Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-10-02
] EL.EGR RAPHIC.
REPORTS FROM ROSECRANS.
Another Account of the Battle
near Chattanooga.

near Chattanooga.
CAIRO, Sept "a.
| Mr.. Shanks, correspondent of the Herald,
has arrived here from the battlefield of
Chickamingo, where he witnessed the two
days fighting. He says that official reporta
of the battle from Washington this morning
are in main totally false, and that really the
Army of the Cumberland has met with de-
feat which must put it upon the defensive for
sometime to come. Thomas corps was really
the only one which did any fighting on the
first day. 1t dete4ted Longstreet with horri-
BILE slaughter, driving him in great confusion
over mile across the Chickamingo River
In two hours fight Longstreet lost 1000 men
killed and 1000 wounded. McCook's and
Crittenden's corps, in the same days battle,
were badly beaten, they breaking their centre
| and driving Crittcnden in every direction.-
| The defeat Of this line caused Thomas to
abandon his field and fall back to protect his
fanks and re-establish his line at the same
time. The enemy not knowing what he had
accidentally accomplished, failed to pursue
the advantage, and Wool and Negley went
into the centre and re-established that part of
| the line
The day was ours, though the enemy held
the field. We had taken three pieces of ar
tillery more than we had lost on the first day.
Thomas had defeated Longsreet on the sec.
ond day and saved the army of Resecrans
from annihilation. From ten to twelve on
Sunday We fought the enemy and repulsed
him in charges, when finding the assault in
vain the enemy pushed forward on the right
and center, and at the first charge we broke
Crittenden's and McCook's lines, driving
| them in disgracefnl panic into Rossville and
Chattanooga. Thomas with his corps still!
contested the day, and was enabled by the
timely reinforcements Of Granger to hold a
position until nightfall covered his retreat to
Rossville o.. . 90
| Mr. Shanks left the field at 7 P NJ on SUM-
| day and Chattanooga noon of Monday Rose
Grams was falling back en- Chattanooga, where
he was perfectly safe from all Bragg could do.
His line of communication was perfectly Sc
cure, and he had plenty of ammunition and
provisions in Chattanooga to stand a months
siege. The result is virtually defeat to us,
as we have lost tremendously in material. not
less than so pieces of artillery falling into
| the hands of the enemy, though Bragg only
receipts for 20. The rebel loss in killed and
| wounded will exceed our own. In killed he
has lost double our number Rosecrans is in
danger, but at the time Mr.. Shanks left Chat
tanooga the danger to Burnside was very i'm
| minent.
CINCINNATI Sept %.
In the course Of the day on the 17sh un-
mistakable signs indicated that the enemy
had discovered the weak points in our posi-
| ton, and were massing their forces in front
ann loft .,to 1otk Co.. Eoek
purpose of crushing those parts of our lines
| or getting between them and Chattanooga.
On the morning of the 18th (Friday)
portion of expected reinforcements, consist
ing of two brigades of the reserve corps, re-
spectively commanded by Gems. McCook and
Mitchell, made their appearance near Chatta.
nooga and were Immediately ordered to make
| a reconnaissance towards Ringgold, and de-
velop the intentions of the enemy from that
quarter.
We came upon the advance of Long,
streets corps, pushed it back for some dis
tance, took a number Of prisoners from it,
and fully established the anticipated concen-
| tration of the enemy in front of our left. All
day Friday the cavalry covering our front
skirmshed with different bodies of the enemy,
On Friday Brandon and Baird, together
with johnson, of McCook's corps, moved
from the rear to the left of Crittenden's rear.
They were in their new position at daylight.
The two other divisions of McCook's corps,
Davis and Sheridan'S, were to move into the
position abandoned by Thomas corps, but
had not time to assume it fully before the
commencement of the action.
Next morning the early part of the FORE
noon passed away with forewarning ofthe ap-
preaching conflict, but shortly before eleven
O'Clock storm that had been brewing on the
rebel side, burst forth in the expected direc-
ton At that time long mass Of rebel in
! fantry was seen advancing upon Brandon's
divislnn, on the extreme left 1t first came
upon the second brigade, Col. Croxton, COM
manding, and soon forced it back despite it's
determined resistance. The two other brig
AIDES of the division at once came to lis asss-
tance and succeeded in checking the progress
of the rebels and driving them back, but their
column being in turn heavily reinforced,
they advanced again with wild yells, and so
powerful was this assault, they pushed Bran
don back to and beyond his original position
in the line, and thus uncovered the left of
Baird's division. Making prompt use of
their advantage, they changed their course to
the left and speedily surrounded Scribner's
and Dings brisades the latter regularS.-
They were almost surrounded, but managed
to disentange themselves after fearful loss.
The rebel masses next came upon John
sons division and rallied upon Reynolds,
which also became speedily involved in the
the struggle. The sweeping fire of some bat
teries posted under the personal supervision
Of Gen. Rosecrans arrested, at last, their ad-
| vance The divisions of Brandon and Baird
having been rallied, Thomas ordered gene
ral advance of the right, and soon the tide of
battle was decidedly turned in our favor
With deafening cheers our line advanced,
haltirg only at times to shatter the enemy
with musketry. Several times the latter's re-
| treating line stopped and vainly tried to
MAINTAIN their ground 4 force consisting of
the corps of Polk and Hill, formerly Hardees.
moved to most determined and we'll execu-
ted attack upon Palmer's and Van Cleve's
divisions in the centre, its object obviously
being to relieve the defeated rebel right
Palmer and Vac Cleve soon found themselves
ovsrpowered and their divisions breaking and
their complete overthrow imminent, when
Gen. Davis division came to their support on
Van Cleve's right. The timely reinforce
ments at first had the effect of checking the
enemy and restoring our line, but the rebel
attack was speedily renewed with greater
numbers and the center was again compelled
to yield. Davis was forced to the right and
| vanced through the opening made in our line,
threatening to take the center and right by
their hanks, as they had done on the left
At this critical junctGre Sheridan's division
appeared and was at once thrown upon the
enemy. 1t stood its ground galantly for
awhile, but becoming soon exposed to flank
fir,u ala laA 10 fall hao