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ROSECRANS'S DISPOSITIONS FOR THE 20TH.

tween two armies equally brave, equally disciplined, and equally well handled, the decidedly larger-the ground affording no considerable advantage to the defensive-must generally triumph.

During the night, Bragg moved Breckinridge's division of Hill's corps from his extreme left to his extreme right being still intent on flanking our left, and interposing between it and Chattanooga.

Our corps commanders reported to Rosecrans after nightfall. Negley had been brought down from our extreme, right during the afternoon, and sent in just before night, on Van Cleve's right, pushing back the enemy. He was now ordered to report to Gen. Thomas; McCook being required to replace him by one of his divisions. McCook was ordered to close well on Thomas, refusing his right, and covering the position at widow Glenn's, where Thomas had his headquarters. Crittenden was to hold two divisions in reserve, ready to support McCook on our right or Thomas on the left, as should become necessary. These orders being given, our Generals lay down to snatch a brief rest; and the silence was thenceforth unbroken.

At daylight," Rosecrans, attended by part of his staff, was galloping along our lines. He found McCook's right too far extended, and Davis, with the reserve division, too far to the right; as were also Crittenden's two divisions in reserve, and ordered the requisite changes of position. Negley had not yet moved when

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the General returned from visiting our left, and was now directed to send Thomas his reserve brigade only; holding his place in the line with the other two till relieved. Crittenden, having his reserves at hand, was now directed to relieve him; but failed promptly to do so; and it was nearly 10 o'clock when Negley was relieved and enabled to proceed to strengthen Thomas, where he was sorely needed.

Both armies stood to their arms at daylight; and the battle was to have opened at once by an attack by Hill's corps on our left; but Polk's aid, sent with the order, could not find him; and the fighting did not commence till 8 A. M. In fact, it could not, without destruction to the assailants; for a dense fog filled the valley, rendering all objects indistinguishable at a few yards' distance; so that an attack might better have been delivered on any moonless but starlit night." Meantime, Thomas's corps (augmented by successive reenforcements, till it was now more than half our army) improved the non-shining hours by throwing up rude breastworks of logs and rails, which stood it in good stead thereafter.

The fog having lifted, Breckinridge, facing and overlapping our extreme left, advanced his fresh division, flanking our army, and pushing across the Rossville road, fighting desperately, and facing to the left when he had gone forward toward Rossville so far as his orders required. The movement was taken up in succession by the divisions farther and

had he literally obeyed his orders, he must have slaughtered their own men. He had no choice but to wait till it was taken out of his way; and this consumed some two hours.

farther toward the Rebel centerBragg thus renewing the attempt to interpose between our army and Chattanooga, which Thomas had disconcerted by his advance and attack of the previous day. But now Beatty's brigade of Negley's division, moving from our right center, came into action beside Baird, on our extreme left, checking Breckinridge's advance; and, Baird and Beatty together being still outnumbered and the latter losing ground, several regiments of Johnson's division, hitherto in reserve, were sent up to Baird and posted by him on his front; and these, with Vandever's brigade of Brannan's division and part of Stanley's of Wood's division, completely restored the battle on this flank, hurling back Breckinridge's command in disorder; Gens. Helm and Deshler being killed, Maj. Graves, chief of artillery, mortally wounded, and Gen. Adams severely wounded and taken prisoner. Breckinridge rallied his men on a commanding ridge in the rear of his advanced position, where his heavy guns were posted to repel assault. Walker's division first, then Cheatham's Tennesseans, then Cleburne's, and finally Stewart's, were sent to the support of Breckinridge; and the tide of battle ebbed and flowed on this wing, with frightful carnage on both sides, but without material advantage to either. Still, Bragg's attempt to turn our flank, so as to interpose his army between ours and Chattanooga was baffled by Thomas's firmness and that of the veterans under his command; while the struggle along our left center was equally desperate, equally sanguinary, and equally indecisive,

Our right, however, had ere this been involved in fearful disaster. The movement of several divisions from right to left after the battle had actually commenced was at best hazardous, however necessary, and was attended with the worst possible results. Negley's and Van Cleve's divisions were successively ordered by. Rosecrans to move to the support of Thomas on our left; while Wood was directed to close up to Reynolds on our right center, and Davis to close on Wood; McCook, commanding on this wing, being directed to close down on the left with all possible dispatch.

Such movements are at all times difficult of execution in the heat of battle, and in the face of a skillful, resolute, and vigilant enemy. In this instance, the hazard was increased by the fact that they were not clearly comprehended. Wood, understanding that he was ordered to support Reynolds, undertook to do so by withdrawing from the front and passing to the rear of Brannan, who was in échelon slightly to the rear of Reynolds's right; thus opening a gap in our front, into which Longstreet at once threw Hood's command, supported by an advance of Buckner on our right flank.

