Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-09-26

On lhursdav Mnty and Wilder - keid's
BRUCE. but on Friday morning Wilder novel %
Ander~on's bridge. higher up the creek Daring
the day the latter closely watched the euemys
movements. and observed a troop OF rebel cavalry
come through Napier's gsp. in Pigeon mountsin.
and move TOW ,rl Gen. Woods position nj Cor
don's MIL At the same tim, a strong column
came over directly in front Of Wilder. and
smother column boldly advancing Of the Ring
gold road. threatened Minty Both att axe
simultaneousy Wilder succeeded in repulsing
his opponents. but Minty's flank being turned by
the rebels he wss considerably di<fesseC. until
the more fortunate Wilder sent two regiments
and section Of artillery 20 his assistance With
the help Of these he maintained his ground; but
the same movement hy ~hich the rebels had cue
ceeded in turning NJ niy's right link enabled
them 10 get upon Wilder's left, and in his rear.
Under these disadvantageous circumstances the
latter was compelled TO renew the light; but,
although severely pressed. he succesaiei in hold
ing the bridge until near dark. Then fresh forces
Of the enemy coming up and his own men heing
entirely exhausted. Wilder began TO tall back.
The rebels perceiving this made determined
effort 70 cut him off He slowly retired, resisting
at every step. until he arrived within a mile and
a half OF Gordon's Mill. where the 44th Indiana
and 59ih Ohio coming To- his assistance, he was
enabled to check the rebels aud encamp for the
night During the night his own pickets and
those Of the enemv actually grasped each Others
guns in the darkness, and several times engaged
in fierce struggles for their possesson
Before daylight Wilder ordered To move TO
the Lafayette road snd take position there, which
he did. throwing up for his protection breast
work of rails
When Friday night came few expected battle
next day; but the movements of Thomas and
McCook toward the left, commenced this time
and carried on under cover OF the darkness. ind-
Gated TO the rejecting that the rebel foe WAS still
meDacing our line Of communication with Chat
tanooga. and that final position about to
be taken up for the purpose of defending this
line and giving battle 90 the enemy it he desired
il: for il not our intention to light If wecoad
jusc as we'll avoid IT,
But the enemy had collected what he believed
to be a sufficient force to crush our gallant army
the necessities Of his situation would not allow
him TO wait: he could easily turn our hauks by
reason of his superior numbers; he knew that
could not afford under any circumstances 10 allow
him 70 get between us and Chattanooga; he saw
his opportunity. and he determined to seize il.
All night long on Friday night, the move ment
of Thomas corps continued.
A night march of large body of troops is
so'emn thing The soldiers scarcely speak
VI, I'd To each other; the animals move with a
dull. me hnnica motion which hardly resembles
life; the rattle OF the wagon wheels seems
strangely muffied. and almost the only sound you
recognize Is the heavy, measured a,ofui tramp Of
thou,ands of living meni
The Il ,me of battle had first broken out upon
the extreme left. where Gen Brannans division
was posted. The troops composing it behaved
most CALAMITY: some of the regiments had COW
ered themselves with glory. and they we're com
PEELED a. rtti .. at length. leaving uncovered the
left flank OF Gen b ,ir'l. upon which the enemv
a once threw himself with great force. on S,tur
rday
The brigade commanded by Col B. F Scrib-
ner. the 3eth Indiana. of the very first in the
army. was left particularly exposed as it, right
flank had been somewhat too far advanced where
il had taken position in the morning. Almost
before its pCkets were driven in. it found itself
literally surrounded by thrice its numbers. who
came on with their internal wells, pouring volley
after volley of deadly bullets into the very bosom
of the gallant brigade. For a moment. it
thrown into confusion; and that moment sutfced
To- place the rebels upon its front. fl inks and
But il was not destined To surrender. The 81.
33d, and Gath Ohio, the 3sth Indiana. the 10Th
Wisconsin. and LOOMS battery are composed Of
the best material in their respective States; their
commander, Scrbner had succeeded in intu>ing
into them his own magnanmous and gallant
spirit. Gathering together their broken ranks
under the internal fire which every instant NOW
Ell them down, and following their heroic leader.
they charged the dense legions surrounding
them, and. like a whirwind in forest. tore their
way through
All the guns of the lst Indiana battery fell
into the h ,nds of the enemy.
At one time the guns of the 4th Indiana bat
tery (Capt BuSh,) were all in the hands Of the
enemy, but were retaken subsequently by sim
infamous charge of the infantry and nrtilr, men.
This battery ia attached TO Gen. Starkweather's
brigade
the chivalrous courage of an oden knight, with
the cool. calm ability Of n Turenne, had time
not only TO keep his division in effective
order. but to give his generous assistance to the
forces around him. a tremendous onslaught of
the enemy broke Gen Palmer's lines and scat
tered several OF his regiments in wild DISNEY
toward the rear Amongst these was the 9th
Ohio which, in charge of the fine ,pir ted An
dersOn had. up to this moment. nobly maintained
It's ground Gen. Reynolds perceiving the danger.
quick as lightning threw himself amongst the
brave but broken Guthries.
"Bnvsl" he shouted. ''dre YOU the soldiers of
the 9th Ohio. who fought with me at Cheat
Monntainr You never turned YOUR backs upon
traitors in Virginia Will you do it heret"
No. nol'' they screamed. almost franticAlly.
Lead US back. lead US backl"
From everv quarter came rushing the scat
tered fragments of the regiment with magic
REYNOLDS their head they charged the 'nspent
enemy and after a moments struggle every rebel
in front of them not killed or wounded, was in
confused retreat.
And now that the battle OF SUNDAY has begun.
let US glonce one moment at the contendng
forces On side Is old army which fought
IT Stone River, reinforced nv two divisions
(Brannans and Reynolds of Thomas corps.
and Sttrkweather's brigade of Btrd's division.
But counterbalsncing these TO some extent. Posts
brigade of Divis' division and Wsgner's Of
Woods were both absent We might or might
not also rely for assistance upon Steadman 5
division of Changers corps.
Opposed to these was the old Army of the
Tennessee, which Bragg had 40 long command
ed; Longstreet's formidable CORPS from Virginia;
one half Of Johnston's army from Mississippi;
Buckner'S division from Etst Tennessee; ID ,huey
Maury's division from Mobile. Brig Gen Lees
command from Atlanta and from twelve to
fifteen thousand fresh troops in the service Of
the State Of Georgian all, amounting 10 At
least seventy five thousand men. The Union
army confronting them certainly not more
than fifty five thousand strong
The firing which had begun on our lett swelled
almost Immediately into dreadful roar, which
fled even the souls of the hravest with awe.
Nothns that have vet listened to Since the
breaking out of the war exceeded II IN continuity
and volume of sound II was not 4 turt ult which
now reyes and now subsidies. hut onel which for
two long hours rolled necessarily all along the
lines of Thomas seemingly devoted corps 81