Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-10-19
Our Army COrrespondence-Erom the
Army OF the Cumbe characterization
of Affairs at CnattanOOga.
CHATTANOOGA. Tenn Sept %, 1851
(Camp of the 18th Indiana Infantry.)

"a a 80 0GDN
(Camp Of the 18th Indiana Infantry.)
EDIroR SExrIxxL:-The great battle of the
elson has just been fought at Crawfsh Springs.
in the Chickamauga valley, Georgia, and a more
bloody obstinate or desperate engagement has
not been recorded during the rebellion. | am
aware that young or nervous correspondents i'm
variabIy assert the battles they tell of, to be the
greatest or bloodiest of the season or of the war, in
order to create as much sensation as possible.
But the men engaged in this, are the same sol
diers who fought in every battle of the western
army since they first entered Kentucky: and as
your humble servant was present, he judges from
painful experience The advantages resulting TO
Us from this ~frightful engagement have not made
themselves visible to me, although many good
men here affirm they are great. Gen. Rosecrans
must evidently be mortified with the idea Of being
reluctantly permitted to occupy Chattanooga with
a fragment of an army, instead of Atlanta, Ga,
with the rebel army flying in disorder before him
and his victorious banners. Yet such is the case;
here we are with the rebels menacing us in the
front as well as upon both TANKS, whilst their
cavalry are constantly hanging upon and harass
ing our rear. Falling back l2 miles from the
battlefield where all our killed and many of our
wounded were left in the enemy's hands, does
not appear to me to be the best conduct of a vic
torious army. We have been here since the 2lst,
engaged in terrifying the town with the whole
force of the army. The works which by incessant
labor, night and day, have advanced to a stage of
completion, are quite formidable, and well calcu-
lated to resist an attack from the front, but the
rebels occupy Lookout Mountain, upon the point
of which they have batteries that will command
the town at any point. They have already sent
solid shot inside our works-in the very center of
of the place. Whether we can resist this power
full arm successfully in case of an attack remains
10 be seen. Our outside works. at farthest, do
not extend over one and a quarter miles from the
town, but it is chiefly under the rebel battery on
the mountain; at the foot of this is a wide, deep
ravine with a small stream of water running
through il, quite impossible without a bridge,
which could not be thrown across without driving
the rebels away from the south side.
The rebels appear to have sent heavy reinforce
ments against Burnside, who has been making
great e~xertions to reach us, but unsuccessful
There is still a strong force confronting US, suf
hcient, il seems. to keep US from making any
offensive movements against them.
One hundred ambulances were dispatched yes
day, through the rebel lines, to bring off our
wounded from the battlefield. The rebels put
their own men on the ambulances and detained
ours under guard within thier picket line. The
ambulances have not yet returned, and il is likely
they will apply them to their own use in remov
ing their wounded to Lafayette or some other
convenient place uDon the Atlant, Raj road
Our line Of communication with Bridgeport re
quires a large cavalry force to keep il open; ow
ing to the great difficulty, in this case, we have
been put on half ~ratiOns, which. in connection
with the almost incessant labor required of the
men. has entailed unspeAkable suffering upon
them.
The ambulance train has just returned, bring
ing with them $40 of our wounded from the bat
tlefeld and the different hospitals near it. Many
OF these bold, brave sufferers lay for a week upon
the field with but little more assistance than could
be rendered by one another, aud not a few of
them died upon the ground for want of proper
treatment to their wounds The few Surgeons
captured along with the wounded did everything
in their power to make the poor fellows comfort
able. yet under the circumstances succeeded very
badly. One of the wounded men got hold of a
razor and amputated bis comrades arm as they
lay side by side. Several others made a~pplica-
ton 10 have the operation performed upon them
also, but the worthy operator became too much
exhausted with exertion and labor to continue
his operations any further. The rebels had cap
tured all the instruments from our Surgeons but
one set and those were kept in constant use for
four days, day and night, before all the cases
were disposed of. Corn meal Cruel was the only
diet afforded for ten DAYS to those unfortunate
men, a rather weak and innocent diet, but they
die well on 1t. As they entered the town, all
covered with dust, many sorrOwful sights present
ed: many OF them sat up smoking a pipe with the
bloody stubs of the legs or arms hanging heed
lessly by them, greeting their friends as they met
them, with great joy at being permitted once
more to see around the familiar countenances of
their brave comrades. They are now comfortably
located in the different hospitals in this town,
where everything will be afforded them for their
comfort that Can be had. The armies are quiet
under a flag of truce which will continue until
the wounded are all brought in.
Yours, WISTEN.