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2 they bivouacked on the hills near by. About 3 a. m., on the morning of the 27th, Gen. Cleburne received or ders from Gen. Bragg to take astrong position’in the gorge of the mountains jso as to prevent the pursuit of the ene my, and to allow our trains and rear troops to get well advanced. The en emy had pushed us hard, the evening before, shelling our trains, and the gal lant Maney, in a tight at Graysville, who was covering our retreat with his brigade on that road, had been severe ly wounded. The safety of the whole army now depended on the action of the Stonewall of our army, Gen. Cle burne, or, as the boys love to call him, ‘ Old Pat,’ who, as upon all occasions was found equal to the emergency. To fully understand the position occu pied by Gen. Cleburne, and the heroic defense made by his troops, a descrip tion of the battle ground is necessary. The town of Ringgold is situated on the Western and Atlantic railroad, about twenty miles southeast of Chat tanooga. It formerly contained a pop ulation of two thousand inhabitants, but is now almost totally deserted. It stands on a plain between the East Chickamauga river and the range of hills rising up immediately in the rear of the town, running nearly north and south, and known as Taylor’s Ridge. Opposite the town, the ridge is inter sected by a narrow gap which admits the railroad, a wagon-road and a good sized creek, a tributary of the Chicka mauga. The creek hugs the southern most or left-hand hills as you face Ring gold, the wagon and railroad running close to the creek. The gap widens out at its western mouth next to Ring gold to a breadth of over a hundred yards, leaving room for a patch of lev el, wooded land on each side of the roads. The gap is also about a half a mile through, but the plain immedi ately in front of its east or rear mouth is so cut up by the windings of the creek that three bridges or fords have to be crossed in the first half mile of the read leading from the gap to Dal ton. It will at once be perceived that this was a most dangerous position to be caught in, if the enemy should succeed in turning either flank. The gap and the hills on either hand are thickly wooded, except the base of the right hand hill, along which, next to the town, a heavy fringe of young timber extends from the gap northward for three or four hundred yards. Behind this fringe of trees Gen. Cleburne placed two regiments of Smith’s Texas brigade, the 6th, 10th, and 15th Tex as consolidated, Captain John R. Ken nard, commanding, on the left; and the 17th, 18th, 24th and 25th Texas dismounted cavalry, consolidated, com manded by Maj. W. A. Taylor, on the right, Col. H. B. Gran berry, of the 7th Texas, commanding the brig ade. The 7th Texas, commanded by Captain C. E. Tailey, was sent to the top of the right-hand hill, with instruc tions to keep out of view and to watch well the right flank of its brigade at he foot. On the precipitous hill to THE GREAT KENNESAW ROUTE GAZETTE. the left of the gap and the creek was placed the 16th Alabama, Major F. A. Ashford, commanding, of Lowry’s Alabama and Mississippi brigade, with orders to conceal itself and watch well the left flank. On the face of the hill fronting Ringgold, three companies of the 6th and 7th Arkansas, consolidat ed, of Liddell’s Arkansas brigade, un der command of Lieutenant Dulin, of General Liddell’s staff, were also put in position. For the defence of the gap itself was posted the rest of the Arkansas brigade, under Colonel D. C. Govan. In the small ravine ru ning across the mouth of the gap from the right-hand hill to the railroad embankment, the sth and 13th Arkansas, consolidated, under Col. J no. E. Murray, were formed. The Bth and 9th Arkansas, under Col. A. S. Hutchinson, were posted fifty paces in the rear and par allel with the former regiment. The 6th and 7th Arkansas, under Lt. Col. Petei- Snyder, and the 2d, 15th and 24th Arkansas, under Lt. Col. E. Warfield, at suitable distances in the Sta ‘ MAP OF Sg Zfiw -CHATTANOOGA- TTANOOGA;] / AND VICINITY, —-- AA F- 1 0 SCALE OP MILES. 3 4 - -• . a ' B«it!e <.i’U nhlucAX Chickamauga’S^^fev/ 1 yx A '' ' ; %-X-Battle, \<»v. 2(5,/ \ Cuncord Cli. ’ U , Z'Batdc uiIIQHK tile ('lends. Th Th au ' .• Mission Mill f -Ax /OTlXfry ChiekamauL’a or a;; A ... 7 . ATXf AA s - A e A A < ( ADA b'4? 5 ■ A - Min (Uh/? sA \ wifi C G AaA'A ; "X A? AAAL '.< crGW ysauMiZTq Tfe- ■Au f // -A Ca 1 S^ lu /cAG - JaXWG ; Mil) U j maithiws, Northrup & co., art-printing works, buffalo, n. Y. rear, and covered as well as the na ture of the ground would permit, thus making four short lines of defence across the gap. A body of skirmish ers from these regiments occupied the patch of woods at the mouth of the gap and on the left of the railroad and that portion of the bank of the creek close to it. In front of the mouth of the gap, supported by Govan’s foremost regi ment in the ravine, was placed a sec tion of Semple’s battery, two Napo leon guns, commanded by Lt. Gold thwaite, and which were screened in front by brushwood, so as to conceal them from view, the artillerymen shel tering themselves in the ravine. The balance ©f Lowry’s brigade, consisting of the 32d and 45th Mississippi regi ment, under Col. A. B. Hardcastle, the 