.GREENSBORO NORTH STATE: Thursday, October 4, 1888.
CHICKAMAUGA.
One of tho Bloodiest Battles of
tho Civil War.
SEPTEMBER 19 AND 20, 1863.
Tho Armies of Brags and. Rosecrans
Meet at Last,
The Story Told a Quarter of & Century
jater After Three Months of Retreat
ing Tragg Slakes a Stand and Fights.
He-enforced from Lee, at Richmond, and
Johnston, In Sllsslsslppl, He Wins a
i
victory A Fatal Gap In the Ualon
Ijjie Gen. Thomas, tho Rock of Chick
aniauga Garfield's Ride.
Tho battle of Chickamauga took place
Sept 10 and 20, 1SG3, with a preliminary
Cght Sept. 13. The heaviest fighting was on
the 20th, and on 'Sunday.
Tho engagement of . Wilder's mounted In
fantry at Leet's tanyard, Sept. 13, was tho
premonitory signal of tho battle. It occur
red near Leo & Gordon's mill, while Critten
den, in oLedienco to Rosecrans' order, was
concentrating his corps.
$ Rovi'IU.
Kliy
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fr i . V.
s- m SS - t -V
if m .s: t -nr
1 . .
Tf:.s;Mf II :.ckuer. Polk,
Hill. I). II. Ii'ill had b
n
"TIAP OH CHICKAMAUGA.
Tin f.iFt!l:--i battle takes its namo from a
creek or s:nMl river that flows north through
tlx v.-: i b v iH-'lween Mission Ridge and Pigeon
niou:!t::i :s, n:ul emptier into the Tennessee
four "Miles ji'kjvc Chattanooga.- r
v it!i Uragg, Sent. 1.3, were four corps:
Polk, Walker and D. II.
een sent from Rich-
A-A to L:ikj command of Hardee's corps.
t!.o arrival of Lomrstreet from Lee's
army rrag had five .corps. !
'In tho light of Sept. 20, Confederate autho
rities put the Union force at nearly 40,000, and
the Confederate at 49,000. Federal figures
say lirngg had 70,000, Rosecrans 5o,00
effectives. With Bragg were many Confed
erate soldiers who had been captured at
Vieksburg and Port Hudson and been paroled,
but who had not yet been exchanged.
Jrept.. l'- McCook's corps was still at Alpine,
iu the cistern edge of Georgia, At midnight
of that day he received an order to hurry
'with nil .sliced and support Thomas at
! Stevens Gap, on the east side of Mission
jRiil.ro. When McCook first reached Alpine,
finding himself isolated from he rest of the
jUniou army, he had sent hi3 wagon train
i bad: to the top of Lockout range.
J " McCook made all haste to obey. The order
I ho received came directly from Thomas. Its
instructions were to move two divisions of
I his corns to Stevens GaD. and leave the third
to guard the wagon train. McCook took the
wrong road, crossed! Lookout range, was
obliged to recross it, and after a march of great
hardship and fatigue! reached McLemore's
Cove on the night of Sept. 17. With him
were Stanley and the cavalry.
Crittenden had been ordered also to move
forward his corps and connect with Thomas
on Chickamauga creek. Sept. 14 he moved
his corps, except Wood's division, to Mission
Ridge.
Thomas' extreme left, under Reynolds, was
un the west fork of Chickamauga creek.
