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•■■"■■■^^ATE seems to have decreed that,
Fin 1863, two great battles were to
be fought on the American conti
nent, one in the east and the
other in the southeast.
Whether or not Fate decreed
thus, chance, accident and neces
sity, three elements that are pres
"SJUT* ent in all great military opera
tlons, combined to produce the
conflicts of Gettysburg and Chickamauga.
It is a part of the military history of the
United States that neither Meade nor Lee
Intended that the battle that was to decide the
issues between the opposing forces of the
Union and the Confederacy in the east would
be fought at Gettysburg; but chance and acci
dent, otherwise Fate, decreed that it should
be decided there, and Gettysburg is a glorious
heritage in which all Americans are common
heirs.
Seventy-five days after the flames of Get
tysburg, two great armies of. Americans threw
themselves against each other like thunder
bolts of death on the banks of Chickamauga
creek, in the northwest corner of the state of
Georgia, ten miles south of the city of Chatta
nooga, Tenn., and the battlefield of Chicka
mauga is a mournful but glorious testimonial
to American valor for all time to come.
Like the conflict of Gettysburg, the slaugh
ter of Chickamauga was due largely, if not whol
dy, to chance and accident. Neither General
Rosecrans nor General Bragg, commanding the
Union and Confederate forces, respectively, un
derstood or expected that a battle would be
fought on that wooded plain.
After the Tullahoma campaign of the Union
army in middle Tennessee, which ended July 4,
1863, General Bragg moved the army of Tennes
see to Chattanooga. General Rosecrans, about
the first of August, began moving the army of
the Cumberland to the western slopes of the
Cumberland mountains with the intention of
throwing his forces across the Lookout range
into the Chattanooga territory.
General Rosecrans had established headquar
ters at Winchester, Tenn., for the purpose of di
recting these military operations against Chatta
nooga. His left corps, under Crittenden, was at
McMinnville, about fifty miles north of Winches
ter, but the same distance from the western
base of the Cumberlands. The center of his line
was at Decherd, under Gen. George H. Thomas,
who was destined to glorify his name at Snod
grass Hill. McCook, commanding the 20th corps,
was at Winchester with Rosecrans. Minty’s
uavalry was to the left of Crittenden. E. M. Mc-
Cook's division of Mitchell’s cavalry corps was on
the right of the 20th corps. General Sheridan’s
division early in the month of August was ad
vanced to Bridgeport and Stevenson, Ala., on the
Tennessee river.
Thomas and McCook were sent through the
mountains many miles south of Chattanooga,
striking the valley about forty miles south of
that city. Crittenden was dispatched to the vi
cinity of Chattanooga, the purpose being to en
gage the attention of Bragg until Thomas and
McCook could cross the mountains and place
their corps between Chattanooga and the Con
federate base of supplies to the south.
General Bragg, however, was not to be
caught in such a trap. On the night of Septem
ber 7 and morning of September 8 he quietly
evacuated Chattanooga, marching south to In
tercept Thomas and-McCook, as they came down
from the mountains into the valley south of
Chickamauga. The Confederate plan of cam
paign is clearly revealed ih this movement. Gen
eral Bragg saw an opportunity to engage the
Union corps in detail and destroy them. Long
street was coming over from Ringgold, Ga., with
heavy reinforcements, having just reached that
point from Gettysburg. It was the golden oppor
tunity for the Confederates, but slipped through
Bragg's hands by failure on the part of corps
commanders to carry out his orders.
General Crittenden discovered that Bragg had
evacuated Chattanooga on the morning of Sep
tember 9, and immediately occupied the city.
Through the most unreliable information, Gen
eral Rosecrans believed that Bragg was in full
retreat on Rome, Ga. Acting upon this informa
tion he ordered pursuit through the Pigeon moun
tains. Crittenden’s corps, with the exception of
a garrison force, was sent after Bragg. They
found him at Lee & Gordon’s mill, on Chicka
mauga creek, preparing for battle, with the
forces of Thomas and McCook.
