Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

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. : .. ’ S; ~ Ff~~T ~ E- - ?--.— -T"-, LrEc -■r~. - -^~==S=— - 1 *g= - - '--jjl'-' ;= ‘ ■;Jg f 77" “7 -=-j - | ii!||l ,'"z.. r ■ ■. -■ —■■ JB »«V WjifegßlHffi-'.y JjM J■' ’ ’••.?'*/, . JSte jSDfc. hnEE ■• y.- ■., ISSr -■ .'.... d,' jMftfllMiii KgMffl W•_ ”; jp*' mmBL ■ \ ■ '-4- -■-? -■: \ ■<-• : • *FMBF WliElK , l!FJr>> , iiMrMt L ~ •-.■=■> 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-