The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-10-10
The Battle of ohlckam4uGa.
Correspondence Of the Cincinnati Gazette.

CHATTANOOGA, TENN, Sept. ~.
The roar of one Of earth's fercest
battles has just ceased TO roll among
these mountain ranges. As the smoke
and the dust subsidies, the prominent
features and results of the conflict begin
to appear. To understand the failure of
the enemy, it is necessary TO say few
words in regard to the relative positions
of the two armies.
Gen Rosecrans, by magnificent move
ment, had forced the enemy to abandon
Chattanooga. The enemy having receiv-
ed heavy endorsements, endeavOred
to cut our forces off from Chattanooga
before the army, separated by ITS grand
flank movement, could concentrate there.
The right of our line had been extended
nearly 20 Rome, and although the con-
centration began as soon as the designs
of the enemy became known, it was not
completed in time to gain Chattanooga,
the great object of the campaign, with
out fight.
Our army having all crossed Lookout
Mountain, was concentrated in Melee
more's Cove, long narrow valley be-
tween the Lookout range and Pigeon
Mountains, lower range, running nearly
parallel, and some six miles TO the east.
This latter range, pierced by several gaps,
through which roads lead TO Chattanooga,
served to conceal the movements of the
enemy and enable him to mass his troops
for an attack on our lett, which rested
nearest Chattanooga.
On the 18th, the heavy movements of
the enemy on Crittenden's front, gave no
room to doubt the aim of the rebels, and
on the night of the 18Th, the whole army
hurried to the left, and by z A. M. the
next morning was confronting the enemy.
The troops had marched the whole
night without rest, yet time could not be
taken for breakfast, by those divisions
which were to move TO develop the rebel
position. Baird and Brannan, of Thomas
corps, W th Davis and johnson from Nc
Cooks, soon struck the enemy, and be-
fore o'clock, Brannan was hotly engage
| ed, and few moments later Baird and
johnson. The battle ragged with incon-
ceivsble furry. The first and second
brigades of Brannan's division, had been
engaged for some twenty minutes, when
the third brigade under Col. Vandeveer,
which had been sent to attack on the left,
reach d and fell upon the enemy with
great impetuosity.
These brigades had engaged a portion
of Longstreets corps--the veterans of
Virginia-and they fought with terrible
desperation to IN aintain their old renown
on these new fields of action. Fiercely
the tide of battle rolled from right to
left, and johnson was forced to retire,
though but slightly, and Baird's line was
broken, and his brigade of regulars
rushed back in confusion across Brannan,
after his line had repulsed two terrible
attacks, in which at least one fifth of the
command had fallen. The rebel force,
that were pursuing the Regulars joining
those in Brannsu's front advanced in
four lines rapidly, deRantly and conf
IDENTIFY. Yet BrannGn's men remained inn
movable, only changing so as to allow
the batteries to gain an en6lAding fire.
The Regulars had lost their battery
(Guinther's,) the 9th Ohio, in a mag
ni6cent charge retook il; and regained
position IN time 70 participate !; The
final attack. The command, drawn up
in one line, had but a m 'ment to wait
before the enemy's battallion's, four deep,
were firing at close range.
But the well directed and rapid fire of
this one line of heroes checked this over
whelming mass of LongstreePs men, and
40 the batteries opened their guns, doub ble-
shoited with canister, our line advan-
ced with cheer, and the day for them
was won. But OH how dearly pur.
chased. One in four of all who stood
along those ranks had fallen in the four
hours fight.
Baird and johnson had reformed their
troops a short distance in the rear of
their first position, and 10 this line Bran =
nan withdrew, after holding the field
until il was certain the enemy had left
aud was concentrating in another direc
tion. His division was then sent two
miles toward the right, and bivOuacked
} for the night
The rebels had received 3 decided re
pulse, aud their generals smarted under
the reverse, and mAssing their available
! forces, rushed with overwhelming num-
t bers upon Johnson's and Bard's divis
. ions. For one hour and half this bat
: tie ragged in the darkness, while the white
+ smoke of the conflict spread like a
shrOud over the deep gloom Of the woods
+ Lit up az times by the discharge of Z
d huIdred cannon, and the d ashes OF thou
sands upon thousands of rifles, the scene
/ was grand and terrible in the extreme,
b Wave after wave Of fresh troops wert
I dashed by the rebels on our lines, and, Al
if failure only made them the more de-
y termined, with each repulse the connlc
n was again renewed. But our noble sold
q iers held their ground, and by the lonl
a ranks of their dead and wounded com
:. panions ey laid themselves to rest a
II length, till morning should call them 4
sull more arduOus duties.
O. All this is general, and yet in q sense
fell under the writer's own eye; but tina
y norton of the battle of which minul
detail can be given, was that which rag
ed along the line of the 81 Brig gade Q
BrannAn's division. OF this we propos
, 10 speak AZ length, without wishing I
D. be understood as undertaking the actio
he of any other portion OF the line.
The Sd Brigade in the morning ha
advanced in two lines, with skirmlsher
CT along the iront, and Smiths regular bat
y tery in rear Of centre. After a shor
advance the skiFmishers became sharpl
engaged at g o'clock A. b., and the lin