The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1863-10-08
NO. 2S5.

Meantime, as Gen. Reyn,lds was so
soreIy pressed. Gen. Wood was or
dered to march instantly by the left
flank, pass Brannon and go to bis re-
lief. Davis and Sheridan we're TO. shift
over to the left, aud thus closed up the
line. As the occasion was urgent, Gen.
Wood drew in his skirmishers with
considerable haste, and the rebels for
the second time mistaking a withdraw
al for flight, pressed forward like
torrent and poured into the fanks of
Gen. Wood storm of musket balls,
canister and grape. Moving upon
the double quick, the men endeavored
for a time to keep their files in order,
but as that pitiless storm of lead and
iron continued TO be hurled against
them, the regiments began to spread
out like fan, wider an wider, until
they were torn to flinders.
Here was the great turning point in
the battle. Here, indeed, the battle
was lost.
Davis coming up TO fiji the vacancy
occasioned by Woods withdrawal.
was caught upon the left flank by an
artillery rebel torrent now pouring
though the opening, and pushed off to-
wards the right in utter disorder like
door which is swung back upon its
hinges, and shattered by the same blow.
Van Cleve, and what remained of Pal.
mer, were struck upon the other side,
and shivered as a sapling by a thun-
derbolt. Even the personal exertions
of the head of his devoted staff, en-
deavored to check the rout, were inef-
fectual.
After that fatal break our line of
battle was not again reformed during
the day. The army was in fact cut in
two; McCook, with Davis, Sheridan
and Wilder, being thrown off to the
right, Crittenden Except one brigade
of Wood's) being broken in pieces,l
and Thomas, with his indomitable
corps, and Johnson's division of
Nc Cooks, remaining alone upon the
left. In the fierce tornado which had
swept over his log breastworks, Thomas
had been much shaken, all his divisions
fighting desperately, all rallying at the
earliest practical moment, but only
General Reynolds retiring from the
works toward the hills in anything like
tolerable order.
AS soon, however as the corps had
reached the foot of Mission Ridge, it
formed anew its broken ranks, with an
alacrity and rapidity only less remark
able than the obstanacy with which it
so long endured the assaults of the enc.
my upon the level ground below. Tho
great leader himself, Gen, Thomas, as
sisted by Baird Reynolds, Brannan,
Scribner, Harker, Negley, John Beatty,
Wood and Turchin, reorganized the
brigades with wonderful celebrity, and
Immediately began making head against
the enemy.
From this time McCook diappeared
from the general history of the battle;
as, indeed, extricating himself from his
demoralized and routed corps, he head
ed toward Chattanooga, and, at about
one o'clock, disappeared entirely from
the field. His two divisions, Davis
and Sheldon's, forced to the right, far
behind their original position, were as
sailed by immense squadrons of the
enemy, and fearfully battered.
Gen. Thomas had Withdrawn his men
almost entirely from the valley, and
taken up position on the side of Mis-
sion Ridge. His left still rested on the.
Lafayette road, and bis right upon the
ridge near the gap / have already spo-
ken Of Here were collected the scat
tered remnants of the powerful corps
which had so long breasted the fierce
assaults of the enemy in the forenoon.
A hill nearthe middle of the curve was
the key of the position, aud Harker's
brigade was appointed to defend the
same. Soon after the hill was occu-
pied, house, upon its summit was set
on fire by the enemy's shells, and con-
tinued to burn for long time with
great fury. -.
Not long was the new line of battle
permitted to remain idle. Cannon bel
lowed against it; missiles of every
kind were hurled into il; shells burst
above it; rifle balls went tearing thro'
it but still it remained frm.
1t was certain however, as truth it.
self, that unless assistance should reach
it from some quarter, and that right
speedily, it must at length succumb,
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