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t KMMI
VOL. I.
THE GKR,H3AT
Battle of Chickamauga.
September 19th, 20th and 21st.
1863.
From ‘ ‘ The Mountain Campaigns in
Georgia, or War Scenes on the IF. &
A.,” we are permitted to copy the fol
lowing extract, which includes a de
scription of the great battle of Chick
amauga, which was possibly the bloodi
est struggle which has ever occurred
in America.
There was not during the entire
“War between the States ” a strug
gle which tested to as extreme an ex-
tent the powers of en
durance as well as the
valor of both sides; and
it may be well said that
if the soldiers of both
flections fought each
other with such des
perate courage they
would be invincible
when united against
any foreign foe.
“ Early in Septem
ber, 1863, General
Rosecrans succeeded
in capturing Bridge
port, Alabama, thus
securing a crossing
over the Tennessee
river.
He then pushed
Thomas and McCook,
with their corps, across
Sand Mountain and
Lookout Mountain, in
to Georgia, and obtain
ed possession of the
passes leading into Mc-
Lemore’s Cove, from
which West Chicka-
mauga Creek flows northeastward,and,
joining the main Chickamauga, emp
ties into the Tennessee river just east
of Chattanooga.
This made their position in Chatta
nooga a perilous one for the Confeder
ates, inasmuch as Rosecrans’ move
ments, if carried out successfully,
would have secured for him possession
THE BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA NUMBER.
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The First Gun at Chickamauga, Sept. 18th,.1863,
ATLANTA, CA., FEBRUARY, 1886.
of Dalton and Koine, and thus broken
Bragg’s communications with Atlanta,
and forced him to have retreated
through East Tennessee, and left
Georgia at the mercy of the Federal
arms.
As one of the Southern newspapers
of that day said, of the game of mili
tary chess which was then being
played, ‘ The enemy attacked with his
Knight both our Queen, Atlanta, and
our Castle, Chattanooga. Did it re
quire a moment to decide what should
be the move ? ’
Bragg, accordingly, evacuated Chat
tanooga on September 7, 1863, and
retired to a position between Ringgold
and Graysville, on the Western and
Atlantic railroad, and La Fayette, in
Walker county, west of the railroad.
His main army was posted along the
road leading from Gordon’s mill to
La Fayette, facing the passes through
which Rosecrans was about to make
his entrance into McLemore’s Cove.
on the 9th of September, the Fed
eral army occupied Chattanooga.
During the next ten days there was
almost daily skirmishing, and, on some
occasions, vigorous fighting, at various
points between Ringgold and La Fay
ette. There was also a sharp cavalry
contest at Catoosa Springs, near the
Western and Atlantic railroad, Sep
tember 11th, which resulted in the re
treat or the Confederates to Tunnel
Hill, where they received reinforce
ments. At Ringgold a heavy cavalry
fight also ensued on September 11th.
The Confederates were at first driven
into the town ; but here rallied, and,
under General Forrest, repulsed the
Federals, and drove them off in disor
der.
The two armies were maneuvering
for position —Rosecrans being resolved
to hold Bragg off, until he could secure
such a disposition of his own as was
essential to success ; while Bragg, on
the contrary, was determined to force
an engagement at the earliest atlurna
able date, with the object of crushing
Rosecrans’ army, in a general engage
ment, if it were at all possible.
It is not practicable, in our limited
space, to give scarcely any of these
movements in detail.
On the 18th of September was fired’
the first gun of what is known as the
great battle of Chickamauga. The po
sition of the two armies that mornings
in brief, was as follows :
Rosecrans occupied the northwest
bank of West Chickamauga Creek, his
line extending along its sinuous course
for a dozen miles or more, guarding all
the fords, bridges, or
termined, that morn
ing, to send about two hundred
mounted men across the bridge, for
the purpose of making a reconnois
sance, and developing the Confeder
ate position. At the same time he
ordered that the planks be loosened, so
that, when the cavalry returned, these
could be dropped into the creek, and
the bridge thus practically destroyed..
NO. 2.
other places of transit,,
tor the purpose of pre
venting a crossing by
the Confederate army.
The Confederates
were on the southeast
side of the creek,
which is very muddy,,
and, generally, very
deep; and Bragg’s idea s
was to force his way
over, at various points,,
and fight the battle ons
the Chattanooga side,
of the creek.
At Reed’s Bridge, in
Catoosa county, Geor
gia, some seven miles
west of Ringgold, a
detachment of Michi
gan cavalry was sta
tioned, with orders to
prevent any advance
by the Confederates.
Having been there
for a day or more,
their commander de-
