Chattanooga, TN Thursday, 26 Nov 1863 Dear Diary, We made it through another battle, thanks be to God. This one was bad, although it didn't seem as bad as Shiloh, but then after the last two years, maybe I'm getting used to Army life - days and days of sheer boredom, followed up by unspeakable terror! The 40th Ohio is down to less than 100 men fit for duty, although I expect after things get sorted out a bit, some will come straggling in. SGT Lunn was wounded, although it doesn't seem to be anything really serious. He was standing too close to where a shell landed, and the concussion knocked him over. He's got a gash across his head, and one devil of a headache, but he should be fine in a few days. At any rate, he's still on duty. But the important news - the seige of Chattanooga is broken, and the Rebs can't get away from here fast enough! It's a splendid victory, and one that I hope will bring this war to an end, eventually. The fighting started on the 23d, with the troops of General Thomas' Army of the Cumberland seizing some high ground called Orchard Knob, just to the northeast of Missionary Ridge. The Ridge, and especially the highest point at its southern end, called Lookout Mountain, are just east of the town of Chattanooga, and had been held by the Confederates for several months - that's what had kept our boys locked up. Lookout Mountain especially is really imposing - it totally dominates the town of Chattanooga, and looked like there was no way it could be taken! But, I'm getting ahead of myself. I guess I'm still a bit excited about winning - or about surviving another battle. We got our turn on the 24th, trying to turn the Confederate right flank on the northern end of the Ridge. Bad terrain, hard fighting, and little luck. We all knew who we were up against Cleburne's Division. We first ran into those boys at Shiloh, and didn't like it the first time we met. Their temperment hasn't improved a bit in the past two years! We could tell it was them because of their flag. All the rest of the Reb units have the Reb Battle Flag - the Stars and Bars, they call it. Cleburne's division has an all blue flag, trimmed in white, with a white full moon in the center. We've seen that full moon through the gunsmoke all too many times! At any rate, they held us proper all through the 24th. Yesterday, though, was a glorious day for the Union, and who would have thought that those boys from the Army of the Cumberland had it in them. We all figured that they had gotten soft sitting in Chattanooga for so long, especially after the Johnnies beat the devil out of them back in September! Didn't work out that way. We started our attack against the Reb right flank real early in the morning, but were getting no where, when we heard all kinds of firing down the line to the south. Seems Thomas and the Army of the Cumberland were ordered to clear some rifle pits at the base of Lookout Mountain, but for some reason, they didn't stop there - they just kept going on their own, fighting their way cleanup Lookout Mountain. I've seen that thing - I wouldn't want to climb it, let alone fight my way up it! They had a bit of help, unexpected-like, from the Mountain itself. Seems it's so steep, and the Johnnies were so sure of themselves, that they didn't place their cannon properly. When our boys attacked, the Rebs couldn't depress their guns enough to fire downhill. Plus, it was so cloudy, even before the smoke from the guns, that you couldn't see more than a couple of feet in front of your face. I've been in fights like that - it's really scary. It's one thing to stand shoulder to shoulder with your buddies in a battle line and face the enemy. It's quite another to be not too sure who is to the right and left of you, and when you look forward all you see is the entire enemy army heading right at you - personally. No wonder the Johnnies up and ran! Anyway, with Lookout Mountain ours, the whole Reb line collapsed. Cleburne's boys held us up awhile, but only enough to let the rest of their army get away. Most of his troops are from Kentucky and Tennessee - westerners like us Ohioans. I've got to admit, they know how to fight! So now that we have Chattanooga, what's next. I don't reckon Grant, Sherman, and the like really are interested in the opinion of us "high privates", but it sure would be nice to just sit here for awhile and recover. You figure we've marched clean across the state of Tennessee and fought a major battle, put the main Reb Army in the area into a rout. It's time for a little rest, if you ask me - but knowing Grant and Sherman, they've already figure out a bit more work for us. I've got to hand it to Grant. Ever since he started out back in 1861, he's been winning. It's taken time, and God knows it's cost lives, but he wins. Belmont, Henry, Donelson, Shiloh, Vicksburg, now Chattanooga. If only the generals back East were half as good, this war would be over by now. Instead, for every victory we win out here, they seem to lose two against Bobby Lee. He can't be that good! Most of the boys think that President Lincoln should just put Grant in charge of the whole "shooting match", maybe leave Sherman out here to keep things going. We're betting that the war won't last another month with Grant in command, regardless of General Lee!