Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-09-28
THE BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA'
Preliminary Movements Oh Une
Hostile Armies.
TIE GREAT BATTLE AND W0IOA4'

r,rroRs APPEAL. The first demonstration OF ten
p,sscrsps. in his forward movement upon East Ten
D.ssss aud Nor hvyesteru Georgia, pointed evidently to
The conclusion that bis effort Esz, by the occupation Of
seaustchis Valley. 80 throw bis army between the
,,ress ~ Gen. Bragg and Gen. Buckner, and to take
eseh separately and ia detail il they were rash enough
a olive battle but no doubt he reasoned that If his
movsmsnt was successful be would force BueEner IN"
virginia and B .agr into Georges, and thus possess him
.s,f ~ Bsst Teppssses without the loss Of q nan or
IL firing Of a gun, and cling enaOlsd thereby TO eneo'
an ~ Iupetson with Burnside, he would be superior
- .i,bsr B-sgR or BuekRsr in numbers snd coulo
u.,.b tb.pee forward with asaursnce Of victory. But
~, MA, Of campaign vas foiied By Gen. Bragg IN
.-.5,, RBckpsr ana biz forces from upper 10 lower
rat Tennessee; and bsre commenced Roseerans dlm-
.,less because Gen. Bragg vas in position 10 delay
70 not defeat. the Junction q Roseerans and Burnside.
Hence. almost with the rapidly Of Bragg movements
Rosscrans changes his plan Of campaign and COM
~.-.ss 70 move upon fhe let fEnk Of Gen. Bragg,
~, 10 say. in the direstlon Of Rome, Georgia, his
rurposs being 10 strike in the direction 81
Atlanta and on the line Of The Western and Atlantic
rairroad-tho only means Of supply for Gen. Brsggs
army n Chattanooga. Il was At once seen BY General
Bragg and bin officers, that Il Gen. RosscFanss~ succeeded
IN crossing The mountains and establishing himself SO
a. 10 be protected from imReda'e pursuit that be
wold compel our army for want Of supplies snd to
protset It's rear and communication to fall back toward
Atlanta without fight To meet Gen Roseerans as he
creased the mountain, victory must be purchased st sl
hazards Gen. Bragg thought he could attack him IN
setsa. vet deemed the stake too important to iuour
risk and henes msssed his whole army, and left Chat
tsnoora without 8 garrison on the morning Of the 1h
lp,t. and moved to meet the enemy in his flank move
mspt Many thought aud 90 I thought Gen. Bragg ap-
nrsbended. that toe policy Of Rossc5an7 was to avoid .
battle. and thst Chattanooga aud East Tennessee being
bf, Immediate object, be would immediately aceupy
hat place and entrsneh lis whole army there until he
f. I strong enough Tor othsr m0vemsn.s-beisving this,
hose who sathought. deemed it unTt=e 70 leave Chat
tsnoaga without a garrison for its defense, / Was o.
this number yet By the Light Of subsequent events 1t
may be proven that Gen. Brugg was correct. The
march Of our forces wa without incident for the fret
two or three Days, but wns extremely severe owing to
tie heat AID Gust. About the isth inst, our
division IghesthRm'D Wss moved rapidly forward
to lafayette, it being u7dsrs- God that the en-
envy Wa in foIcs in M-Lsmore's cove, and that
Hindmzn, who was then in command Of bis own division
and Buckners corps, was to attack the enemy In that
posti n al an early hour Of the day. It vas understood
farther that HnIs corps was in position upon The right
flank Of the enemy. We listened hourly for the bal! 20
open the troops were %jubiant the sense of their dis
appointment in leaving Chattanooga was wearing
away but the hours OF the day passed with the sue
shine into night and not q gun was heasd We learned
with regret thas the enemy had escaped our meshes In
rapid retreat serOss the mountains and 50 enc part Of
! Cen Bragg's plan-to fght the enemy in detall-fsiled
With prompt scdou night hers, two divisions Of the
| enemys forces could have been easily destroyed. know
not upon whom the responsibility for this failure should
rest, and forbear TO give the current reports thereof
prevailing IN camp. The knowledge Of it produced de
preston Two or three days pass idly by IN eamp-yet
it Is understood by all that Gen. Bragg but awaits the
appearance Of the enemy across the mountain to strike
him. On the uth Chesthsm's division Is moved back
! toward Chattanooga TO watch certain demonstrations
Of the enemy at and near awdshspring- point about
midway between Chattanooga aud Lafayette. UPo2 be-
| ing placed 10 line Of battle strshts brigade is ordered for
ward TO feel the enemy, which they did in gallant style
bat the Fsderals who had bssn heavy" on the cavalry
| ventured not to Gene ont 10 danes that night We
came near having a good thing" on Wilder, who, it
seems bad driven a portion Of Pegrsm's cavalry toe
evening orour srrivsL In announcing this fact by
courier to Gen. Critisndea he states that be would At
tack Pegram the next morning a. daylight We cap
tured The courier, and Gen. Chesthsm Immediately or
dsred srshl 8 brigade into Pegram's eneamPment We
hoped to "bag" the tea party next morning, but
when the morning came, Gen. wilder didn't come to
tea and so We lost cur fun.