J Wood's division of
i Crittenden's corps
(was left alone at
! Lee &; Gordo n's
mills on the west"
shank of Cbicka
.inauga. Sept. IS
tho three corps of
Rosecrans' army
jnuu u.n.o muru 1U
supporting dis-
.uj.neo oi one an-,j
fother. Brngg was
.receiving heavy re
'onforcements from
T-rin.. - i Tl -1
j-"1"""") unucn- geji, x j. WOOD,
moii'l. This Rosecrans became aware of
?Soi't. 10, and his anxiety was greatly in
creased. -
Once more Brags prepared to attack the
iITnio: arm-. His preparations j occupied
from Sept. 13 to 17. lie ordered his generals
to concentrate along the east banks of the
Chickamauga. Tho Union array was by
Sept, 18 concentrated on the west side,
J The vital point to both armies was now the
road from Lafayette to Chattanooga. This
road passes through a gap in Mission Ridge
at Rossville. Whichever, therefore, could
secure this gap at Rossville was sure of. Chat
tanooga. At thi3 time there was at Chatta
nooga only one brigade of Union troops,
i agner's, and at Lee & Gordon's mills,
jvhero tho road to Chattanooga touches
Chickamauga creek, there was for several
days only, one division of Union troops,
food's. An attack from Bragg any time
from Sept 13 to 13, on the Lafayette and
Chattanooga road, would have secured it to
the Confederates. But Bragg was waiting
for re-enforcements. When, at length, he
yas ready to attack, Rosecrans had his threo
corps within supporting distance,
r3 the Union arm7 la7 Sept. 13, it faced
Chickamauga creek to the eastward. A
rream called Crawfish spring flows into the
jvest side of the Chickamauga, a short dis
tance southwest of Lee & Gordon's milL
Around and north of . Crawfish spring the
L nion army was grouped in regular order,
pept. 13, McCook on the right, Thomas in the
-enter, and Crittenden on the left, i This po
rtion on the 18th must be remembered in or
ler to get the situation of the 19th, the first
pattle day, clearly in the mind. Wilder's
counted infantry and Minty'a cavalry were
parding the Union left to the northward. ,
1 All day at intervals, duringthe ISth, word
me to Rosecrans. that the Confederates
2 lefLaSSiDS mre and more EtronSlr uPn
i"0 mu WT6 Chattanooga at! all risk.'
the Unioaarmy must speed north
rara wjthall haste to guard the road lead
i s Chickamauga creek to Rossville.
fin.
The center corps of the Union army
changed position for tbo time. Gen. Thomas
late In tho afternoon and during the night
of Sept. 18 marched his corps, except Keg
ley's division, to the north to protasct tho
road to Rossville. Negley's division was left
behind to guard the ford of the Chickamauga,
near Crawfish spring.
Gen. Thomas and his soldiers marched all
night long. The road from Chickamauga
creek to Rossville cut the northward road,
over which Gen. Thomas marched, at Kelly's
farm, hence to become historic. : j
At Kelly's farm Gen. Thomas' weary di
visions baited. Thomas posted Batrd's di
vision at Kelly's
house. On Baird's
left, and north-of
him, Brannan's di
vision was posted.
The two divisions
were placed so as
to cover the roads
-i leading from Alex-
t m Vfcl i a
i : - r : - Jsr oriagesf ana . lam-
OtiSX- beth ford, across
i S ke- Chickamauga.
ice aesign was
thus to intercept
Bragg's attempt to
cross the Chickamau3,i and advance towards
Chattanooga. The roads at which Baird and
Brannanwere posted both led into that Ross
villo road which was the key to the situation.
GenJ Gordon Granger's command was
posted as a reserve at Rossville, On the
evening of Sept. IS CoL Dan McCook, of
Granger's command, made a reconnaissance
eastward to the Chickamauga, and burned
Reed's bridge across that stream. He re
ported to Gen. Thomas that one Confederate
brigade was already across Chickamauga on
tho west sido. As McCook had burned the
bridge nearest them, it would be possible by
an immediate attack to capture the whole
brigade. Accordingly, with the early dawn
of Sept. 19, Gen. Brannan moved forward
with two brigades and attacked the Confed
erate force that McCook had reported.
BRIO.
GIN. ABSOLOU
BAIRD.
1- yj2&
-x ,s',l"''-5
J. B
GEN.
HOOD.
BATTLE OF SEPT. 19.
i .
This attack of Gen. Thomas atarly morn
ing, Sept. 19, was the opening of the battle
of Chickamauga. But it was not the opening
Bragg had anticipated.
Sept 18 Bragg gave his orders to his gen
erals for next day. His troops ,were to cross
ihe Chickamauga at three different points,
from Reed's bridge on the north, next by
Alexander's bridge south, and third by Ted
ford's ford, still further south. These cross
ings were all north
of Leei & Gordon's
mill, about which,
on the west bank
o f Chickamauga,
tho greater portion
of tho Union
army was grouped.
D. II. Hill had the
extreme left of the
Confederate line as
it faced westward,
and Hood tho ex
treme! right. Hood's
division i was the
only )art of Longstreet's corps present at
the fight of Sept. 19. Tho rest had not yet
arrived, i The Federal line extended from
Crawfish- Spring on the south to Kelly's
farm on the north, a distance of five mileai
Bragg's order contemplated first the cross
ing to tho west bank of the Chicka
mauga in! the order named, then a gen
eral movement from the Confederate right
toward Lee & Gordon's mill, on the left
and a vigorous attack on the Federal
line as the move was executed from right to
left, j, I ! ; . I
It will be seen that the attack of Gen.
