Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1863-09-28
ESTABLISHED. 1881


e caused Thomas to halt.
. While our left was remorselessl
: driving the rebels, Polk and Hill, collec
ing their chosen legions, threw them wit
great impetuosity upon Palmer an
: Van Cleve, in order to affect a diversion
: in favor of Longstreet. An obstinat
, contest ensued, but the overpowerin
J numbers of the enemy speedily broke I
pieces large portions of our two divis
ions, especially Van Cleve's. In fact
the route of this part of our line wa
becoming as complete as that of the en-
emys right, when Davis, who had beer
marching up to intersect with Van Cleve'
left, arrived upon the ground, went il
most gallantly, and, for time restored
IN that locality the fortunes of the day
But the enemy, knowing that all depend
ed upon his affecting diversion in favor
OF. Longstreet, massed nearly the whole
of his available force, hurled it use1n
Van Cleve, and Davis drove the former
to the left and the latter to the right
and boldly entered the opening thus
1 made.
Itwas just at this juncture that Thoul-
I dICGQLlOn
vallea 40 JlieEexGreme Danger OF es5Ti. our
center, began to return
Reynolds Immediately sent the heroic
Williams to the assistance of Davis, and
the celebrated brigade of mounted in
fantry at first scattered the enemy in ter
ror before them. But the perseverinp
rebels, rallying again, and charging in
| fresh numbers, even Wilder began to
| fall slowly back General Sheridan. who
| had been following after Davis, now
came up and led Colonel Bradley'ss s bri
gade into the fight 1t held its own
nobly until the rebels, in large force,
getting possession of piece of timber
near its flank, opened upon it an enfilad-
ing fire, which compelled it to give way.
But now new actors appeared upon the
scene, Wood and Negley, who had gal
lantly repelled the assaults of the enemy
at Owens Ford, (assaults intended as a
feint to conceal the design of the rebels
against our left, } came up to the rescue
Their troops went to work with will
The progress of the enemy against Davis.
Van Cleve and Sheridan was speedily
checked. Reynolds, returning from the
pursuit of Longstreet, assisted in rally
ing the broken battaliens of Palmer
Thousands of our scattered troops reor-
ganized almost of their own accord.
Baird, Brannan and Johnston resumed
their places A consuming fire swept
all along our front The rebels retired
everywhere before it, and before sunset
our line was again in battle array upon
almost precisely the ground held that
morning.
Just before dusk the enemy, as if in
spite for his unsuccessful efforts, opened
heavy FIRE of artillery and musketry
upon the same troops, and continued it
until after nightfall But it was so
promptly returned that he sustained GER
tainly as much injury as he inflicted,
and about six o'clock drew off entirely
leaving the day clearly our own.
During the night of Sa' urday some
change was made in the disposition of
our forces, and the line was SO far with
drawn that it rested along a cross road
running northeast and southwest. and
connecting the Rossyille with the La
f0ffes' In the nfst place. Inc new nne
that formed was mile shorter than that
of the day before. General Rosecrans
headquarters were removed from the
house belonging to the widow Glenn,
ne ar the right of the line, to a point some
what nearer the Lafayette road, and IN
view of the center, and every prepara-
ton was made that genius, science and
patriotism could make, to beat back the
avalanches of the enemy, should they
venture upon an attack the next day.
The changes in the order of the differ
ent divisions made the new line stand
! thus: One brigade of Negleys division
was near the extreme right; then came
johnson, then Baird, then Palmer, then
REYNOLDS, then Brannon, then Negley S
other brigades, then Van Cleve, then
Wood, and then Sheridan. Wilder and
Minty. with their mounted force, held
4 the extreme right. / have given only
the general order of our line, Brannan
and Van Cleve were really held some
what in reserve. The other divisions
had reserves detailed from their own reg
iments or brigades
IF any one wishes to get general bu
, | at the same time a clear idea OF the ma
ture of the battlefield of Sunday, let hin
, imagine two roads, the Rossville and La
5 fayette, gradually approaching eae
, other as they run northward, the averag
+ distance between them over the spae
: where the battle was fought being abou
v two miles. As we Look southward tn
o low wooded range of hills called Missio
4 Ridge, is upon our right, and away to tt
K left flows the Chiekamauga- Betwee
IS the ridge and the creek, and especial
If between the two roads, the country
v mostly level, and is covered with den
,s forests of oak and,pine, interspersed he
$ and there with small cornfelds. III
as is the general idea of battlefield d.
S. tined to be immortal in the records
IN the historian.
n That was indeed night of awful 81
ST pense which settled around US after t
he last gun had been fired on Saturd;
ID. 1t was very chilly and cold, and mu
K suffering amongst the wounded was
m casioned thereby. Those who were S
vi. alive and well, although they too We
Ill exposed 10 the nuIuuIug coIu' Unougirv
BE little ofEtheir physical condition.
of True no warm fires kept
of influence of the frost from their linn
raj for fires we're strictly forbidden.
en-. blazing light helped to cheer their NH
ter and dispel gloomy images therein
ght But still as they sank down IN
Yer darkness upon the hard, cold grou
.ich they entirely forgot their bodily depr
um- tons as they strove to imagine "
sur might be the result to themselves,
try. country and the cause. of the giga
roll struggle which might ensue on the
non row. No tongue can ever telithe ye
uslv ings of the soldiers heart for tri'
with and home as he lay on the grouna
but night grasping his musket. No pen
wing pencil can picture the emotions 0, .,
lntil soul as he thought of his mother, VII
lied children, and reflected that ere the
onal ting of the morrow's sun thousand
hose as he, he himself, perhaps, would
ness, ! passed beyond the possibility OF se se
these dear ones ever again on esrtn
ON And who can fancy the varied Zee
, his. of apprehension, of agony or OF
= IL