repairing the railroads in his rear, and concentrating supplies at Stevenson, Bridgeport, and Tracy City.

We may take advantage of this pause in Rosecrans's operations to refer to Bragg's cavalry movements under Morgan, which, as we have said, led to the opening of the campaign.

the Free States.

On the 27th of June John H. Morgan crossed the CumMorgan's raid into berland, near Burkesville, with 2000 men and 4 guns, on an expedition into Indiana and Ohio, passing through Columbia, which was sacked contrary to his orders. At Lebanon he compelled the national commander to surrender with 400 of his men. Making his way through Bardstown, he crossed the Ohio at Brandenburg on two steam-boats which he seized. His force, as it passed through Kentucky, had increased to 4000 men and 10 guns. Directing his course through Indiana toward Cincinnati, he burnt such mills and factories as were not ransomed, and, riding at a distance of a dozen miles round the city, he reached the Ohio near Parkersburg, breaking railroads and throwing off trains.

Some gun-boats, which had been sent from Louisville, prevented his crossing the river. After several attempts. to escape, his force was obliged to surrender, and on the 26th of July he himself was captured.

The Confederate government reenforce Bragg.

To return to the movements of Rosecrans and Bragg. The Richmond government, perceiving the imminent peril in which the Atlantic States were about to be placed by the falling back of Bragg and the unresisted advance of Rosecrans, used every exertion to re-enforce their army under the former general, sending to him Buckner from East Tennessee, Longstreet from Virginia, and Polk from Alabama. Bragg was enjoined to turn forthwith fiercely on Rosecrans, and stop his advance. As we are now to see, the battle of Chickamauga was the result.

Bragg posted Polk's corps around Chattanooga, Hardee's being placed along the Knoxville Railroad. Rosecrans, not being strong enough to attack Bragg in Chattanooga, determined to turn his left, and reach his rear between Dalton and Atlanta. To do this, he had to cross the Tennessee River below Chattanooga, and then to pass the three or four successive mountain ridges.

Movements of the

national troops

round Chattanooga.

The details of his plan were, that Crittenden, with the left wing, was to cross the Tennessee at Battle Creek, and move on Chattanooga; Thomas, with the centre, was to pass over Raccoon Mountain, and seize Stevens's and Cooper's Gaps, leading through Lookout Mountain into McLemore's Cove, twenty miles south of Chattanooga, and make his way toward Lafayette; McCook, with the right wing, was to cross the mountains still farther south, to Valley Head, turning the southern extremity of Pigeon Mountain, and threatening Rome. It was expected that these combinations would compel Bragg to abandon Chattanooga.

Rosecrans reached the Tennessee River on the evening of the 20th of August, and shelled Chattanooga from the heights on the north bank on the 21st. Bridges were thrown over the river at Caperton's Ferry, mouth of Battle Creek, and Shell Mound, and the army, except the cavalry, safely crossed in face of the enemy. By the 8th of September Thomas had moved on Trenton, seizing Frick's and Stevens's Gaps, on Lookout Mountain; McCook had advanced to Valley Head, and taken Winston's Gap; while Crittenden had crossed to Wauhatchie, communicating on the right with Thomas, and threatening Chattanooga by the pass over the point of Lookout Mountain.

Bragg's counter

Bragg did not disturb Rosecrans in these operations. When, in the first days of September, news movements. came that that general had laid a pontoon near Caperton's Ferry, and that he was crossing in the direction of Will's Valley and Trenton, Bragg did not believe

it; it was, however, soon confirmed by the approach of the national cavalry, and its advance up the Will's Valley Railroad as far as Wauhatchie. Supposing that he was now about to be flanked on his left, Bragg, on the 7th of September, ordered Hill's corps to move toward Lafayette; Polk to Lee and Gordon's Mills; Buckner, with the Army of East Tennessee, and Walker, with his division of the Army of Mississippi, to concentrate at Lafayette; Pegram was to cover the railroad with his cavalry, and the stores in Chattanooga were to be withdrawn to points on the railroad in the rear.

Chattanooga.

Chattanooga was abandoned by the Confederates on The capture of September the 8th, and Crittenden's corps took possession of it. Rosecrans, with the remainder of his army, was moving through the passes of Lookout and Missionary Ridges, and directing his march toward Lafayette and Rome.