There was now no lingering doubt that a great
battle was to be fought on the banks of the
Chickamauga on the morrow. On September 18.
which was Friday, General Braxton Bragg, realiz
ing that his plan to engage his antagonists in de
tail had miscarried, ordered a movement of his
army down the Chickamauga to effect crossings
at a number of bridges and fords. Late on the
evening of the 18th a sharp engagement occurred
at Alexander’s bridge.
The battlefield of Chickamauga was a densely
■wooded plain with an occasional elevation from
which the thunderbolts of war could be hurled
from heavy artillery.
The visitor today to the field of Chickamauga
Is wheeled along the Lafayette road, an old high
way, now well improved by the government, that
•did service before the war for the country folk
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of north Georgia. This road was the “dead line"
In the battle of Chickamauga. If its dust, its
rocks and its trees could be animated and en
dowed with the power of speech, the story they ■
could tell would turn into sickly romance the best
pages of heroic history. The struggle for pos
session of this now historic highway was no less
heroic and deadly than the numerous assaults and
repulses at Snodgrass Hill. The flame of battle
swept the forest on each side of the road with a
fury that no pen can describe.
Practically all of the first day of the battle of
Chickamauga was a contest for the possession of
Lafayette road. The sun went down and dark
ness enveloped the field, leaving the mighty hosts
still contending for the highway. The Confed
erates had been driving west all day in an effort
to break the Union lines and Lafayette road be
came the “bloody lane” of Chickamauga.
The blood of the two armies still flowed when
night threw its shadows over the field. Neither
had been victorious. No more indescribably op
pressive spectacle can ■well be imagined than
night brought to the two armies. They were so
close together than the groans of the wounded
and dying of both armies could be plainly heard.
The field was strewn with the unburied dead. ,
By the close of the first day’s fighting the Con
federates had become the aggressors. Their pur
pose was plainly apparent, to break across La
fayette road and pierce the Union Unes, cutting
the army in two sections, hopelessly dividing it,
and annihilating each section in detail.
Not until church bells in Chattanooga were
calling the people to divine worship did the roar
of battle again resound throughout the plain
But it came with a more deadly roar than any
which had swept through the forest on Saturday.
The Union forces were steadily driven back from
Lafayette road, but doggedly held their position
in Dyer and Kelley fields against every assault,
inflicting heavy damage on the Confederate col
umns. Through a jumbling of field orders, the
Kelley field line of the Union forces was weak
ened, and Longstreet drove three divisions
against the weakened point. It was the opportu
nity that had been the hope of the Confederates
all day. Rosecrans, Crittenden and McCook were
caught in the break, separated from Thomas’
wing and retired to Chattanooga.
It is not surprising that the break in the lines
and departure of Rosecrans for Chattanooga dis
heartened the Union forces and Inspirted the Con
federates. However, the Confederates had a
great commander to contend with in the person
of Gen. George H. Thomas, now the “Rock of
Chickamauga.’’ As the roar of battle swept
through Kelley field, it seemed that the Union
forces were doomed. Snodgrass Hill rises some
three hundred feet high immediately west of Kel
ley field. Its eastern side is precipitous and In
some places rough.
General Thomas rallied his men on Snodgrass
Hill, and here occurred the heaviest fighting of
the entire engagement.
The best regiments of the southern armies
were sent against Thomas at Snodgrass Hill, to
be shot to pieces on the very breastworks of the
enemy. Some of the Confederate regiments lost
as high as 70 per cent, of their men in their at
tempts to dislodge Thomas, while the Union
regiments suffered almost as heavily. The shouts
of the living, mingled with the groans of the
dying and wails of the wounded, made Snodgrass
Hill a veritable inferno of death.
Not long ago I stood on horseshoe summit, the
crater of Snodgrass Hill. As far as the eye
could reach along the crest of the ridge I saw
handsome monuments of marble and bronze,
tributes of a grateful people to the valor of their
sons. But these memorials, emblazoned with the
deeds of the living and the dead, carved into
them by the chisel of an artist, did not impress
me so profoundly as what I saw through the gray
mists of fifty.years. I allowed my mind to go
back, and I saw as heroic a display of human
courage as the world ever witnessed. The roar
THE BULLETIN, IRWINTON, GEORGIA.
