CHAPTER XXXVIII. SEPTEMBER OCTOBER, 1863. BRAGG AT CHATTANOOGA-FLANKED BY ROSECRANS-MARCH OF THE ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE-ROSECRANS GAINS CHATTANOOGA BY STRATEGY WITHOUT A BATTLE-BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA-THOMAS VICTORIOUS ON THE LEFT THE RIGHT AND CENTRE PRESSED-END OF THE FIRST DAY'S BATTLE-FORCES OF THE TWO ARMIES-MCCOOK, CRITTENDEN, AND THOMAS -SECOND DAY'S BATTLE-HEROISM OF THE TROOPS-THE RIGHT AND CENTRE SWEPT AWAY BY OVERWHELMING NUMBERS-STEADFASTNESS OF THE LEFT WING-DESPERATE STRUGGLE OF THOMAS-THE CRISIS-THE GALLANT STEADMAN-THE BATTLE SAVED-GENERAL GRANT PUT IN COMMAND OF THE MISSISSIPPI DIVISION-OTHER CHANGES. WE now return to scenes which transpired in eastern Tennessee, from which, after the battle of Stone river (or Murfreesboro), the enemy retreated, followed by General Rosecrans. The long continued inactivity of the latter produced great public disappointment, and the authorities at Washington were urgent for an advance movement. Rosecrans, however, determined to be fully prepared, as Bragg held the strong fortifications of Chattanooga with a powerful army. "The movement over the Cumberland mountains began on the morning of the 16th of August, as follows:General Crittenden's corps, in three columns; General Wood, from Hillsborough, by Pelham, to Thurman, in Sequatchie valley; General Palmer, from Manchester, by the most practicable route to Dunlap; General Van Cleve, with two brigades, from McMinnville (the third being left in garrison there) by the most practicable route to Pikeville, the head of Sequatchie valley; Colonel Minty's cavalry to drive back Detrel's cavalry toward Kingston, where the enemymounted, under Forrest-were concentrated, and then covering the left flank of Van Cleve's column, to proceed to Pikeville. The Fourteenth army corps, Major-general George H. Thomas commanding, moved as follows: General Reynolds, from University, by way of Battle creek, to take post, concealed, near its mouth; General Brannon to follow him; General Negley to go by Tantillon, and halt on Crow creek, between Anderson and Stevenson; General Baird to follow ROSECRANS GAINS CHATTANOOGA BY STRATEGY. 391 him, and camp near Anderson. The Twentieth corps, Major-general A. McCook commanding, moved as follows: General Johnson, by Salem and Larkin's ford, to Bellefont; General Davis, by Mount Top and Crow creek, to near Stevenson. The three brigades of cavalry by Fayetteville and Athens, to cover the line of the Tennessee, from Whiteburg up." The defences of Chattanooga were so powerful as to render an attack from the north imprudent, and Rosecrans therefore determined on a flank movement from the south. For this purpose, General Waggoner was detached from his division, and with Wilder's cavalry, crossed Walden's Ridge, nearly opposite Chattanooga, and Colonel Minty, with four thou sand cavalry, and three thousand infantry, proceeded to Smithfield. During three weeks, the troops threatened the western bank of the river, batteries shelled the town, and two steamers were captured, besides a horse ferry. Colonel Minty, on the 21st, opened fire with one of his batteries, and made a show of crossing the Tennessee above the city. An ostentatious display of troops led the Confederates to believe that the army of Rosecrans was before them, and they had no idea of the real design of that wily general, until he had crossed the river below the city, and McCook and Thomas had appeared with their troops on Lookout Mountain. In the early days of September, the army crossed the river by means of pontoons and rafts, and on the 7th, the rebels began to evacuate the stronghold. On the 9th, part of the Ninety-seventh Ohio occupied an abandoned fortification on Bell Mountain, and General Wood's division, having driven the enemy from Lookout Point, entered Chattanooga. Thus Rosecrans had led his army in twenty-three days on a march three hundred miles from his base of supplies, had crossed three mountain ranges from one thousand five hundred to two thousand four hundred feet high, had forded a large river, and captured a powerful stronghold, with the loss of only six men. To retain possession of the place would free Tennessee and Georgia from rebel sway. The Confederate general was speedily reinforced by two divisions from Richmond, and troops from Charles.on, Savannah, and Mobile; some of these were on the way already, but the evacuation had previously occurred. The Jnion forces were 392 BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA. concentrated on the western banks of the West Chickamauga river, fourteen miles from Chattanooga, on the 18th. During the day, there was skirmishing with artillery at long range, and both sides prepared for a decisive engagement. On Saturday, September 19th, the morning was chilly, and camp fires blazed around, at which the troops were warming, while the enemy were massing large forces against them. The impetuous charge of a Federal brigade on a body of the enemy at Read's ford, brought on the battle at ten o'clock. The enemy was repulsed but again advanced, and attacking the troops while filling their canteens with water, captured three pieces of artillery. The army now occupied a right line, of which General McCook held the right, General Thomas the left, and General Crittenden the centre. General Thomas advanced to meet Longstreet, whose forces, twenty thousand strong, were now crossing the shallow stream. The rebel guns made frightful gaps in the Federal ranks, which boldly moved on under a heavy musketry fire, advancing with great bravery, and driving back the enemy in repeated charges. Already two batteries had been captured, which they turned against the retreating foe, and it seemed as if victory were certain. Meanwhile, the battle on the right and centre raged with a different result. Polk and