The charge was decisive. Davis, by McCook's order, was just attempting to fill with three light brigades the gap made by Wood's withdrawal, when Hood's charging column poured into it, striking Davis on the right, and Brannan on the left, and Sheridan, of Crittenden's corps, farther to the rear, cutting off five brigades from the rest of our army, and pushing them to our right and rear, with a loss of 40 per cent. of their numbers.

McCOOK ROUTED-THOMAS GIVES GROUND.

In short, our right wing, struck heavily in flank while moving to the left, was crumbled into fragments and sent flying in impotent disorder toward Rossville and Chattanooga, with a loss of thousands in killed, wounded, and prisoners. Rosecrans, McCook, and many subordinate commanders, were swept along in the wild rush; Sheridan and Davis rallying and reforming the wreck of their divisions by the way, and halting, with McCook, at Rossville; while Rosecrans-prevented by the enemy from joining Thomas-hastened to Chattanooga, there to make all possible provision for holding the place; since it now looked as though our whole army was or would be routed, and that desperate effort would be required to hold Chattanooga, so as to save what might be left of it from being captured or driven pell-mell into the Tennessee.

But matters, though bad enough, were not so bad as they seemed to those who had shared or witnessed the rout and dispersion of our right. Thomas was still fighting stoutly and holding his own on our left; when, not long after noon, Capt. Kellogg, who had been sent to hurry Sheridan, then expected to rëenforce his left, returned with tidings that he had met a large Rebel force advancing cautiously, with skirmishers thrown out, to the rear of Reynolds's position in our center. There was some effort made to believe this was no Rebel force, but Sheridan, till heavy firing on Thomas's right and rear decidedly negatived that presumption. Thomas ordered Col. Hooker, whose brigade held a ridge in the direction of the firing, to resist the advance of these Sept. 17.

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questionable wayfarers, and return their fire if it should be persisted in -an order which that Brigadier proceeded at once to obey. Meantime, Wood came up, and was directed to post his troops on the left of Brannan, who had already taken post on the slope of Mission ridge, behind Thomas's line of battle, and just west of the Chattanooga and Lafayette road, where Capt. Gaw had ere this, by Thomas's order, massed all the artillery he could find in reserve, and supported it by strong lines of infantry. To this position, Johnson, Palmer, and Reynolds, who, behind their log breastworks, had sustained and repulsed a succession of desperate charges on our center, were withdrawn, and here Thomas's command was now concentrated.

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Gen. Gordon Granger, with his small reserve corps, had been posted at Rossville, whence Col. J. B. Steedman, with six regiments, made a reconnoissance to within two miles of Ringgold; " discovering enough by the way to convince him that a battle was imminent and he out of place; when he returned to Rossville. Gen. Whitaker's and Col. D. McCook's brigades were next sent forward by Granger to the Chickamauga-the latter supporting Col. Minty at Reid's bridge, where he had a smart skirmish, as did Gen. Whitaker, farther down the stream; each falling back; Gen. Steedman ultimately burning Reid's bridge and retreating. Granger held the roads in this direction, on our extreme left, throughout the 19th and till 11 A. M. of the 20th; when, finding that he was not attacked, while the roar of guns on his right front, where Thomas was posted, Sept. 18.

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though three or four miles distant, | ten rounds per man, many regiments had become loud and continuous, he would have been compelled to rely could no longer resist their appeal. on their bayonets.

Moving, therefore, without orders,

Longstreet was now here, in imhe reported, at 3 P. M., to Thomas; | mediate command of his own corps whom he found holding the ridge-Hood having been wounded and aforesaid, while the enemy, in over- had his leg amputated on the fieldwhelming force, were pressing him with McLaws's, Preston's, Breckinat once in front and on both flanks, ridge's, Cleburne's, Stewart's, Hindwhile they held a ridge on his right man's, Bushrod Johnson's divisions running nearly at right angles within fact, all but a fraction of the that he occupied, and were advancing Hindman's division in a gorge thereof, with intent to assail his right in flank and rear.

entire Rebel army-swarming around the foot of the ridge whereon Thomas, with what remained of seven divisions of ours-four having vanished The moment was critical. Thomas with the dispersion of our right— had work for all his men, and could withstood and repelled assault after spare none to confront this new peril. assault till sundown; when he, by Instantly forming Gen. Whitaker's order from Rosecrans at Chattanooga, and Col. Mitchell's brigades, Granger communicated by his chief of staff, hurled them on the foe: Steed- | Gen. Garfield, who reached the ridge man, seizing the flag of a regiment, at 4 P. M., commenced the withdrawal heading the charge. Twenty minutes of his troops to Rossville. later, Hindman had disappeared, and our men held both gorge and ridge; but Whitaker was knocked senseless from his horse by a bullet, with two of his staff killed and two more mortally wounded. Steedman's horse was killed and he severely bruised by his fall; but he remained on duty to the close of the day. Our loss in this charge was of course heavy; that of the enemy far greater.