of battle swept through Kelley field. Then there
came one of those mysterious and unexpected
lulls in the storm, but it was merely gathering
force for the climax of a hurricane that had
raged in the forest along Chickamauga creek for
two days. It was soon to break again, and its
lightnings were next to flash around horseshoe
summit, where I was standing. I saw the ad
vancing Confederate legions sweeping all before
them across the open plain in my front. Long
street had driven his brigades through the Union
lines and swept the right wing of Rosecrans’
army from the field in wild disorder. Wheeling
his forces he started for Thomas In command of
the left wing. If Thomas could be routed, a vic
tory for Confederate arms was assured that
would shake the nation to its foundations. Next
I beheld the brave General Brannan rallying the
remnants of a half dozen brigades on Snodgrass
Hill. General Thomas was marshalling his shat
tered forces for a resistance that placed his name
high in the esteem of the nation.
Before I could grasp the meaning of the whirl
and the rush of the regiments, Snodgrass Hill
had been converted into a citadel of defense from
which the thunderbolts of iron coujd be hurled
against the advancing foe. I looked again and I
saw Longstreet’s Confederates scaling the side
of the hill with majestic tread. Then I saw a
sheet of flame burst from the Union lines on the
crest of the hill, full in the faces of the advancing
Confederates. No troops could stand in that
storm of lead. They halted, dazed and deadened
by the awful carnage. Their lines gave way,
only to be re-formed at the foot of the ridge for
another charge. I saw the flags of Mississippi,
Alabama and Georgia, South Carolina and Vir
ginia, and the lone star of Texas flashing de
fiance at the foe on the summit of the hill. An
other charge into the face of a deadly volley and
another retreat to the foot of the ridge! Will
they never desist in their mad attempt to scale
the ridge? Now, I saw some of the Confederate
standards on the crest of the hill, and men In
hand-to-hand combat. They piled the dead in
the trenches and fought over their bodies. But,
again I saw Gordon, Granger and Steedman come
to the relief of the Union defenders with fresh
troops, and the Confederates were hurled, maim
ed and shattered, from the vantage point they
had gained by superhuman effort and undaunted
courage. The side of the ridge was strewn with
the dead and wounded. Bursting shells had ig
nited the dry leaves of the forest and bodies were
scorched and blackened by flame and smoke.
At last, as the sun was sinking behind Lookout
Mountain, throwing dark and spectral shadows
across the plain upon which one of the greatest
tragedies of modern or ancient warfare had just
been enacted, General Thomas withdrew his
forces under orders from Snodgrass Hill, leaving
the bloody field of Chickamauga in possession of
the battered but shouting Confederate legions
after two days of fighting that has never been
excelled in the history of wars. The Confeder
ates were the victors at Chickamauga, but Rose
crans and Thomas got their army to Chattanooga
In safety, a fact that has seemed to make honors
even.
What followed the carnage at Snodgrass Hill
is history. General Bragg hesitated, he faltered,
he lost. Every commander of a division under
him on that fateful field expected to hear every
minute an order to follow Thomas and clinch the
victory; but the order never came. Thomas
reached Chattanooga in safety and soon aftei
succeeded Rosecrans in command. I The long
siege of Chattanooga followed, with ivhlch read
ers of war history are familiar.
Chickamauga was the bloodiest two-dayg bat
tle of history. The forces were about equal in
numbers. Much controversy has from time to
time arisen over Chickamauga statistics, but from'
the best obtainable information the total strength
of each army was a little to the rise of 50,000
men, making the number actually engaged some
thing more than 100,000. The casualties were
about as follows:
Confederate: Killed. 2,268; wounded. 13,613;
missing. 1,090; aggregate, 16,971.
Union: Killed. 1,656; wounded, 9,749; missing.
4,774; aggregate, 16,179.
These deadly figures show that the agrgegate'
slaughter at Chickamauga was 33,150, including
dead, wounded and missing in botji armies.
What Is Con
version?
By REV. H. W. POPE
Superintendent of Men
Moody Bible Institute. Chicago
TEXT—"Except ye be converted and
become as little children, ye shall not
enter Into the kingdom of heaven."
Let us consider
first some things
which are not
conversion, but
which are often
mistaken for it.