Thomas on the Confederate right before
Bragg's army was ready, on the morning of
Sept. 19, changed this plan of battle.
It was Forrest's cavalry that Gen. Thomas
troops met and attacked on the road to Reed's
bridge early Sept. 19. The attacking Union
force was j Brig. Gen. J ohn T. Croxton's
brigade. ;
Behind Forrest's cavalry were two brigades
of Confederate infantry. Croxton drove the
cavalry back upon the infantry. These brig
ades, Ector's and "Wilson's, in turn advanced
and drove Croxton ack upon Baird and
Brannan. I Then the Confederates were
beaten j back like a receding wave again by
f Baird and Brannan. 1 I I
Tnere were, however, many more Confed
erates than one brigade across on the west
bank of the Chickamauga in the vicinity of
the Reed's bridge road. Gen. Baifcl, after
driving back Ector, and Wilson, paused
briefly j to rearrange . his line. At this mo
ment Liddell's whole Confederate division,
2,000 strong, struck him.
The Union troops receded again, "as a
wave beaten back from the shore." "When
the Union wave receded, it left stranded on
the place where it had been Loomis' battery
and Bush's Indiana battery. These were
quickly taken possession of by the victorious'
columns of LiddelL j I
Baird's broken lines were melting, away in
confusion, I Liddell's Confederates hastened
jubilantly after them, when suddenly the
pursuers found themselves confronted by a!
long, grim wall of blue and steel. j
Baird had managed to reform his division'
on the right. In addition, one of McCook's
divisions from Crawfish Spring had arrived
in the nick of time.
Only "for this arrival it would have been
hard for Thomas to save his left on thg fore
noon of Sept. 19. Gen. Rosecrans himself,
apprehensive for Thomas, had ordered ; Mc
Cook to send Johnson to his assistance. The
distance was five miles, arid Johnson arrived
only just in time,'
I
TP.K &. GORDON'S 1IXLU
Vet again in this day of varying fortunes
the tables were turned ami pursuer became
the pursued. Gen. Liddell's Confederates
turned and retreated before the attack of
Johnson's freshly arrived division. The re
treating columns lost heavily in killed,
wounded and captured, and were forced to
leave behind all tte Union guns they had cap
tured. . ; - ,
Just after Liddell was driven from -the
field about 11 o'clock a. m. Gen. Bragg or
dered Cheatham's division, 7,000 strong, to
go to his relief. But Cheatham was too late.
As Liddell fled" Gen. Thomas quickly organ
ized a pursuing column. Two more fresh di
visions had just arrived to assist Thomas.
Crittenden, at Crawfish Spring, had taken
the responsibility of sending Palmer's divi
sion to Thomas. Reynolds' division of
. Thomas own corps reached the ground about
the same time with Palmer.
Gen, Thomas organized the three fresh di
visions at once, Reynolds on the right. Pal
roer in tbo center and Johnson on the left.
They attacked Cheatham's flank. Brannan's
division, still in fighting trim, came against
Cheatham on the front. The Confederates
fell back la confusion.
But now great clouds of Confederates ap
peared on the west bank of the Chickamauga,
There seemed no end to them. Behind
Cheatham was A. P. Stewart's division from
Buckner's corps. It contained 3y500 men.
As Thomas pursued Cheatham's flying col
umns, Stewart attackedPahner so vigorously
that he was forced back,
f Van CWve's division c$me to the support of
Palmer, who formed Thomas' center in the
column organized to pursue Cheatham.
. Behind j the Confederate division of A. P.
Stewart were two more, those of Hood and
Bushrod Johnson. They followed up the at
tack of Stewart strongly, driving back both
Palmer and Van Cleve.
It was now near 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
The roar of battle was growing more and
more : terrific. The Unioa troops, listening
anxiously down at Crawfish Spring, knew by
the veering of the sound gradually to the
westward that Thomas' men were being
driven. rThe divisions of ' Wood, Davis,
Sheridan,' and finally Kegley, were sent one
after another to the scene of action. Van
Cleve's Union division was hurled back;
next Reynolds'; next Davis' was driven.
"Wood came with his division in time to stay
briefly the victorious Confederate tide, when
he too was about to succumb.
But Gen. Phil Sheridan's division came on
just in time to save Wood's division and the
day. Half past 4 brought Negley's division.
It went into the fight on the hard pressed
center and hurled into the Confederates vol
leys of shot that they could not withstand.
