Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-10-03
MOrtester Daily Spp
THE BATTLE Of oaICKAMAUGA.
Interesting Statement from Col. wilder


state, commander of the celebrated mounted
infantry brigade of the army OF the CumOer-
land, ard one of the most prominent and sue
cessful of the subordinate officers in the late
battles in Georgia, passed through tins city,
on his return hone to recruit his health and
strength, from a prostrating illress which
would have sent hm3 to the rear long ago, if
the prospect of a battle had not been stronger
than the disease, and kept him up. He left
Chattanooga last Wednesday morning, and
brings later as well as more complete news of
the battles on the Chickamauga than the pub
lie has seen.
He says that the report Of the New York
Heralds correspondent, tecgraphed from
Cincinnati, is incorrect and exaggerated:
first, because the correspondent did not know
what disposition had been made OF portions of
the tive corps which he reports defeated and
scattered and second, because he left the field
on Sunday evening, and could not possibly
have learned the full result of the fight. Col.
Wiider's position was such as to enable him
to know not only the movements of sthe troops
preceding the battle OF Sunday, but to bring
from the field the very last news that could be
gathered there.
In Saturdays fight he was on the left or left
center. That night the greater portions of
McCook's and Crittenden's corps moved past
him, to strengthen Thomas, on the extreme
lett, leaving him on the extreme right. Be-
tween this brigade and Thomas, in the center,
instead Of two corps, as represented by the
Herald writer, there were but two divisions,
Sheridan's and jeff. c. Davis, OF these corps.
Here the line was necessarily very weak, and
the rebels failing in their desperate attack on
Thomas, and in fierce but not persistent
dash upon the right, took the opportunity of
some movement i'll the center to make dash
there.
They massed column six or eight deep
against our thin line and broke through it,
scattering the divisions more by main strength
and pressure than by their fire, INTO the hills
and hollowS and woods IF Mission Ridge be-
hind them, where the nature of the ground
made it difficult to keep them together or raj
Iy them. This was the only real reverse of
the day. 1t embraced but two divisions, as
already stated, and of these Sheridan and
Davis, vino, Wilder says, did all that human
daring and GOODNESS could, rallied consider
able number and returned to the fight.
Not many were killed or captured, as the
rebels were prevented from using their adj
vantage by deadly thanking fire thrown into
them by Wilder's seven-shooting rifles and
artillery as they passed him in pursuit. He
says they did not go half mile beyond his
line, and then fell back. After this he held
his ground five hours without molestation
How Thomas held the left, or rather the main
body Of the army, is known to everybody
On both TANKS the rebels were stopped and
beaten back. In the centre they broke up
two divisions, but with a less fatal result than
might have been expected
This is the sum OF the matter. On Satur-
day night Wilder distributed his brigade so
10 project tho roads from tho right To Chat
tanoega, and on Monday joined the main BODY
in good order and good spirits, entirely un-
conscious Of any defeat. Thomas came in
on Monday at his own pleasure, with more
than two-thirds of the whole army, and any
thing but a defeat to report, as the most dis
plritlng accounts show. Our line was held
except at the right OF the centre, till we chose
to leave it, as RoSecrans would have done be-
fore the fight if the rebels had let him. They
fought to break him up before he could get
back to the impregnable position at Chatta-
nooga, and only succeeded in breaking up
two divisions.
As Wilder came in he gathered up and
brought with him a very large amount OF
stores and material, supposed by those in
Chattanooga, and OF course by the Herald
writer, to have been lost. Among these were
two guns, one hundred ambulances, sixty
beef cattle, and a large number Of ammunl-
ton wagons and Caissons Similar recoveries
were doubtless made by other portions of the
army, but the correspondent had hurried off
to publish his description of the fight, and
knew nothing Of this rather important varia-
ton OF the state Of facts behind him. Our
loss in prisoners IN both days, the colonel
says, will not exceed 2500, including the
wounded.
In artillery it will be less than Col Barnett
supposed, as guns were recovered and brought
in Of which he could know nothing when he
hi 70, W
captured about 20 % prisoners. of whom Will
der brought $3.50 with him to Stevenson.
The distance OF me battle field to Chattanooga
has not been properly understood, and the
suppOsiton that Rosecrans was driven back
twenty or thirty miles has added gloomy
shade even to the most cheering aspect of the
fight. But the distance was small-our OK
IRENE right, which was furthest away Sun
day, being less than twelve miles off, and the
left, after falling back TO Mission Ridge, being
hardly more than half Of it.
On Monday, Immediately after the return
from the field Wilder was sent off up the
Tennessee to guard fords and passes, for
BurDslde'S benefit, and took with him dis
patches from Rosecrans with full news of the
E'situaton." These dispatches were safely
delivered. as the courier taking them got back
Just as Wilder started home. This assures
the country that Burnside will not be caught
unprepared. When the courier reached him
he was moving toward Chattanooga, at what
point or with what strength it would probably
be improper to state but we may say that by
this time he is past all danger of being inter
cepted by the rebels, and has force enough to
make good all Rosecrans has lost, and some
thing over.
AT Stevenson, Wilder heard a rumor that
Griersons cavalry from the Mississippi, were
within ten miles, and that Shermans whole
corps was within two days march, coming up
from Decatur, Alabama; but the runor WAS
undoubtedly false, as Grierson was in SPRING
field, Illinois, on Friday, and Sherman could
not have got to the point stated, from the Big
Black, in the time that has elapsed since
the battle, and we know that he had not started
before.
Among the incidents of the battle of Satur-
day, Col. Wilder described the fearful slaugh-
ter of Longstreets men at the time they were
driven back by our left wing. This celebrat-
ed corps, as desperate soldiers as ever lived,
attacking two divisions, Van Cleves and Da-
Wis, to the right, and little in front of Col.
Wilder, separated them, and pushed on
through the open space, yclping-the rebel
shout is q yelp instead of Il civilized hurrah-
and confident of victory. A portion of them
had to cross Il small field, behind which, in
the bordering woods, Wilder lay, and
through which ran a ditch five or six feet deep
to carry off the water of an adjacent stream
or swamp.
AS the rebels entered this field, in heavy
MASSES fulv pvDospd the mounted infantry