Hill massed their troops, dashed upon Palmer and Van Cleve, on the extreme right, and pierced their line. The troops under Van Cleve were routed, when General Davis arriving, for awhile, with desperate efforts, rolled back the tide of battle. The enemy saw the importance of supporting Longstreet at this crisis, and brought up all their forces to overwhelm McCook and Crittenden, to the aid of whom, General Thomas now hastened, and this reinforcement for a time held the enemy in check. The enemy soon formed a new line, and in a determined charge, were driven back. At four P. M., there was a cessation of the battle, during which both sides rested. Before sunset, a heavy artillery fire was concentrated on a portion of the Union lines, and was followed up by a desperate charge of the rebel columns. During the repulse of Longstreet on the left, the troops under Colonel Wilder, with their "seven-shooters," and the Indiana battery, commanded by Colonel Lilly, made fearful carnage among the enemy, two thousand men being struck down by the terrible fire from this portion of the line. BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA. 393 The first day of the battle of Chickamauga had ended, and night fell upon the patriots, bringing with it gloom and sad forebodings. Bragg had there his whole army, and half of Johnston's. Buckner's division, Longstreet's corps, and twelve thousand fresh Georgia troops, augmented the forces of the enemy to not less than eighty thousand strong, and other reinforcements were coming in continually, swelling the number to ninety thousand. On the other hand, Rosecrans was hundreds of miles from his base of supplies, in the heart of an enemy's country, and without any hope of reinforcements. His army, consisting of that which he had led at Stone river, and the divisions of Brannon and Reynolds, amounted to only fifty-five thousand effective men. There are two gaps in Missionary Ridge, one on the right, another on the left, through which run two roads, distant two miles from each other. Between these roads, in a level country, covered with thick forests of oak and pine, the Union army was posted, with General Thomas on the left, General Crittenden on the centre, and General McCook on the right. The dense woods prevented the use, to any great degree, of artillery and musketry and the bayonet must, therefore, decide the issue of the conflict. On Sunday, the 20th, the fog was dispelled by the sun, which gradually rose in splendor, illuminating a lovely scene. Rosecrans rode along the ranks of his troops, and animated them with kind words of encouragement, calculated to cheer their spirits. On the enemy's side, as before, Longstreet held the right, Hill the centre, and Polk the left. The battle began at ten A. M., by a sudden onset on the left wing, where overpowering numbers nearly surrounded the Union troops, under Negley, Johnston, Baird, and Palmer, who resisted them for two hours with unshaken fortitude. The hostile troops then massed in three columns, for a resistless charge in succession. The first faltered, recoiled, and fled before the terrible storm that laid many low. The second had lain flat on their faces, and now springing to their feet, rushed on with dreadful yells, firing as they advanced. A terrific fire at the distance of one hundred yards, brought them to a stand; a universal tremor shook the whole line, and it became a broken mass of fugitives, fleeing without organization from the field. The third column 394 BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA. made no attempt to charge, but covered the retreat of their comrades, and arrested the pursuit. The rebel leaders poured in fresh troops, and Rosecrans, seeing Thomas fearfully pressed, sent Negley to his aid, and Wood, of Crittenden's division, to supply Negley's place. The enemy yet poured in, and Wood, in the centre, was heavily pressed. The rebel leaders, stung to madness by their repulse, moved heavily massed columns on Thomas. The latter double shotted his guns, but the dreadful storm of canister which thinned the rebel ranks, could not keep them back, and at last the Union troops began to waver. Thomas and his officers used all their efforts to animate them, but the whole wing at last fell back in disorder. The troops were now rallied to a new position. Thomas rested his right on Missionary Ridge, the left on a hill by the Lafayette road, while the centre was thrown slightly forward. He now sent for reinforcements. At noon, Rosecrans sent Wood to the assistance of Reynolds. Brannon was between them, and Wood was obliged to fall back, and march in his rear to reach Reynolds. This left a gap, broke the centre, and lost the battle. The enemy rushed in immediately, in resistless flood, and Davis was too late in closing up to check them. They drove him back in disorder, which was soon communicated to Palmer and Van Cleve on the other side. Sheridan, left alone on the right, strove desperately to hold his ground. The head-quarters of Rosecrans, in the rear, were swept away, but all his efforts, as he rode with drawn sword to rally the troops, proved unavailing. McCook and Crittenden were swept before the overwhelming tide. A confused mass, struggling amid artillery, wagons, and horses, was borne in tumult toward Rossville and the gap. The centre and right were gone, and there now remained the left wing, whose wearied troops, under Thomas and his brave officers, alone could save the army from annihilation. Here, General Thomas determined to meet the overwhelming foe. He drew up his shattered ranks on a ridge, and his artillery, advantageously posted, caused the rebel masses to waver. The extreme right of the line rested on a ridge; through this latter was a gap, by which the enemy now rushed, and would have soon gained the rear, unless revented. Thomas Iad no troops to oppose them, and |