Tuesday, November 29, 2016

American Civil War Battlefields
East Crest Drive
Missionary Ridge
Chattanooga, Tennessee

 Photos and text courtesy of LCWRT Member Charlie Moore

Mebane’s Tennessee Battery was part of John. C. Breckinridge’s Division, Daniel H. Hill’s Corps of the Army of Tennessee. Because of their location away from most of the action during the Battle of Chickamauga, Sept. 18-20, 1863, Captain John Mebane’s battery of four guns fired only 75 rounds and suffered just two casualties.  His four Napoleon 12 pounders were eventually moved to this position atop Missionary Ridge.  On Nov. 25, 1863, they were engaged in the Battle of Missionary Ridge, where his guns could not be sufficiently depressed to command the slope of the hill.  Even so, the battery was able to fire off 543 rounds during the battle, though doing little damage to the Union troops coming up the steep hill toward them.  The battery suffered 3 casualties, 2 wounded and 1 missing.  They were however, successfully able to retire with all four guns and proceeded to Dalton, Georgia where they encamped until William T. Sherman began his Atlanta Campaign.  Capt. Mebane was killed on June 18th, 1864, while participating in the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia.  

No comments: