrenched line of the enemy. From this point Corse
assaulted the main rebel line, and for over an hour maintained a
heavy contest, driving the enemy and at times being driven back,
but still holding his crest as first secured. Here Corse, Loomis,
and Morgan L. Smith fought the rebels under Hardee with Cleburne's,
Gist's, Cheatham's, and Stevenson's divisions in a stubborn struggle
all day up to three o'clock, holding their own, but making little
headway. About two o'clock John E. Smith's two brigades, while
moving to the support of Ewing, were driven in some disorder by a
charge of the enemy, heavily massed. They were quickly reformed
and, aided by Corse's troops taking the rebels in the flank with
a hot musketry fire, the enemy was soon driven back into his line
of works.

Here Sherman was fighting the heavy column of the enemy on our
left, and the main part of the battle had been his share. Grant
was waiting for Hooker to reach the rebel left at Rossville, in the
hope that this would afford some relief to the stubborn fighting
Sherman had encountered. Finding that Hooker had been delayed
by the destruction of the bridge longer than was anticipated, and
that the diversion was not to come from that quarter, Grant ordered
Thomas to move out the four divisions constituting the centre--Baird
on the left, then Wood with Sheridan on his right, and Johnson on
the extreme right of the line--with a double line of skirmishers to
the front, supported by the entire force, press forward to carry