The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-10-02
who was advancing in force, and, after
,hoh honlx Roin-

the remainder of Brannan's division, the
rebels were in turn driven pell-mell toward
the ford. Another terrible charge by
largely increased force of the enemy push
ed back the whole of Brannan's division,
involving General Baird, who at once be-
came fiercely engaged. The regulars,
outfanked, after the withdrawal of Brdn-
mans men, fought like tigers, but were
rolled back and over Scribner's brigade
the right of which being rather too far adj
vanced, was crumbled up, and the brigade
literally surrounded, until, by unparalleled
gallantry, it cut it's way through. The
storm, rolling from left to right, fell next
upon Johnston, and almost simultaneously
upon Reynolds, who both fought with
desperate valor, wavering at times, but
again regaining their firmness, giving back
little but again advancing, until the
troops of Brannan and Baird, rallied by
their able leaders, and by the personal ex-
ertions of Thomas himself, whose courage
was as conspicuous as his GOODNESS, came
up once more to the work.
Then the order was issued for the entire
line to advance, and nothing in history ex-
ceeds in grandeur the charge of that pow
erful corps. Longstreet's men of Virginia
were directly opposed to the troops of
Thomas, and, although they fought with
stubborn determination, they could not for
an instant check the slow and stately
march of our battalions. In vain they
rallied and re-rallied; in vain they formed
double lines, which fired simultaneously :;
in vain they wheeled their cannons into a
score of new positions. Thomas moved
resistlessly on. Much of our artillery lost
in the morning was recaptured. Seven
pieces were taken from the enemy. They
had been pushed already three quarters of
mile, and L0ngstreet was threatened
with actual humiliation, when a new dan
ger caused Thomas to halt
While our left was so remorselessly
driving the rebels, Polk and Hill collected
their chosen legions, threw them with
great impetuosity against Palmer and
Van Cleve, in order to effect diver
sion in faver of Longstreet. An obstinate
contest ensued, but the overpowering
numbers of the enemy speedily broke to
pieces large portions of our two divisions,
especially Van Cleves. In fact the rout
of this part of our line was becoming as
complete as that of the enemys right, when
Davis, who had been marching up as rap
idly as possible to intersect with Van
Cleve's left, arrived upon the ground, went
in most CALAMITY, and for time, restored
in that locality, the fortunes of the day.
But the enemy knowing that all depended
upon his effecting diversion in favor of
the defeated LOngstreet, massed nearly the
whole of his available force, hurled it upon
Van Cleve and Davis, drove the former to
the left and the latter to the right, and
entered the opening thus made 1t was
at this juncture that Thomas troops, whose
attention had been called to the extreme
danger OF our centre, began to return.
Reynolds Immediately sent the heroic
Wilder to the assistance of Davis, and the
celebrated brigade of mounted infantry at
first scattered the enemy in terror before
them. But the persevering rebels rallying
again, and charging in fresh numbers,
even Wilder began to fall slowly back.
Gen. Sheridan, who had been following
after Davis, now came up, and led Colonel
Bradley'S brigade into the fight 1t held
its own molly, until the rebels, in large
force, getting possession of piece of tim
Der near its flank, opened upon it an en-
tilading fire, which compelled it to give
way.
But now new actors appeared upon the
scene, Wood and Negley, who had gal
lantly repealed 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 a will.
The progress Of the enemy against Davis,
Van Cleve and Sheridan was speedily
checked. Reynolds, returning from the
pursuit Of Longstreet, assisted in rallying
the broken battalions of Palmer. Thou
sands of our scattered troops reorganized
almost of their own accord. Baird, Bran
nan and Johnston resumed their place.
Aconsuming 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
of bis unsuccessful efforts, opened a heavy
fire of artillery and musketry upon these
same troops, and continued it until after
nightfall. But it was so promptly re-
turned that he sustained certainly as much
injury as he inflicted, and about six O'Clock
he drew off entirely, leaving the day clearly
our own.
During the night of Saturday some
change was made in the disposition of our
forces, and the line was so far withdrawn
that it rested along cross-road running
northeast and southwest, and connecting
the Rossville with the Lafayette road. By
this arrangement our extreme right was
made to rest on Mission Ridge, as it should
probably have done in the first place. The
new line that was formed was a mile
shorter than that of the day before.
That was indeed night of awful sus-
pense which settled around US after the last
gun had been fired on Saturday.
The morrow came. No sound of crack
ling musketry, Or roaring cannon, or burst
ing shell, disturbed the peacefulness of
that Sabbath morning. The first hour
after sunrise passed. "Surely," said our
officers and soldiers, "there will be no
fight; for if the enemy had intended to
attack us, he would, following his usual
tactics, have fallen upon us at daybreak. -
Two hours more had gone by, and some
dropping musketry began to be heard along
the various parts of our line. Finally. at