Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1863-09-28

1t was now that the brilliant courage
Of Colonel John G. Mitchell. command
ing one of Steadman's brigades, became
Now General Whitaker
had an opportunity of baptising in glory
the star recently placed on his shoulders;
and now the troops of the reserve corps,
comparatively unused to battle, had an
opportunity of testing their metal.
Nobly did all pass through the ordeal,
and, although once thrown into confu-
sion by the concentrated fire from
score of rebel regiments and half as
many batteries, they rallied aisder the !
fire! and drove the enemy from hill /
almost as formidable as that which t
formed the key of Thomas's position. |
The rebels made one desperate endeavor |
to retake this position, but were bloodily |
repulsed and, almost for the first time |
during the fight, there was lull in the |
fearful storm.
An hour passed by, and it became evil |
dent that Bragg would not be fooled IN
his attempt to annihilate our gallant
army without another effort. Folks
corps, assisted by the Georgia State
troops, by Dabney Maurys division, and
by various detached fragments of the re-
bel army were to try their hands upon
the heroic and who, as the forlorn hope
of the army still held the hill. Our fee
BILE ranks were gathered up. The thin
t1r-vv.-sl:~,---, l---rsl-I--l--~--4-
gether The dozen pieces of artillery
were planted to sweep all approaches to
the hill; and each man looking at his
neighbor vowed, some mentally, and
others audibly, to die right there if it
were necessary for their country, for
| freedom, and for mankind
All along the woods skirting the clear
! ed fields at the southeastern foot of the
hill in the hollows and ravines to the
right, and away to the left, upon and be-
yond the Lafayette road, the rebel le-
gions were seen gathering for the onset.
Just before the storm broke, the brave
and high-souled Garfield was perceived
making his way to the headquarters of
Gen. Thomas. He had come to be pres
ent at the final contest, and in order to
do so had rode all the way from Chatta-
nooga, passing through fiery ordeal
upon the road His horse was shot I'M
der him, and his orderly was killed by
his side. Still he had come through, he
scarce knew how, and here he was to in
spire fresh courage into the hearts of the
brave soldiers who were holding the
enemy at bay, to bring them words OF
greeting from General Rosecrans, and to
inform them that the latter was re-or gan
izing the scattered troops, and, as fast as
possible, would hurry them forward to
their relief
At last shell came hustling through
the air, and burst with loud explosion
| over the hill This was the signal for
: rebel attack, and at once the bullets few
thick and fast amongst US. My eompan
ion, the correspondent of the New York
Herald, was struck by spent ball and
tumbled from his horse, and although
both he and | thought the chances were
, bad against our living to describe the
contest, we felt that we could not dc
aught than watch it to its close.
Just upon the side of the hill to the
I left, and in the rear of the still smoking
ruins of the house, was gathered grouI
; whose names are destined to become
) historial-Thomas, Whitaker, Granger
5 Garfield, Steadman, Wood. Calmly theJ
watched the progress of the tempest
5 speculated upon its duration and strength
and devised methods to break its fury
e The future annalist will delight to dwell
t ing to the completion of his task. is con
/ strained to pause a moment if only t,
: repeat their names-Whitaker, Garfield
J. Granger, Thomas, S.aadman, Wood.
o The fight around the hill now rage,
j with terror inexperienced before. eve,
: upon this terrible day. Our soldier
! were formed in two lines, and as eacl
i marched up to tie crest and fired dead
: ly voliey at the advancing foe, it feI
), pack little ways, the men lay dow
e upon the ground to load their guns, anC
t the second line advanced to take theil
Z. place. They, too, in their turn retired
:, and thus the lines kept marching bacl
Il and forth, and delivering their whitening
e volieys till the very brain grew dizzy al
1t watched them. And all the time not
n man wavered. Every motion was exc
euted with as much precision as though
: the troops were on holiday parade. not
e withstanding the flower of the rebel arm,
2 were swarming round the foot of the
: hill, and score of cannon were thun
dering from three sides upon it. Ever,
S attempt of the enemy to scale it was re
: pulsed, and the gallant Harker looked
/. with pride upon his lines, standing O,
e lying just where they were when the figbt
. began
4 But our troops are no longer satisfied
D with the defensive. General Turcbin
S at the head of his brigade, charged into
the rebel lines and cut his way out again
? bringing with him three hundred prison
: ers: Other portions of this brave band
followed Turehin's example, until the
leglons of the enemy were fairly driven
} back to the ground they occupied previ-
Gus to the commencement of the last
t fight Thus did twelve or fifteen tbon'
sand men. animated by heroic impulses
| and inspired by worthy leaders, save
from destruction the army Of the Cum
6erland. Let the nation honor them as
they deserve.
at night General Thomas fell back TO
RossVllle, four miles from CHATTANOOGA.
around and IN which city the army lies
tonight -'e
Our losses have been most severe. and
can scarcely fall short of LOO killed
anu o1oOO WUuHueu. COI. Darnett tells
me that our loss in artillery will not fall
shor4 of fifty pieces. Our deficiency in
transportation and baggage cannot now
be estimated
But the enemy has suffered as severe
y as we IN that which he can least at.
ford-human life and limb. He intend.
ed by massing all his available forces
together, to annihalate the Army of the
Cumberland. He has failed to do SO.
and although it would be childish to denv
or conceal our own fearful losses. vet
We may console ourselves by the assur-
ance that IN his circumstances his failnre
to destroy US, is for US signal victory.
and for him an irreparable defeat
US.
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