line, captured it, and then found themselves under the heavy fire
from the enemy's lines on the heights above, without orders, and
even against orders, the soldiers of the Army of the Cumberland,
who were "so demoralized that they would not fight," pressed up
the face of the ridge under the deadly musketry fire that greeted
them, with cannon in front, to the right and the left, raking with
converging fire, and won for General Grant the battle of Missionary
Ridge, driving Bragg away from Sherman's front and thus enabling him
to take the tunnel as ordered. Whenever the victory of Missionary
Ridge shall be narrated on history's page, this gallant charge of
the brave men of Wood's and Sheridan's divisions, with those of Baird
and Johnson on their left and right, will always be the prominent
feature of the engagement as told in the coming years, and will be
the last to lose its glory and renown.

No wonder that General Grant failed to appreciate this movement at
the time, not understanding the troops who had it in charge. When
he found these commands ascending the ridge to capture it when he
ordered a "demonstration" to be made to the foot of the hill and
there to wait, he turned sharply to General Thomas and asked, "By
whose orders are those troops going up the hill?" General Thomas,
taking in the situation at once, suggested that it was probably
their own. General Grant remarked that "it was all right if it
turned out all right," and added, "if not, some one would suffer."
But it turned out "all right," and Grant in his official report
compliments the troops for "following closely the retreating enemy
without further orders." General Thomas, in his official report,
after narrating the events of the 23d 24th, and 25th of November,
quietly says: "It will be seen by the above report that the original
plan of operations was somewhat modified to meet and take the best