They retreated, and Negley pursued them
till night.! : " ! ,( ' :
D. H. Hill, on the extreme Confederate
left, ordered an attack during the day of the
19th at Glass' mill, not far from Lee & Gor
don's mill, On3 of Breckinridge's brigades
was crossed over the Chickamauga and made
an attack bn Negley's division that had been
left at Crawfish Spring. But Negley's divi
sion was hurrying to the Federal left to the
aid of , the hard pressed forces there.
D. II. Hill believes that at this moment it
would have been an admirable piece of tac
tics for the Con
federates to attack
the thinned Union
forces left at Lee
& Gordon's milL
But that
of
part
plan.
Bragg
111
was nof' rf?
Vsf- j?7
himself
GEN. PRESTON SMITH.
was at Tedford's
lord, between
Alexander's bridge
ind Lee I & , Gor
lon's mill At 3
clock he ordered
D. II. Hill to send
Cleburne's division i
io the extreme Confederate right to oppose
Thomas. Cleburne had six miles to traverse,
jvera road choked with army baggage. It
was sunset when he gained the place to
flrhichi he j had been assigned. Here ho at
tacked Brannan's division so vigorously that
lie captured 3 guns, 2 flags and 800 prisoners.
At the time of Cleburne's attack with the
fresh division from Hill's corps Gen. Thomas
was in the act of reforming his divisions to
give them a better position for the battle of
the morrow, which he saw to be inevitable.
Baird's division was placed on the extreme
left, Johnson next to Baird and Palmer next
to Johnson on the1 right. To the right of
Palmer was the division of Gen. Joseph J.
Reynolds. (There were two Gen. Reynolds
in the army of the north during the war.
Brig. GenJ John F. was killed at Gettysburg
July I, 1SG3. Brig. Gen. Joseph J., of the
Army of the Cumberland, was a division
commander at the battle of Chickamauga.)
In Gen. Thomas' new arrangement of his
division Brannan was assigned as a reserve
to the rear and right of Reynolds' division.
Gen. -Cheatham was on the Confederate Cle
burne's left, in the fresh attack on Thomas
late in? the afternoon. The fighting on the
left of the attacking column, Cheatham's
division, was desperate for a time during
this attack. A brave and popular Confeder
ate officer; Brig. Gen. Preston Smith, was
killedj " '
At one time during the afternoon a portion
of Bragg's army actually crossed the Ross
ville road I and obtained . possession of it.
Gen. Van Cleve held the center of the Union
force engaged in the fight of the morning
after. At j 5 o'clock Van Cleve's ranks were
broken by the terrible Confederate fire, and
fell back pell raelL Gea. W. B. Hazen's
brigade lay along the Rossville road.
"Now Van Cleve Is in for it," " exclaimed
Hazen.' He sprang upon his horse and
quickly formed his regiments in the
rear of Van Cleve to support his stagger
ing lines. But the
weight of a flying
division was too
much for one brig
ade to hold itself
steady under. Ha
zen's brigade was
also borne down.
On came the tri-
nmnhant masses of
" Confederates, till
jithe earth and air
Zr ' seemed dusty witn
q them. One regi-
ment alone of Ha
zen's brigade stood
its ground. That
was the Forty-first Ohio., CoL Aquila Wiley.
As he saw the flying men from Van Cleve's
broken 1 ranks rxmring in a wave upon him,
CoL Wiley! quickly parted his regiment by
companies.' The fugitives passed through
the gap and "Wiy quickly closed up his line
again. ' I
As the Confederates advanced on the run
in pursuit, they were met by a volley from
the Forty-first , Ohio that "staggered
them j and slopped them for a brief
space, j Hastily reloading." Wiley was
able to deal them another blow. He
did this by quickly changing front
and firing after the Confederates as they
passed his right. Then loading once more as
quickly, the skillful commander turned his
men again to the front at a double quick, and
dealt a volley anew to the fresh masses of
Confederates. By this means he checked the
Confederates till he could move to the rear
and form a new lino.;
At this time the Confederates were actually
In possession of the road to Chattanooga,
-They were the forces of Hood and Bushrod
Johnson. But while .they were hastening on
victorious across the road to Chattanooga,
Hazen dashed down the road and brought
into position some unoccupied batteries
there. j With these he enfiladed the Confed
erates as they bore onward over the ground
which Van Cleve's division had yielded.
