The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1863-10-08

shoot out from the crowd and coming
toward me, hatless and with frantic
speed. AS he came, a dozen rifle
cracks from the woods skirting corn
field along which he was passing, in
formed me that hostile demonstrations
of some kind were being made in our
immediate vicinity. He delivered his
dispatches to another horseman, who
Immediately started with them towards
the headquarters of General Thomas.
/ then asked the hatless courier what
troops those were ahead. He informed
me that they were the two brigades
(Col. Mitchell's and Cof McCook's) of
Gen. Gordon's corps, who had been
skirmishing the day before in the neigh
borhood of Reid's Bridge, and of Ring
gold, as l have already described.
They had come to form junction with
the main army, and halted and were
waiting for orders.
An order from General Rosecrans,
which had reached Gen. Granger by
another route, directed the two brigades
to fall back to Rossville, get a supply
of rations for three days, and hold
themselves in readiness to march at a
moments notice. As the close prox-
unity of the rebels rendered it some
what difficult just then to reach Gen.
Baird's men, who were nearest to me
on the right, " fell back with Gen.
Granger's troops and remained in the
vicinity of Rossville until the sounds of
battle, in the direction whence / had
come, attracted my attention. A wild
gallop back to the left Immediately en-
sued. / was accompanied in the ride
by member of the Corps of Topo
graphical Engineers, attached to Gen.
Rosecrans' headquarters, and citizen
who had accompanied him in the morn
ing on an excursion undertaken for the
purpose of gaining knowledge of the
surrounding country.
The flame of battle had first broke
out upon the extreme left, whore Gen.
Brannan's division was posted. The
troops composing it behaved most gal
lantly some of the regiments had
covered themselves with glory, but
they were compelled to retire at length,
leaving uncovered the left flank of
General Baird, upon which the enemy
at once threw themselves with great
force.
The shifting of Thomas corps during
the night of Friday placed it on the
left of the line in the following order:
Brannan on the extreme left, Baird's
next, and Reynolds next, Negley was
assisting Wood to.hold the next pas
sage of Owens Ford and the position
at Gordon's Mill, which had now be-
come our extreme right. One division
of McCooks corps (Johnson's) having
come up to the new line sooner than
the rest, reported to Thomas for orders,
and was assigned to position upon the
left, between Baird and Reynolds.
Two divisions of Crittenden's corps
held the centre of the line, Palmer on
the right of Reynolds, and Van Cleve
next to Palmer. When the battle be-
gan, Davis and Sheridan, of McCook's
corps, were rapidly marching toward
the left, to complete the line and take
position on the right of Van Cleve.
Generally, the line took the direction
of the Chickamauga, Withdrawn upon
the left so as to follow for a considera-
BILE distance the course of the Lafay.
cite road, which runs directly north
and south.
The rebels had been maneuvering
all day on Friday about the position at
Gordon's Mill, and seeing it's great
strength had menaced our left flank.
doubtless with the express purpose of
compelling Rosecrans to abandon it.
AS the left must be protected at all
hazards, their plan partially succeeded,
and the immense transfer of Thomas
from right to left on Friday might, so
far suited their designs. But it rem
dered our own left so strong that it be-
came impossible for the rebels to turn
it, as they had all along hoped to do.
The attempt on our part to hold Cor
don's Mill, after this transfer, perhaps,
occasioned too great lengthening of
our lines, and consequently too little
solidity. True, it seemed every way
adapted to prevent the enemy from
flanking us upon the right, but the SIM
pie Withdrawal of our right wing to the
Mission Ridge, allowing it to rest there,
would have secured that flank, enabled
us to bid defiance to the rebels in that
direction greatly contracted our front