After remaining here shout thirtysix hours, we were
ordered back 70 Lafayette, where, upon the Rsxt day
we were Informed by Gen. Bragg in his general order
that having defeated the sOemy ia bis flank movement
he now Intended to move upon him and fight him
wherever be was TO be found. When the order Of
march came. and the troops f5uud their steps turned
northwsrd, joy Nc their fsses while vigor marked their
tresd. We left lafayette on Thursday evening the
nth Instant and made about elght miles that night,
our line Of march being he direct road to Chsttsnooga
Upon The next day we moved on the right Of this
road to he vicinity Of ChickEnauga During most Of
the DAY we could hear cannon 10 the light. cannon to
the Jeff. and cannon Ia front Of u.s. which was known
% be Walker and Buekner taking possession 81 the
fords. At dark it was reported that upon being driven
from one Of the fords OF bridges by Walker, the enemy
had destroyed i, which compelled him 10 seek an
o.her. and this ia7olyed a delay in erossi1gi however
part Of our forces slecseded in crossing Friday night
and all but Hills corps, which was or rssr, early on
Saturday morning. The enemy was found posted on
the ridge north and west Of the Chickamanga and
which run parallel with that stresm, bis right resting
at Gordon s. Lees mills, and his left resting several
miles b low, toward Chattanooga, sud down the
ChickamauEa. His line Of battle being, Es I coapre.
hendedft one that shsPed like a horseshoe, or cTes-
cent IN lis form, the eoacaye being tewa-d as.
Al tue tine the battle opened Gen. Walksr, CON-
msnding asub-eorps, WIS upon cur right, his flank sup
ported and protected by FORESTS oavslfy, Buckuers
corps wss to be ca his left, and Chesthan's divisoRIvas
30 move to the support OF Buckner. Hindmans diyls-
ion, commanded by Anderson, was on the right. At
that time (ssrly Saturday morning. HiHs corps was
Just coming up, and not al OF Longstreets had arrived.
While the troopz were getting into position the battle
opened vigorously upon our right by Walker, At about
a. No.. L nH-h -.
ordered 20 move to The support Of Walker, which was
d ne promptly. Cbstbam's division found that the
enemy, having muIuPHsd his numbers, had offered des-
psrate asd obstinate resistance to Walker. All along
their doubls-quick Of two miles had our boys heard the
roar Of artillery and the iacessant rsitle Of m~uskstry,
yet though they knew the inyitstioa wss 20 , feast Of
carnage and death, bravely, fssrlsssy, joyousiy they
moved fonFsrd.
When CbeAthsm reached the aeld Walkers men had
retired, but only 81 brave men should do. calmly and in
order. Suddenly were our meo precipitatsd iato The
dght. Toe enemy encouraged by bis rapidly arriving
rsinforesnents, and inside desperate bY.hls loss Of
ground, as well a. q~uicksned By his sppreheasioas that
We we're seeking 10 get between him and Chattanooga,
fought with a desperate determination. For nearly Or
quite three long hours did Cheashsn's noble, glorious
old divislen stand or move forward under the socumu.
lated frs Of more than a corps Of the eueny's forces.
In mo ing forward with iaferior numberA Caes,ha1n
became exposed TO dank movements upon his right and
left; his troops were ordered 70 fan back. but bsing a.
once supported by StsWsrss division on the lett, no
ground was loa-on the contrary, ground was gained
The principal in fact nesrly an OF the fghtog Of Sat
urday, was done BY Walker and Chsatham. Lister in
the evening Stewards division, and possibly more Of
Bueknsrs corps, did some desperate and glorious fight
ing. Al shout shutdown another attack by ChsEtbEm's
division wss ordered 20 support Is understand, a
movementi in some other quarter. Il Was in this move.
msnt that The brave and gallant Preston Smi'h loss bis
life. know not the exact loss Of other divisions or
brigades, but know thar Wdght's brigade lost In Killed
and wounded a5ozt four hundred AID City. Thi4, out
Of a brigade numbering st the time not more than four
teen hundred, you will see, Is a very severe and heavy