The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-10-14

over the space where the battle was fought
/ being about two miles. As we look south-
ward the low wooded range Of hills called
Mission Ridge, is upon our right, and away to
the left flows the Chickamauga. Between the
/ ridge and the creek and especially between
! tile two roads, tke country is mostly level, and
is covered with dense forests of oak and pine,
/ interspersed here and there with small corn
/ fields. This sis the general idea of q battle
/ field destined to be immortal in the records of
the historian.
THE coSTEgBING ARMIES
Let us glance one moment at the contend
/ ing forces On one side is our old army which
fought at Stone River reinforced by two d.
visions (Brannah's and Reynold's) of Thom-
ass corps, and Starkweatherss brigade of
Baird's division But counterbalancing these
to some extent, Posts brigade of Davis divi-
sion and Wagner's Of Woods were both alb
sent We might or might not also rely for
assistance upon Steadman's diviyision of Gen.
/ Granger's corps
Opposed to these was the old army Of the
Tennessee, which Bragg has so long comulan-
! ded; Lougstreets formidable corps from Vir-
/ ginia; one half of Johnston,s army from
Mississippi Buckner's division from East
4 Tennessee; Dabnev Maury's division from
Mobile; Brigadier General LEGS command
/ from Atlanta, and from twelve to fifteen theu-
sand fresh troops in the service of the State
of Georgia :-Ain all, amounting to at least
seventy five thousand men. The Union ar
my confronting them was certainly not more
than ffty-hve thousand strong
THE BATTLE or SUNDAY.
i The firing which had begun upon our left,
swelled almost Immediately into dreadful
roar, which filed even the souls of the brav-
est with awe. Nothing that have yet lis
tened to since the breaking cut of the war,
exceeded it in continuity and volume of
sound. twas not tumult which now RACES
and now subsidies but one winch for two
long hours, rolled necessarily all along tho
lines of Thomas seemingly devoted corps
So loud was the crash of niusketry, that the
repeated discharges of cannon following esch
other in quicS succession, could with difficult
lty be distinguished, and seemed ouly like more
emphatic passages in the grand diapason of
thunderous harmony which burst from the
vast clouds of smoke and dust enveleping the
tcontendng hosts.
The fight upon the extreme left commence
ed by desperate assault of the enemy upon
: Gen. john Beatty's brigade OF Negley's tiivi-
sion. The brigade, as well as its famous lead
er, stood their ground nobly; but being soIne-
lwhat isolated from the remainder of the Inc,
finally retired ess
ssIfwent down to the extreme left of Gen.
eral W ood's position aboft this time, and
Hooking thence into some eorn6elds, could see
the desperate efforts of the enemy to break
the lines of Brannan and Reynclds. The SOL
diers of these two noble divisions were lying
behind rude breastworks of logs and rails con-
lstructed the night before then artillery in
the rear fired over their heads; and it really
seemed as if that long line of defenses was
some immense serpent, instinct with hdeoi:s
life and breathing continually from his huge
rough sides volumes of smoke and fame
Col. Vandeveer, 35th Ohio. Of Brannan's di-
visions was fighting here with brigade
ond to but few IN the service The Colonel
himself is true hero, and the command and
commander are worthy of each other. Here
also was the brave and able Turchin with
brigade composed principally of Ohio troops,
who won for them and the State that sent
them forth immortal honor during the con-
fiicts of that day sS
Again and again the rebel lines advancing
from the cover of the woods into the open
cornfelds charged with impetuous fury and
terrific yells toward the breast works of logs
and rails, but each time the fiery blasts from
our batteries and battallions swept over and
around them, and their ranks were crunibled
, and swept away as bank of loose clay
: washed by arushing flood. But as fast as
: one line fell off another appeared, rushing
stsrnly on over the dead and bleeding bodies
of their fallen comrades
Longstreet,s corps was seeking to regain its
: lost laurels of yesterday
{ ID. 81. Hill, at the head of Hardee's old
l corps, was lending them the assistance of his
division, and Buekners troops were throwing
their weight into the scale.
3 Thomas fought only with his forces of Sat
I urday weakened BY Saturdays heavy losses.
: 1t was an unequal contest, aud pang of ag-
j ony shot through my heart as | saw our ex-
hausted veterans begin to waver. To waveI
: in the face Of the charging, shouting, thun-
Q dering host which confronted them, was to
:. lose ALL and the next moment wave aftel
y wave of the rebel sea came surging down to-
I ward the st-werks, dashing madly agains
! and over the barrier, and greedily swallowing
: up its defenders, with all their ammunition
, and material. Never was resistance Esor.
/ stubborn and determined, but never was attach
I prosecuted with more devilish pertinacity.
J, Meantime, as Gen. Reynolds was so sorell
= pressed, Gen.. " ood was ordered to march in
E stantly by the left flank, pass Brannan, an,
i 90 to his relief. Davis and Sheridan were tt
a shift over to the left, and thus close up tn
er line. As the occasion was urgent, Gen. W 90,
x drew in his skirJnishers with considerabl
as haste, and the rebels for the second time mis-
IN taking a withdrawal for fight, pressed for
y, ward like torrent and poured into the flank
ls' ter and grape. Moving upon the doubl
u quick, the men endeayored for time to kee
10 their files in order, but as pitiless storm Q
lead and iron continued to be hurled agains
y, them, the regiments begun to spread out lik
er fan, wider and wider, until finally they wer
n, tern to flinders. This was especially the cas-
Nv with the brigade commanded By Col. BUELL.
to The uudaunted Wood with Harkers brigad,
ne comparatively intact, passed on to his dest
nation.
ut Here was the great turning point in the ba
We tle Here, indeed, the battle was lost
Davis coming up to fill the vacancy occs
he stoned by Woods Withdrawal, was caugt
.ly upon the left flank by the fiery rebel torrsI
MS now pouring through theopening. and pushs
sal off toward the right in utter disorder, like
ne door which is swung back upon it's hinge
rk and shattered by the same blow
nv Van Clsve and what remained of Palme
yas were struck upon the other side, and shivere
I'M as sapfng by a thunderbolt. Even the pc
ng sonal exertions of Rosscrans himself, VIII
ids with drawn sword, and at the head of his d