Capt." Kimberley writes of the situation at
this moment, the close of Sept. 19: "Bragg
had actually crossed the Rossville road and
cut the Army of the Cumberland in two,
with nothing in the gap but one regiment of
GOO men." j ,; ' ... . ' -
But Hazen's batteries and that one regi
ment kept the Confederates back until Neg
ley's division came to the rescue, when the
Confederates were in turn driven. Then
5 kL,fM
!
GENJ HAZEN
night and Vhi close of the day's battle cartas
together.
Heroic csti thrilling incidents there were
at Chickamauga in plenty. Capt. J. W.
Miller, now literary editor of The Cincinnati
Commercial Gazette, has recently written a
reminiscenc-9 of Sheridan in that day's- fight.
"1 haw Sbiridan lead one of bis brigades
(Laibold's) under Ore across a cleared field
and place it exactly where be wapted it. e lie
came galloping back on his. famous black
horse (I never saw him on any other) with hat
"off, sword flashing, and face glowing" with
the magnificent passion of the battlefield.
He parsed me, then turned in bis stirrups,
and said: 'We're driving them, d m them.
In two or three minutes he came in view
again with another brigade.
AFTER DARK.
-.1 "3 -JS'
Y
GEN. H. P.
VAN CLEVE.
Both sides spent the night of Sept. 19 pre
paring for next day's battle. Rosecrans,
anxious and weary, assembled his corps com
manders at his headquarters at Widow
Glenn's house. All of his army except two
brigades had been in action that day. An
other day's fighting was before them that
promised to be still hotter than the one just
passed. "The battle
the next day must
bo for the safety of
the army and the
possession -of Chat
tanooga," said Ro
secrans. On the Un
ion side Rosecrans
gave his orders for
Sept. 20. Thomas
was to continue his
uuo jusii ob iue lull
ing darkness found
it 'fnrmintr tVi Inft:
Ky - '
Y of the army. Chat-
xanooga was to rue
left of Thomas. Mc
Cook's command
was to be in line on
the right of Thomas, his own right covering
headquarters at Widow Glenn's house. Crit
tenden was ordered to have two divisions in
reserve just back of the junction of McCook
and Thomas, so as to support either in case
of need. -
Immediately after dark the order was
given for tho Union troops to go into posi
tion. The divisions were formed in line just
as they came, without reference to the corps
to hich they belonged.
Longstreet reached Bragg from the east
at 11 p. m. Hood's division of his corps had
arrived before- and had taken part in the
battle that day. That night Bragg, in mili
tary parlance, "changed his organization
in face of the enemy," as commanders
are warned not to do.' Bragg divided his
army into two wings, the right under Polk,
the left under Longstreet. To Polk were
assigned the forces of . Hill, Walker and
Cheatham, with Forrest's cavalry. With
Longstreet were to be the commands of
Buckner, Hood and Hindman, and Wheeler's
cavalry, i
Longstreet and Polk were with Bragg on
the night of the 19th. He gave to them hi3
wing commander's orders to attack the
Union lines at daylight. But D. H. Hill
says that no proper preparation was made for
such an attack. The troops were not
aiigneu, ana ne
himself did not
V l fst r that ha Vinrl "HJ5 -ssbb
b e assign e d to
PVMr till o ff ot- tviiVI ' J&mm. . -
night. Gen. Polk
sent him the word,
and told him to
come to Alexan
der's bridge.
Hill moved hi
troops forward
At 7:25 a. m. they
were eating their
breakf ast. At this
time an order came
from Gen. Polk di- bishop polk.
recting Hill to begin the attack. A messen
ger had been sent to Hill in the night with an
order to attack at daylight, but it failed to
reach him.
Hill was forming his line when, at 8
o'clock, Gen. Bragg rode up to him and de
manded why he had not made the attack at
dawn as commanded. Hill replied that he
had not heard anything about it. Bragg
said angrily; "I found Polk after sunrise
sitting down reading a newspaper at Alex
ander's bridge, two miles from the line of
battle, when he ought to have been fighting."
This is denied By Polk's son.
BATTLE OF SEPT. 20.
As the light dawned Sept. 20, the atmos
phere was murky and full of vapor, like
London In a fog. At daybreak Gen. Rose
crans in person rode all along his line with
his chief of staff, Gen. James A. Garfield,
and other afdes.