To improve
one’s life is not
conversion. It is
a common opinion
that if one will
drop all bad hab
its and cultivate
good ones, read
the Bible and go
to church, he can
make himself a
Christian in a
short time. This is a mistake. The
Christian life is not simply an im
provement of the old life, but a dis
ferent kind of a life altogether, name
ly, a life of obedience to Christ, Sup
pose you had a sour apple tree which
you wished to convert into a sweet
apple tree. What would you do?
Would you dig about it and prune it
and scrape the bark? No, indeed. A
hundred years of such improvement
would not make the tree bear sweet
apples, but the introduction of a graft
from a sweet apple tree would do it
very quickly. Even so a lifetime
spent in improving one’s habits does
not make one a Christian, but the en
trance of Jesus Christ into the heart
by the surrender of the will, will do it
in a moment. People do not become
Christians by improving their life,
but by accepting Jesus Christ. "He
that hath the Son hath life; and he
that hath not the Son of God hath not
life.” (I John 5:12.)
What Is Conversion?
The word convert means to “turn
about.” As applied to spiritual'things,
it means a turning of the soul unto
God. “All we like sheep have gone
astray; we have turned every one to
his own way.” The real essence of
sin is this, that the sinner is de
termined to have his own way. It may
not be the worst way in the world. It
may not be an immoral way, or a vi
cious way, but it is his way and not
God’s way, which he ought to follow.
The only course for the sinner to
pursue is to turn about, to abandon
his way, and to accept God’s way.
“Let the wicked forsake his way, and
the unrighteous man his thoughts, and
let him return unto the Lord, and he
will have mercy upon him.” Conver
sion, then, is a turning of the soul
unto God, a surrender of the will to
the divine will, an acceptance of
Jesus Christ as our Lord and Master.
When the sinner, realizing the folly
of further resistance, finally surren
ders his will to the Lord Jesus, then
occurs a great change. God forgives
his sins, and so changes his heart that
henceforth he loves God’s way better
than his own way. "A new heart will
I give you, and a new spirit will I put
within you—And I will put my spirit
within you, and cause you to walk in
my statutes” (Ezek. 36:26, 27). The
sinner no longer has a controvery
with God. The great question of life
Is settled, and henceforth his aim is
to know and do the will of God.
Influences Leading to Conversion.
The Word of God is a very effective
agency. It is like a mirror in which
the sinner sees himself as he really is.
That is why Christ bids us preach
the gospel to every creature because
there is life in it. “The Word of God
is alive, and powerful, and sharper
than any two-edged sword.” One can
hardly read the Bible continuously
and not be made to realize that he is
a sinner and need a Savior.
On one occasion a man said to
me: "From the preaching which I
heard in my boyhood I was led to sup
pose that when one became a Chris
tion, it was necessary for him to go
through some extraordinary process
called a change of heart, or regenera
tion. This book which you have loan
ed me, teaches that what is required
is simply a change of purpose. Now
will you please tell me which is right
and which is wrong?” I replied:
“They are both right; you could not
change your heart if you should try;
you could not make it love what it
naturally hated, ebuid you?” “No, I
suppose not,” he said. “But you could
change your purpose, could you not?
You could decide henceforth to obey
the Lord Jesus?” “Certainly,” he re
plied. “Well,” said I, "if you will
change your purpose and accept Christ
as your Savior, God will change your
heart and cause you to love what once
you hated, and to hate what once you
loved.” "Is that all there is to it?”
said he. “Certainly,” I replied. He
lost no time in accepting Christ and
God gave him a new heart.
"Now is the accepted time; now is
the day of salvation.” If you say, “I
want more time to think about it,’’ I
answer, "What will you gain by wait
ing? What have you gained by wait
ing already? Nc, friend, what you
need is not time but decision. You
know that you are a sinner, and that
Christ is the only one who can save
you. The simple question is, “Will
you accept him as your Savior?” God
expects you to do It, commands you to
do it, and if it is ever done, you are
the one who must do IL
SUFFERED
AWFUL PAINS
For Sixteen Years. Restored
To Health by Lydia E. Pink
ham’s Vegetable
Compound.
