November 28, 1863, The New York Herald
The news from Chattanooga represents the absolute destruction of General Bragg’s army as beyond doubt. General Grant very briefly announces, in a despatch dated at one o’clock yesterday morning, that he has just returned from the front; that the rout of the enemy is most complete. Abandoned wagons, caissons and occasional pieces of artillery are everywhere to be found. Bragg’s loss, he says, will fully reach sixty pieces of artillery, and the pursuit will continue to Red Clay in the morning, for which place he would start at once.
The work upon the rear of the flying enemy continued to be more disastrous as our troops pursued. The rebels flung down their arms and were captured in hundreds, leaving artillery, ammunition and caissons behind them. They set fire to their stores to prevent them from falling into our hands, so that at different points during Thursday night the progress of our troops was illuminated by the flames. It is said that what is now left of Bragg’s army is but a panic stricken mob, rushing like a herd of frightened buffaloes, and apparently perfectly incapable of making any further resistance.
Last night Hooker’s and Sherman’s commands were ten miles beyond Chickamauga creek. In a sharp fight yesterday morning General Palmer took four guns and three hundred prisoners. General Sherman advanced on the left yesterday from Tyne Station, and cut off two thousand of the enemy. The cavalry command of Colonel Lang has just returned from a raid on the East Tennessee Railroad, fifteen miles of which they cut, below and above Cleveland; burned a rebel foundry at that place, stored with large quantities of munitions of war, and captured one hundred wagons of supplies.
Our total loss in the three days’ fighting is said not to exceed three thousand.
We give a fine map today of the whole country from Knoxville to Atlanta, and the scene of General Grant’s brilliant operations, and another giving a profile view of Lookout Mountain, with all the points of interest in the late assaults, with the rebel defences. The highest ridge of the mountain is one thousand seven hundred feet above the level of Chattanooga, and distant from it, in a straight line, about a mile and a quarter.
The latest news from the Rapidan shows that the whole army of General Meade had crossed the river at three points and advanced southward, skirmishing with the enemy as they went, and defeating them in every instance. Lee seemed to be shunning a general action, and is reported to be falling back stubbornly. There was a rumor at Rappahannock Station last evening at seven o’clock that General Meade had captured fourteen thousand of the enemy, but it could not be traced to a reliable source. No opposition to the crossing of our army was made except at one of the upper fords. The right, consisting of the Third corps, supported by the Sixth, crossed at Jacobs’ Ford; the Second corps at Germanna Ford, and the Fifth, supported by the First, at Culpepper Ford, between Germanna and Ely’s Fords. The centre column arrived at Germanna about noon. Only a small picket of Georgia cavalry were seen on the other side. The headquarters of General Meade were moved across the river before nine o’clock yesterday morning. Shortly after that hour heavy cannonading commenced and continued up to five o’clock in the afternoon without intermission, but no particulars of the engagement had been received at Washington up to late last night. It was probably along both sides of the plank road in front of Orange Court House, as this was expected to be the battle field.
The guerilla Mosby is still active in the vicinity of Brandy Station. On Thursday night he made a dash upon a forage train, destroyed the forage, captured one hundred and thirty-nine mules and fifteen wagons, and set fire to nineteen other wagons of the train.
Union officers just returned from Richmond state that the rebel authorities are acting in bad faith with the prisoners and the government in the distribution of the provisions and clothing sent for the relief of our imprisoned soldiers. It is said that the government will not forward any more until some guarantee is given that the agreement entered into shall be faithfully carried out. The sufferings of the unhappy prisoners are set forth in most painful terms by the reports of the surgeons who have been released from Libby prison. The mortality in the hospitals amounts to fifty a day, and the food supplied to the sick is wholly inadequate and unfit for the patients. The surgeons referred to, however, state that the rebel surgeons in charge of the hospitals are not responsible for this state of things, as their kindness and humanity in the performance of their duties are fully equal to the limited means at their command.