On this day in 1863, Union soldiers — without waiting for orders — charged up Missionary Ridge under fire, dislodging the Confederates and ending the months-long siege of Chattanooga.
Among the Union men that day was 1st Lt. Arthur MacArthur Jr., 18, adjutant of the 24th Wisconsin Infantry, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society. When the regiment’s flag-bearer was shot, MacArthur picked up the colors and cried “On Wisconsin!” while charging up the hill. He was shot twice as he ascended, and thousands surged after him, according to the Department of Defense, until he planted the flag on the crest. For his leadership, MacArthur received the Medal of Honor.
Arthur MacArthur would become the father of the famous World War II leader, Gen. Douglas MacArthur.