Gen. Rosecrans made some changes in his
line, bidding McCook make the right shorter
and more compact. He found the same fault
with McCook's alignment of the right wing
that he had done at Stone river: the line was
too long and thin. The commander-in-chief
directed Crittenden, on the contrary, to
spread his divisions out more and farther to
the left. '
The Union troops were . very carefully
posted, so as to cover both the approaches to
Chattanooga, over the Rossville and the Dry
Valley roads. The two roads came together
at Rossville.
The commander felt sure that the attack
would bo made on the Union left. He there
fore sent orders to Negley to move up to Gen.
Thomas. At the same time McCook was to
close of the gap left by Negley.
Then Rosecrans moved off to the left, where
he believed the battle would begin. Re
turning once more to the right, he found that
his orders to McCook and Negley had not
been obeyed.
Rosecrans repeated the orders peremptor
ily to .Negley. Crit
tenden's corps be
ing nearest he now
ordered that to fill
the space left by
Negley. Once more
he told McCook to
keep closed op
toward the left at
all hazard. Again
the anxious chief
rode over to Neg
ley's corps, only to
find that Negley
t had still not moved.
GEN. j KEGLEY-. jje WaS waiting for
the relief to come to take his place in the
line. The commander-in-chief himself dis-"
patched Negley then at once.
But long ere this the battle had begun.
During the night of Sept. 19 Gen. Thomas,
always mindful of the safety of his troops,
had ordered rude .breastworks thrown up In
front of his line. Some were breast high,
and behind them lay the four divisions who
were to bear the brunt of that day's battle.
They were Baird's, Johnson's, Palmer's and
Reynolds'. Because of these very breast
works the attack on the right of Thomas
divisions was unsuccessful. But to bis left,
where Baird was, his Line did not extend to
Reed's bridge. Baird apprised him of thi3
on the night of the 19th, and Thomas at
once asked that Negley be sent to him to
secure his left flank from assault. The order
was given to McCook and Crittenden, but
obeyed in the tardy manner described. , The
battle began at S.C3 a, nx, and Negley did
not reach Thomas for an hour after that
The Confederate attack began as Rose
crans had expected, on the left. Breckin
ridge's division advanced on the Confeder
ate right, with Cleburne's division to the
left of Breckinrida. ThesoJ1 belonged to D.
IL Hill's corps. .
s ON THE UNION LEFT.
GEN. JOHN
M. PALMER.
The heavy battle of tho day began about
9:30. Breckinridge and Cleburne made a
tremendous assault on the Union left. Neg
ley had only just arrived there. Beatty's
brigade of his division was struck heavily by
Breckinridge and driven back. There were
no breastworks In front of the Union line
here.
"With BairtTs division of the Union Una
began the breastworks. On the right of Baird
was Johnson's division of McCook's corps.
To the right of Johnson was Gen. John M.
Palmer's division of Crittenden's corps.
Breckinridge had suggested to his com
mander, D. IL Hill, the attack on the ex
treme Federal left,
in front of Beatty,
where there were
no breastworks. He
proposed, with two
brisrades. to trv to
sA -T get in the rear of
0':ZfZ v the Union breast-
, . - ..... t. -
permission.
I The movement
-was bemm with
good prospect of
success. The two
Confederate bri
gades making the
attack were those of Adams and StovalL
Beatty was in the rear of Baird's division.
It seemed possible that Adams and S to vail
might succeed in flanking the Union left.
But at the very moment when the Union line
was thrown into confusion, order was restored
through the heroic act of a Federal coloneL
He snatched his regimental flag from the
color bearer, waved it aloft and headed his
horse directly toward the advancing Con
federates. Instantly his own men rallied
around him.
! Thus was formed a nucleus, where a suc
cessful stand against the Confederates was
made. Then came re-enforcements from
Negley, and the Confederate tide was stayed.
The two brigades were beaten back. Adams,
the leader of one, was wounded and captured.
As Adams and Stovall attacked Beatty and
threw him into confusion .the Confederate
generals Helm and Cleburne advanced
against Baird's front and attacked heavily.
But in front of Baird began the log breast
works. They were
continued along the
Union line towards
the right, in front
of Johnson, Palmer
and Reynolds. The
Union troops be
hind their defenses
calmly watched the
oncoming Confed
erates. When the
southern
Kwere witnm ranges:.
within
a terrific fire from S-v
Falniers division
was suddenly
poured into their.
faces. Gen. Helm's brigade was aimost cut
to pieces. Gen. Helm himself was shot and
fell dead among his men. The officer next in
command withdrew the brigade.
On the left of Palmer's division Johnson's
GEN. B. H. HELM.
men continued the fire Palmer had begun.