Moretown. Vermont.—“l was tron
bled with pains and irregularities for
sixteen years, and
was thin, weak and
nervous. When I
would lie down it
would seem as if 1
was going right
down out of sight
in io some dark hole,
and the window cur
tains had faces that
would peek out at
me, and when I was
out of doors it would
seem as if something was going to hap
pen. My blood was poor, my circula
tion was so bad I would be like a dead
person at times. I had female weak
ness badly, my abdomen was sore and I
had awful pains.
“I took Lydia E. Pinkham’s Vegeta
ble Compound and used the Sanative
Wash and they certainly did wonders
for me. My troubles disappeared and I
am able to work hard every day. "—Mrs.
W. F. Sawyer, River View Fann, More
town, Vermont.
Another Case.
Gifford, lowa.—“l was troubled with
female weakness, also with displace
ment. I had very severe and steady
headache, also pain in back and was
very thin and tired all the time. I com
menced taking Lydia E. Pinkham’s
Vegetable Compound and I am cured of
these troubles. I cannot praise your
medicine too highly.”—Mrs. Ina Mill
slagle, Gifford, lowa.
ALL TO HELP IN GOOD WORK
Aid of Everyone Interested in Fight
Against Ravages of Tuberculosis
Is Assured.
Churches, schools, labor unions, fra
ternity orders and other organizations
to the number of 200,000 at least will
be asked to join the anti-tuberculosis
workers of the country in the ob
servance of the Fourth National Tu
berculosis day, which has been des
ignated for December 7, according to
an announcement by the Natoinal As
sociation for the Study and Preven
tion of Tuberculosis. The movement
will be furthered throughout the coun
try by more than 1,000 anti-tuberculo
sis societies working through various
state organizations and the National
association. Personal appeals will be
made to clergymen, school principals
and leaders of Various organizations
urging them to set aside a definite
time during the week preceding or
the week following December 7, for
a lecture on tuberculosis.
Important to Mothers
Examine carefully every bottle of
CASTORIA, a safe and sure remedy for
infants and children, and see that it
Bears the
Signature of
In Use For Over 30 Years.
Children Ciy for Fletcher’s Castoria
Nothing in It.
“Did you see that slit skirt go by?"
“Yes, but I was on the wrong side.”
"Why, man, you were on the side
where the slit was!”
“I know, but it was a Boston girl."
Cures Old Sores, Other Remedies Won’t Cure
The worst cases, no matter of how long
standing, are cured by the wonderful, old re
liable Dr. Porter's Antiseptic Healing OIL
Relieves pain and heals at the same time.
25c, SOc, 21.00.
Modern Method.
Maud —It’s a paradox, isn't it?
Edith—What?
Maud —That the woman of position
dances like a climber. —Judge.
DOES..YOUH HEAD ACHE?
Try Hicks’ CAPUDINE. It’s liquid — pleas
ant to take—effects immediate—good to prevent
Sick Headaches and Nervous Headaches also.
Your money back if not satisfied. 10c., 35c. and
50c. at medicine stores. Adv.
Food Strike.
Mrs. Gotham —We never had a hun
ger strike in this country, I guess.
Mrs. Flatbush—Didn’t we? Weren't
you ever approached at the back door
by any of those hungry tramps for
food?
Use Roman Eye Balsam for scalding sen
sation in eyes and inflammation of eyes or
eyelids. Adv.
Make-Up Pieces.
“Did you ever help put a puzzle to
gether?”
“No; my wife always assembles her
self alone.” —Judge.
Love doesn’t make the world go
round as often as it makes the lover
go broke.
Foley Kidney Pills Succeed
because they are a good honest med
icine that cannot help but heal kid
ney and bladder ailments and urinary
irregularities, if they are once taken
into the system. Try them now
for positive and permanent help.
TAD A PfA from Kentucky. Send for on®
1 pound sample of pure, natural
leaf. Prepaid In U. 8., 2Sc. Not manufactured.
•DOLAN a COMPANY, 1136 Market, Louisville, Ky,.
B‘ PARKER’S
HAIR BALSAM
A toilet preparation of merit.
Helps to eradicate dandruff.
For Restoring Color and
Beauty to Gray or Faded Hair.
60c. and 81.00 at Druggists.