33d Alabama, Col. Sam. Adams, and the 45th Alabama, Lt Col. D. H. Lampley, were placed in reserve in the center of the gap. A portion of Polk’s Tennessee and Arkansas brig ade, with Gen. Cleburne’s divis ion, consisting of the Ist Arkansas, Col. J. W. Colquitt; 2d Tennessee, Col. W. D. Robinson, and the 3d and sth Confederate, Lt. Col. J. C. Cole, were ordered to take position near the mouth of the gap, with instructions to prevent the enemy from turning our right Hank. Scarcely had these dispositions been made, and which hardly occupied half an hour, before the enemy’s cavalry were reported crossing the Chicka mauga, and driving our small cavalry force before them. Soon after our re treating cavalry came through the gap at a trot, and the valley in front was clear of our troops, but close in the rear of the ridge, our immense wagon train.was still in full view, struggling B through the fords of the creek and the deep cut up roads leading to Dalton. Cleburne’s division was the only bar rier between it and the Hushed and eager advance of the pursuing Federal army. Silent, cool, and ready, our troops lay concealed in their position. A little after 8 o’clock a. m. the ene my’s skirmishers came in view. Advanc ing boldly, they opened fire, under cov er of which the enemy immediately formed his lines of battle, and with’the utmost decision and celerity moved against the ridge on - the right of the gap. This attack was made with such dexterity and confidence, that the en emy seemed to be acting on a precon certed plan, and no doubt had guides, if not well knowing, previously, them selves, the nature of the country. As his first line moved toward the ridge, its right Hank became exposed, at can ister range to our artillery in the mouth of the gap, which immediately opened on them rapidly, breaking the right of their line entirely, and compelling them to seek shelter under the railroad embankment. Further to the left the enemy continued to advance and made a heavy attack on the right-hand ridge. Continuing to advance in the face of a deadly fire from Maj. Taylor’s regi ment, with the determination to turn the right flank of the Texas brigade, Maj. Taylor deployed skirmishers up the hill, at right-angles to the enemy’s line of battle, and held him in check while he informed Col. Cranberry of the state of affairs. Colonel Cranberry immediately sent two companies of his left regiment to reinforce his right, and Maj. Taylor with three companies of his own regi ment then charged down the hill upon the enemy, completely routing him, and capturing nearly 100 prisoners and the colors of the 29th Missouri regi ment. In the meantime, the enemy was moving another line of battle some distance beyond our right, with the view of ascending the ridge in that quarter. Gen. Cleburne instantly or dered Gen. Polk to ascend the ridge and repulse the enemy. Gen. Polk, however, having already learned the enemy’s intentions, anticipated the or der, and led the Ist Arkansas up the hill, meeting the enemy’s skirmishers within a few yards of the top. Polk was soon assisted by the invincible 7th Texas, and after an obstinate fight the enemy was driven down the hill with •/ great loss. By this time large bodies of the en emy had crossed the Chickamauga, and it was manifest that a desperate attack was soon to be made on our right. Gen. Lowry was ordered to move his command up the hill and sus tain Brigadier-Gen. Polk in defending that position. Moving rapidly ahead of his command, Gen. Lowry, on reaching ? the top of the hill, found the Ist Arkansas again hotly engaged, but heroically holding its ground against, superior numbers. Assuring the reg iment that support was at hand, Low ry soon brought up the 32d and 45th Mississippi in double quick, and at this critical moment.opened a telling Are on the foe, who again gave way and were routed down the hill in great confu sion. The enemy was constantly reinforc ing, and now prepared to make anoth er powerful eHbrt to crown the ridge, still further to the right. Seeing this, Lowry brought up the two remaining regiments of his brigade, and Polk al so two other regiments of his command. A peculiarity of Taylor’s Ridge is the wavy conformation of its north side. The enemy, moving up in a long line of battle, suddenly concentrated oppo site one of the depressions in this wavy surface, and rushed up it in heavy col umn. Gen. Polk, with the assistance of Gen. Lowry, as quickly concentrat ed a double line opposite this point, at the same time placing the 2d Tennes see in such a position as to command the Hank of any force emerging from it. Our troops nobly met the charge of the enemy, who rebounded at the solid Hre poured into their ranks, hundreds falling dead at their feet, while the bal ance of the column again fled in ter ror down the hill. The Ist Arkansas captured the colors of the 76th Ohio, and a number of prisoners. Their con stancy and courage never were exceed ed. In this struggle it was really a hand to hand fight, the officers ©f this regiment fighting with pistols and with rocks, many of the enemy being knock ed down with the latter and captured. While our troops on the right were thus engaged, the enemy attempted to turn our extreme left, and for this, purpose sent a brigade of three regi-