On the right Gen. Reynolds took it up.
"Load and fire at will" was the order passed
right and left along the Union line.
Under this withering fire the Confederates
wavered, then stopped. Then they fell slowly
back into the shelter of the woods whence
they came. " .
The men who fought in the Union army
the 20th of Septem
ber suffered tortur
ing thirst. Bragg's
army had crossed
to the west bank
of the Chicka
mauga, They had
got possession of
the springs which
supplied the Union
troops the- day be
fore. They lay In
wait for the squads
of Union men who
were sent for water
and captured them. A writer says:
"Details of men were sent for water and
never -returned. There was not a drop of
water on the whole field, and men and offi
cers resigned themselves to the torments of
thirst."
The diagram beljw shows the relative po
sitions of the Union and Confederate armies
on the morning of Sept. 20:
THOMAS. . : - POLK.
CRITTENDEN.
tt'COOK. LONGSTEET.
Thus arranged, the Union army faced east
ward, the Confederates westward. Off to
the east of both armies Chickamauga creek
flowed on its way northward.
The Union divisions stretched In a long,
iireular line between Thomas and McCook.
Up to 11 o'clock all went well . for the Fed
eral cause. Thomas' divisions had stood
their ground. They had borne the brunt of
battle ind sustained themselves.!
BUSHROD JOHNSON.
THE UNION RIGHT.
Seeing in the beginning that he would be
hard pressed, Thomas bad sent to Rosecrans
asking urgently for re-enforcementA Rose
crans sent answer back to Thomas that bo
should be supported if it took away the whole
corps of McCook and Crittenden. Negley's
division was already on the way to Thomas,
and Van Cleve's was started at once.
Rosecrans ordeArd Gen. Wood to "close up
on Reynolds and support him," meaning that
be should take po
sition n the right
of that officer's
division. A mis
understanding - of
this order caused
the mistake which
was the undoing of
the Union force on
the right. The first
part of the order
eriven to Wood
meant that he
should make his
line of battle more compact on the right of
Reynolds. The second part meant that he
should move to the rear of Reynolds. The
order was written by one of Rosecran3 aides
who was not a military man.
Gen. "Wood interpreted the second part of
Rosecraas order technically and obeyed it.
He moved towards the rear of Brannan's
division, who was next on the right of Rey
nolds. - ' - j
r 1 i
THE FATAL GAP.
V ? . ; ii liT
CEN. GARXIELD.
Wood had dropped out cf the Union line.
This left a gap. Bushrod Johnson, cf Long
street's command, saw tLa Vacant spce, and
pointed it out to his general. Instantly the
V,'. IL
GEN.
LYTLE.
Confederates took advantage of thla fatiS
Cap in the Use. ,
Longstreet pouro'l the whole Confederate
left wing into rK Tr'". "d wbe!! lfxyr
around towards his own right, The Unless
army was cut in two. The corp of Critten
den and McCook were struck la flank. They
were driven from the Ccl-L
The Union hue of battlo that had tood so
bravely from north to south in tb momir
was bent back. All south of the divisions of
Baird and Johnson were rolled backward tilt
they extended from cast to wcst almost at
right angles to tho position they bU In the?
morning.
Through tho gap swept the Confederal
forces of Stewart, Hood, Renhaw, Jokuier
and Ilindaian. rrcstoa followed as a $'jp
port. They poured through tho breach liki?
waters over a broken levee.
South of the break McCook was loft witls ,
only a portion of Sheridan's and Davi diri-
sions. Ho ordered.
the5j to quickly
change front and
attack tho Coufetl
crates. The-jr
obeyed. Among
them wa tho brig
ade of thf gai!ant
anil lament fft Giri
eX TOl&"n IL Ljtlev
-" of Cincinnati. Tb
soldier-poet cbeyctl
y-J-- u l s wmreinacru
his death m tho
field of Chick- '
mauga. A beautiful monument marks hi
grave in Spring Grove cemetery, Cincin
nati. It was impossible for tho few brigades w jjrt
McCook to stay the tide of battle. Thxy
were overpowered and captured.
At the moment when the gap was ioiJ3
several of Rosecrans' divisions were -chang-ing
position and were in transit to Tbotnata
on the left. They were taken at, a disad
vantage and utterly routeL Davis' division
was thus beaten.
