The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-12-13

II
msnd behaved well, and especially that
model soldier, Major General Cleb0rne, 4
true son of the Emerald Isle, aud hil
heroic division. General Hardes saved
the army from 3 disastrous roui, and
added fresh l1urels to bis brow.
The attack on The lef. wing was not
made until about noon. Here, as on the
righ', the enemy was repulsed; but be
was obstinate, and fought with great
srdor and confidence, returning to the
charge sgain and again in the hand
soonest style, until one of our brigAdes
near the center, said 10 be Reynolds,
gave way, and the Federal flag was
planted on Missionary Ridge. The enc
my was not SLOW 10 avsihng himself of
tAs great advantages Of bis new position.
In few minutes he turned upon our
TANKS and poured into them terrible
enflsding FIRE, which soon threw the Con.
federates onhis right and left into con-
fusion. Under this confusion the gap in
our lines grew wider and wider, and the
wider it grew the faster the multitudin-
Gus foe rushed into the yawing chasm.
The confusion extended until il finally
assumed the form Of panic, Seeing
the enemy in possession Of . portion of
the high,s, the men hastily concluded
that the day was gone, and that they
had best save themselves. Just at this
time the alarm was increased by an ar
tillery battery, which rushed down the
bill to- the river for fresh supply of am
munitioD; the men, however, supposed
they were flying from field, and that all
was lost. Nearly the whole left wing
eventually became involved and gave
way, portion of it retiring under or ders,
bat the greater part in unmitigated rout.
Gen. Bragg did all he could TO rally
the fugitives, and reform the broken line.
He exposed himself in the most unguard-
ed manner, and at one time it looked as
if he would certainly be killed. His
staff officers were also conspicuous in
their Efforts 20 restore our lines. They
and their chief were the last to leave the
ridge.
The day was lost. Hardee still main
timed his ground but no success Of the
right wing could restore the left 10 its
original position. All men, even the
brAvesi, are subject TO error aud confu-
sion; but to day some Of the Oonfederates
did not fight with their accustomed
courage. Possibly the contrast between
the heavy masses of the Federals, as they
rolled across the valley and up the noun
tain ridge, and their own long and at
tenuated line, was not Of character to
encourage them.
Our casualties are small, very small,
too small, indeed, TO be recorded along
with so complete and humiliating a de-
feat Included among our losses are some
of our best guas, perhaps as many as
thirty or forty. The infantry supports,
in 81 me instances, fed so precipitately
that there was no time left to remove the
guns. There were but few roads down
the mountain by which they could re-
treat, and this eccasioned further loss.
ALI the kfti!lery behaved we'll. The men
in Cobb's battery sto7d their ground after
their supports had fed, and though they
lost their guns, they fought them to the
last; and when they could use them no
longer on account of the steepness of the
descent, they hurled hand grenades at
the foe as be crawled up the mountain
beneath the muzzles of the guns.
The enemy's loss must have exceeded
ours ten to one. Our dead and some of
the wounded were left on the field.
But it il late and bitter cold, and /
must close. We cross the Chickamauga
tonight and then proceed to Dalton. /
write under the greatest possible dis
advantage. SALLUsT.
REsAoA, GORDoN Co., Ga, Nov. %
Returning to the narrative of events al
luded to above, would take the reader
with me to the close of the battle of Mis-
sion Ridge, which was fought on Wednes-
day, the 25th inst. General Hardee,
who commanded the right wing, had re-
pulsed every attack Of the enemy, had
inflicted heavy loss upon him, and he
and his men were congratulating them
selves upon their complete and brilliant
victory, when General D., who had pas
sed TO his left, (the center of the army
discovered that Reynolds, brigade Of
Hindman's division cOmmaned by Gen.
Patton Anderson, had given way and
thus allowed the enemy to get foothOld
upon the mountain. Having defeated the
foe in his front, be Immediately ordered
his left to form into line across or at
right angles 10 the ridge, and t. drive the
intruders from his flank. This order,
like all Others that he had given, was
carried out TO the letter by his brave
command, thua, repulsing the enemy in
front on his left flank. Had the same
skill and energy been displayed at other
points on the line further TO the left, the
COnfederstes would not have been driven
from Mission Ridge. Reynolds brigade
is composed of the 54th and 63d Virginia
Regiments, and the CSth and 60lh North
Carolina; troops who have always done
well heretofore.
And here let me add, at the risk of be-
coming tedious, that Stevenson's division,
composed wholly of "Viekeburg troops"
behaved with unsurpassed gallantry.
These troops are TenDesseans. Ala
bamisns and Georgians. General Cum
m;ngs' Georgia brigade never fought 50
well. The fact here stated should 81
lezce forever the thOugh'less tongues that
have been ridiculing and maligniDg the
heroes who fought a. Yicksburg.
After night set in, the whole army was
withdrawn to the east side Of the Chicka-
maugs, the trains having preceded it the
night before. The roads were in bad
condition, and there were but three
bridges over which the troops could re-
tire. BIT the enemy was too badly Grip
pied TO make pursuit. Oaly small de-
tachment OF cavalry followed on the road
to Birds Mills. At Ohickamauga Sta
ton, rations of hard bread and bacon
were served out 70 the men from the de-
pot, and the trains set forward. Some
of Che stores were shipped of BY the rail-
road the remainder was destroyed. The
army was put in motion BY two o'clock
At night on the road to Ringgold, and
Gems. Bragg and Hardee left at daylight
next morning. The road was as bad IS
il could be, and, but for the friendly
light Afforded By She moon on that snd
the preceding night, the army could not
have effected its escape.
THURSDAY, Nov. rs After 3 fAtiguing
march, the army, with its long trains, ar
rived al Ringgold during the afternoon
and night The enemy had thrown foE-
ward . mixed column Of mounted Ia
fansrv. artillery. and cavalry, which was