Thus the first object of Rosecrans's campaign was accomplished: the important strategic point Chattanooga was obtained. There were now fair hopes that by pressing the pursuit the Confederate army might be destroyed. In Richmond there was the utmost alarm. Within a few weeks Pemberton had surrendered a large army at Vicksburg, Lee had retreated from Pennsylvania with awful loss, and now Bragg was falling back from Chattanooga.

Rosecrans, believing himself perfectly secure in Chatta nooga, and being convinced that Bragg was fleeing southward, did nothing to fortify himself. Taking measures to pursue his antagonist, he directed Crittenden to leave one brigade at Chattanooga as a garrison, and with the rest move forward to Ringgold. Thomas was to march to La fayette, and McCook upon Alpine and Summer Creek.

at Lafayette,

But Bragg, so far from continuing, had stopped his reBragg concentrates treat-he was concentrating at Lafayette. He had received, or was on the point of receiving, the powerful re-enforcements directed to join him. He was

strictly ordered to check the farther advance of the Army of the Cumberland. The militia of Georgia were employed in guarding bridges and dépôts, so as to leave the effective soldiers for service in front. The Confederate authorities, using every means to increase their fighting force, had also declared as released from parole the prisoners of war captured by Grant at Vicksburg, and by Banks at Port Hud

son.

Rosecrans had separated three corps of his army by mountain ridges and by distances greater than those intervening between each of them and the enemy. Bragg had concentrated opposite his centre, and was holding such a position that he could attack any of them with overwhelming numbers. He had caused deserters and citizens to go into Rosecrans's lines to confirm him in the impression that the Confederates were in rapid retreat. On the 9th, while Rosecrans was giving orders for pursuit, Bragg was prepar ing to assail Thomas in McLemore's Cove, and, had it not been for his misunderstandings with his officers, and their reluctant movements, he might have met with success. But already misgivings were entertained in the national army. Negley, in a letter to Thomas, remarks ward movement is that he is "confident that Rosecrans is totally misinformed as to the character of the country, and the position, force, and intentions of the ene my." So early as the 10th a negro had reported to Wood that "the bulk of the rebel army, under Bragg in person, was at Lee and Gordon's Mills." Wood says "it is due to the humble individual who furnished me this important information to record that subsequent developments proved his report to be singularly correct." Next night the enemy's camp-fires could be distinctly seen on the other side of the creek; their light, reflected over a wide sec tion of the horizon, and extending far up in the heavens, showed that they were present in considerable force.

and the national for

checked.

On the 11th of September, Crittenden, not stopping to

fortify Chattanooga, pushed on toward Ringgold to cut off Buckner, who he had heard was coming from East Tennes see to the support of Bragg. Finding that Buckner had already passed, he turned toward Lafayette to follow him, going up the east side of the Chickamauga; but, meeting a steadily increasing resistance, he took alarm, and fell back across that stream at Lee and Gordon's Mills. The forces he had encountered were Cheatham's and Walker's divisions.

Thomas, who had now discovered Bragg's position, directed McCook, who was advancing on Rome, to fall back instantly and connect with him.

Rosecrans's troops had thus become scattered along an extended line from Lee and Gordon's Mills to

Rosecrans concen

trates his army. Alpine, a space of about forty miles. By the 17th they were brought more within supporting distance, and on the morning of the 18th a concentration was begun toward Crawfish Spring, but it was slowly executed.

At this time the two armies were confronting each other on the opposite banks of the Chickamauga, a stream which, rising at the junction of Missionary Ridge and Pigeon Mountain, at the southern extremity of McLemore's Cove, flows northwardly down the Cove by Crawfish Spring, and at Lee and Gordon's Mills reaches the Lafayette and Chattanooga Road; its sluggish current, joining the main creek, empties into the beautiful Tennessee River above Chattanooga. In the Indian tongue Chickamauga means "The Stagnant Stream," "The River of Death"-a name, as we shall soon find, of ominous import.

Position of the

amauga.

Rosecrans was on the west bank of the Chickamauga; his right had been up in McLemore's Cove; his troops on the Chick- left toward Lee and Gordon's Mills; his reserves scattered through a dozen miles toward Chattanooga and Bridgeport, in the rear of the left. He was now moving all his corps by the left, so that on the 18th his right was where his left had been, at Gordon's