Washington telegraph., 1863-10-07

had of the splendid condition and confident
courage of the army of Gen. Bragg, have not
been deceptive. 1t has fulfilled its promise.
1t has fought and won. We bow our hearts in
humble thankfulness to the Divine Providence.
Sooner than we expected the day dawn appears
through the dark clouds which hung like a
heavy pail over the fortunes of our beloved
country.
We had heard of the invasion of East Ten
nessee by burnside, his occupation of Knox
vile, and Buckner's retreat. Gen. BRAGG also
retired from Chattanooga, allowing Rosecrantz
to cross the river and occupy the city without
opposition. Gen. Bragg fell back towards the
interior of Georgia. Meanwhile, on the 9th
inst, according to Northern accounts, Gen.
Frazier surrendered to Gen. Burnside at Cum
berland Gap with 1000 men and IA pieces
OF artillery, leaving the enemy in full posses
sion of the Gap. Buckner seems to have fallen
down along the line of the East Tennessee
railroad. and to have made n junction with
Bragg. These retrograde movements were ac-
complished with the usual amount of sneers,
witticisms and complaints of the Southern
press. Tennessee seemed gone. Not one foot
of Confederate soldier pressed its soil. All
seemed lost, but the lion was only COUGHING
| for the spring.
| A link in the chain of our dispatches rs here
lost. 1t seems, however, that Rosecrantz pur-
sued our army under the suppositon that they
were routed and dem oralized, and made two
or three attempts to flank them, which were
gallantly repulsed and defeated.
| On the 18th we find Gen. Bragg in the field
at Lafayette, small county site to the west
! Of the railroad, and some twenty -four miles
south of Chattanooga. Here he issued an or
der to the army, congratulating them on having
driven back the flank movements of the enemy,
| informing them that we were largely rein
| forced; that the time had come to force the
enemy to an issue, and charging them to hold
themselves in readiness for an immediate
movement against them.
On that evening Federal force of twelve
hundred mounted infantry attacked Ringgold,
| a small depot on the railroad few miles south
| of Chattanooga, and were repulsed after an
artillery fire of an hour, leaving hve dead on
the field. On the same day, the Confederates
| attacked force of Federals at Cleaveand, a
town upon the East Tennessee road, lying east
ward of Chattanooga near the Georgia line.
| Our forces drove them out and captured "a
prisoners.
Next day Friday 1sth) skirnishing took
L al a. IL IL
and continued till nightfall. In the evening
Gen. Walker engaged the enemy west of Ring
gold, and drove them back two miles with
loss upon our part of sixty men.
Early next morning Saturday the l9th) a
general engagement began, at daybreak, with
heavy artillery. The enemy occupied and had
fortified the line Of Pea Vine creek, about
hree miles west Of Chickamaga. 1t was
Our first object was to drive them from this
| position. Heavy artillery firing was kept up
during the day. Heavy smoke was seen near
| the enemy's position, supposed to be the burn
| ing of their commissary stores. Hoods di
| vision of Longstreets corps attacked the enc
my's left without advantage. At 10 o'clock,
P. ~, the corps of Polk and Buckner from our
left made a junction with Hills corps, forming
men made charge through the heaviest ar
tillsry and infantry fire ever known, and car
ried the heights beyond the creek, driving the
enemy from all his positions. The ground was
| liforallv stroup With daad Vopkaap W. drora
the enemy, two miles on the road to Chatta-
| nooga. On Sunday, the 20th, the battle was
renewed again, and the enemy were speedily
| driven back eight miles from the position oc
cupied in the morning. They retreated back
to Mission Ridge, six or eight miles from
Chattanooga. They were greatly demoralized
| and forced TO burn all their baggage and stores
Our men, on the other hand, were flushed
| drive the foe from his stand on Mission Ridge.
The slaughter of the two days amongst the
Federals is said to have been unpreceden ted.
| Our own loss was also said to have been very
great, being estimated at 5000.
On the evening of the second day, the fol-
| lowing dispatch was sent to Gen. Cooper from
| Gen. Bragg, dated Chickamanga river, Sept
Goth:
"After two days hard fighting we have driven
tbe. enemy, after desperate resistance, from
several positions, and now hold the field but
he still confronts US. Losses heavy on both
sides, especially In officers. We have taken
over twenty pieces of artillery and 2500 pris-
oners."
a dispatch from Gen. Braggs operator at
Ringgold next day, Monday the 21st, says,
"We have captured 1000 prisoners and thirty
pieces of artillery, hold the entire battle field
and are pursuing the enemy to-day" Another
dispatch, however, from Atlanta states that the
| news from the battle field was up to noon Mon
day; that the enemy we're then making stand
on Mission Hill and the battle was still raging.
S.ll another dispatch from the battle field
(and the one most probably true,) dated at l l
o'clock Monday morning says: 1.-The enemy
retired from our front under cover of the night.
leaving his killed and wounded on the field,
Cur victory is complete We have captured a
large number of small arms, sc pieces of artii-
lery and 20 more are being brought in. The
army is reported in fine spirits to-day, ready
and eager for vigorous pursuit."
The following casualties are reported: Gen