There was a pause of half an hour, while the enemy was forming and massing for a desperate charge on all points of our position. About 4 P. M., the storm burst in all its fury. The stampede of our right had swept with it nearly or quite all our ammunition trains, so that cartridges had become scarce, and the utmost economy in their use was indispensable. But for the fortunate arrival with Granger of a small supply, which afforded about

Gen. Reynolds was ordered, at 51 P. M., to commence this movement, which Wood was directed to cover; Gen. Thomas was riding over to Wood's position to point out the ground he was to hold, when he was cautioned by two soldiers that a large Rebel force was advancing through the woods toward him. Reynolds with his division now approaching, Thomas ordered him to deflect to the left and form line while marching, with his right resting on the State road, thence charging the enemy, who would thus be in his immediate front. The order was promptly obeyed: Turchin's brigade precipitating itself on the enemy with such vigor as to rout them and capture more than 200 prisoners, who were taken off the field in our retreat.

Our divisions were withdrawn in succession from the ridge: Johnson's

THOMAS RETIRES UNASSAILED.

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and Baird's, being last, were of. thus our army remained unmolested course assailed by the enemy in over- throughout the following day ;" and whelming force, and suffered consid- at night was withdrawn in perfect erably. But there was no pursuit ; " order, and without annoyance or loss, and our army retired into and held to the position assigned it by Rosethe Rossville and Dry valley gaps crans in front of Chattanooga. Bragg of Mission ridge-Crittenden's corps followed next day; taking quiet posholding the left of the Ringgold road; session of Lookout mountain and the McCook's on the right of the Dry whole of Mission ridge, whence he. valley road, with his right thrown looked down into the coveted strongforward nearly to the Chickamauga; hold, which his army was destined while Negley's, Reynolds's, and never to regain. Brannan's divisions were posted in the Rossville gap and along the ridge on its right; Minty's brigade of cavalry being thrown out over a mile in advance on the Ringgold road. And thus our army stood fronting the enemy unmolested, until 10 next morning; when Minty was driven in by the enemy's advance; which, proving merely a reconnoissance, was easily repulsed, and was not renewed. And

"Though it is perfectly settled that Bragg did not pursue, it is not so well established that our army did not flee. On this point, a few citations (out of many that might be made) from eye-witnesses will here be given:

Gen. Hazen, after reporting the last attack of the enemy on our right, and its repulse, says:

"There was no more fighting. At dusk, I received orders from Gen. Thomas to retire on Rossville; which I did quietly and in perfect order the pickets of the enemy following mine closely as they were withdrawn, and confronting an officer, sent to see that it was thoroughly done."

Col. A. Wiley, 41st Ohio, of Granger's corps, after describing the final Rebel charge on Wood's division, of which he was among the supports,

says:

"The possession of the hill was maintained; the regiment losing about a dozen wounded in this part of the action. As soon as it became dark, we withdrew from this position, marched to Rossville, where the regiment bivouacked, and on Monday morning again went into position in the first line on Mission ridge."

An account by "Miles," of the part borne by Steedman's division of Granger's corps in the defense of Thomas's last position, says:

"Another assault was made, and with the same result. The Rebels advanced, were checked; we drove and followed them until fresh

As Bragg was fiercely assailed for not pursuing Rosecrans-whom, it is assumed, he had routed-right into Chattanooga, on the evening of the the 20th, the following extract from a Rebel account of the battle by an eye-witness," who was nowise partial to him, may serve to elucidate the matter. The reader will excuse the tropical luxuriance of its imagery, and its many mistakes of fact, for the troops were arrayed against us, and we in turn were forced to retire. But this time we drove them farther, and kept them at bay longer, than before. One of our regiments-the 96th Illinois-pursued them nearly half a mile, and held that advanced position until it began to receive an enfilading fire from some of our own troops.

"Thus the contest continued until dark, and all the time we held the ridge. Sometimes, a regiment or more would fall back beyond tho ridge; but enough always remained to hold it. At last, Gen. Thomas gave the order to retire; but it failed to reach a portion of the 96th Illinois, and a remnant of the 121st Ohio, who at the

time occupied a position on the right, somewhat advanced beyond the line; and there for a considerable time they continued to fight with unabated vigor. The order to retire was at last given to this devoted band, who reluctantly left their position. That closed the fighting for the day. We retired from the field, not knowing that the enemy was at the same time also retreating, baffled and discouraged, in fact beaten.

"So the bloody field was left unoccupied that night. No, not wholly unoccupied; for James T. Gruppy, a private of company D, 96th Illinois, not knowing that our troops had fallen back, slept upon the battle-field, and next morning, as he awoke, found a Rebel surgeon near him, looking for Rebel dead, who advised him, if he ever wished to see his regiment again, to hurry on to Chattanooga."

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Monday, Sept. 21.

19 S. C. Reid, correspondent Mobile Tribune.

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