Sheridan's division was tho last on t5e
Union right. When the Confederate ,
struck their blow two of Sheridan's brigades
were in the act of marching to the left to aid
Thomas. "They encountered the advancing
enemy and endeavored to check them, but iia
vain. They were repulsed, and fell back on
the Dry Valley road There they reformed,,
and had a second unsuccessful fight Ther
they retreated westward, and by a cirruitvar
route reached Rossvill.j. Theuco they ad
vanced to tho aid of Thomas.
To sum up: Davis' and ShcridanV whole
divisions had been driven from tho fiekL.
Part of the divisions of Wood; Van Clev -and
Brannan had been defeated and throwt
into confusion. Tho brigades from these di
visions that escaped were those) that had
gone to join Thomas.
The Confederates captured over 2,000 pris
oners, 40 guns and vast quantities of nrroj
supplies. There was now left of tho Union arrrry
Thomas, the Rock of Chickamauga. With .
him were tho divisions of Baird, Johnson,,
Palmer and Reynolds. Wood and Brannars
had formed anew in a line from east to- wesfc
Two brigades of Negley's and ouo of Vox
Cleve's were with them. The corps, ef McCook
and Crittenden had been beaten:
What had becomo of Thomas? wa3 tbo
question now in tho
mind of the com
mander in chief.
Rosecrans was cut
off entirely from
his left by the sea
of men in gray that
surged between.
He did not know
whether Thomas
still held his ground
or whether he, too,
naa not Deen over-:?-
whelmed. At
time Gen. James
. urtu ucm, icuixy-
erans' chief of stff. MACGA.
made the journey on horseback that has bo
come historic.
IX..
&0 If' A
-Mm
1
r
'THE, P.OCK OF CUICKJL-
GARFIELD'S FAMOUS RIDE".
The brave chief of 6taflT left tho com
mander in chief at Rossville, and rodto
around a distance of many miles, threading
his way through bullets and gathering foesi
till he reached the Union left, and found it
stood firm.
Gen. Thomas,, the hero of Chlckamaugn.
on learning of tho
disaster to t be
right, hastily
placed the troops
with him in a posi
tion of his own so
lection.' It wsibi
upon a curving:
range of bills calletl
Horseshoe ridge.
Ho "placed himself
with his back:
against a rock,
and stood hla
GEN. STEED 51AN.
ground for 6ix hours against the repeatoci
assaults of the whole Confederate army.
Garfield reached Thomas, and was greeted
warmly. The glorious soldier told Lin ho
had seven divisions and a number of detach
ments intact, and was confident he could still:
hold his ground against auy number of as
saults. There wero with him 25,000 troops.
Garfield hastily dispatched tho good news to
the chief. - :
At Rossville Rosecraus had parted from
Garfield. The aide went to find Thomas, tho
commander rod 2 hastily to Chattanooga, to
prepare a refuge for the remnanU of hi
broken army, if tho defeat was total, or ta
forward ammunition and supplies if Thomas.
was still intact.
McCook and Crittenden, escapiag from tba
wreck, soon after joinoj him. Whilo they
sat ' dejectedly together, a dispatchv. waa
handed to Rosecrans. It was the oneGar
Celd sent from the Union left.- Rcsecnuza.
read it hastily. "Thank GodP Lo exclaimed
"the day isn't lost yet." "Gentlemen," hxy
said to McCook and Crittenden, "this is no
phaSe for you. Go at once to your commands
at the frotw v
The dispatch infused new life into blnx.
He ordered Wagner to take his brigad?, stop
the flying stragglers from the front and re
organize them. He at once sent supplies to
meet Ihe army at Rossville.
Thomas fought till night, then withdrerw
his army to Rossville At tho most critical
period of the afternoon Gen. Gordon Gran
ger brought his reserve force on the CeUi
from Rossville to the aid cf Thomas ana
saved the day. Hi3 advance brigade was
led by" Gen. J. B. Steedinan. Gen. Steed
man took a regimental color in his owrs
band3 and 1x1 a victorious charge against.
Longstreet and took possession of a perilou..
gap in the Union line. At dark the Confed
erates gave up the fight and left the field
Their last attack was repulsed with the
naked bayonet.
In hi3 report Roscerar.3 make3 e?pccla?
mention of the gallantry cf the cavalry
under Minty, Mitchell ar.1 V.'ilder.
In tho two days battle cf Ctickamaugs
Rosecrans lost over 16,000 men, Bragg lS.COw
.The Union army was all gathered in Chat
tanooga by Sept. 22. The success of Brr T;
at Chickamauga iclaise J in war history
a "barren victory.
1