The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-10-05
Rithmonh Qispatfh.
MONDAY MORNING. ........ OCTOBER 3, 1865
Further from the Battle Of the Chica-
manga.
5rponouR owscoRRE PoSDEsT
ARMY Of TEsNEssHe, j
In front Of Chattanooga, Teon.,
@eotrmher 9th isr,3

West Chicamauga, aud is about eight miles
from Ringgold, Ga, aud :.i,euf the same dls
tance from Chattanooga, Tenn, being hear J
dne> west from the former and nearly due
south from the latter. 1t is some four miles
below the Tennessee line, and Is bounded on
the west by the Missionary Ridge, "a con
tinuation OF Waiden's Ridge in Tennessee,
and on the east by the Chiekamauga, ct
.'.iver of b.ood,n as the indian maine iii
plies Kossvil!e, the former home OF John
Ross, the celebrated chief Of the Cherokees
is two miles North from the battle field, ant!
siiuaf ed at the foot OF a pass in Missionary
Ridge. 1t was in this lovely valley of the
Chcamanga, and along these mountain
passes, that the hostile tribes were wont Ia
meet in battle array and settle their disputes,
1t was here that the dnsky maiden was wooeJ
and won by her forest born lover, aud qu.s-
tions of boundary and dominion aud rc
yenge found their bloody solution. This
was in the years that are geney4s, iea the un
futored Indian held undisputed sway II,
| these wild glens and coyes and u lOng these
rocky Businesses. And yet how faithfully
does the civilized white man of this day re-
| peat the history of the savage rel man OF
| that. The same passions animate his heart
| the same policies engage his councils, and
| the same field now drinks up his blood. The
| "Riyer of Blood"--if this was au apl,ropri
| ate name for the crooked gliding, serpent
| shaped river in the days of the Indian recent
! events have given To it a yet stronger claim!
| to that sanguinary title.
The ground upon which the battle was
| fought Is slightly undulating, except where
| il approaches the mountain spurs antkridges
| on the west, and is covered with heavy tim
| ber with occasional patches of cleared land
here and there. The timber is not so thick
| a. that around Chance:lorsyille,' where the
| undergrowth is almost impenetrabe but
| resembles more the woods about Shiloh
| where the troops were lnannuyered with
| comparative ease. The artillery cou!d take
| but an iucOnsiderahle part in the battle IN
| consequence of the timber aud the level
| character Of the ground. Ou the lett next
| to Missionary Ridge the ground is broken
| into hills and valley, but the pilmeyai forest
! still remains, and consequently the most
| skiliuI aitiler5t could accomplish but
| little
1t is said that Gen Bragg's plan OF attack
| was desi igned to be the same as that OF Gen.
Lee on the Chickahomiby, viz moveAlent
down the left bank of the Chicamau9a by
Il column which was TO take the enemy in
flank, and drive him down the river TO the
next ford OF GRO sing below, where second
column was to cross over aud unite With th:
first in pushing the enemy slili further
down the river, until all the bridges aud
fordS had been uncovered and our entire
army passed over This plan was frustrated,
according to report, by aconnftfnioVement
which is explained in the following order oi
the Federal General Thomas. This order
was found upon the person Oi Adtt-Gen.
Mnhleman, OF Gen. Palmer3 afaif Who ani,-
scuuently fell into on. hands
ilEaDo'Rs l4ru AENy CoErs,
.. Near McDaniels House,
sept II, 1856: a. VI.
-Hnjoy- Gsue,ai iafmef:
The rebels are reported in quite heavy
force between you and Alexander Mil II
you advance as soon as possible on them in
front, while attack them in hank, think
VIZ can use them up.
Respectfully, your obi serVt,
GEO H. iHoMAs,
MaiorGen'l Jr Commanding.
This was Saturday morning. The counter
attack upon the front and flank Of our flank
ing column was made with vigor soon after
it had crossed the river, and iu accordance
with the plan suggested by Gen.-Ihomas,
and il not entirely successful, f@Wa3 Gnt1i
ciently SO to di5alrange our plans and delay
our movements.
The inquiry may arise in The mind oi the
reader why Gen. Bragg did not post pOhc the
attack until all his rcinioroemcnts could get
up? 1t is said-but with what truth can
not determi.le--that he acted under the he
lief that only three Federal corps had al
vauced up The valley OF the Cbicamauga,
and that the remainder oil Eos ..crasis S army
was still on lhe north side OF the Tennessee,
near Chattanooga, and that Burnside hat not
YET formed a Junction with The main body.
Ii such was his belief he Was deceived, .-y-
cept as TO Burnside. as Gen. Lee was Al Get
tysburg. When he supposed, on The morning
OF the I'd Of July, that the whole oi Meade ),
forces had not then arrived. Aud yet il must
be admitted that Gen Bragg acted wisely III
giving battle when and where he did. Delay
was iuli OF danger it might bring heavier
reiniorcunents to his antagonist than amy
he could count upon. Moreover, Roseerans
was not on his guard, and did not lOui for
an attack from an enemy who he supposed
would be only too glad 10 ClieC, his escape.
AT one time he was wary aud active, coni-
buins the GINNING oi the fox with the sud
den energy of the panther aprt.i~iug upon
ita prey; but he had becoinc iu.oxicatcd by
success, and had grown proud a44d confident
aud incautious. Gen Bsayg die Well there
fore, to strike his boastfui foe a. soon as he
did. His blow was given wi skin aud
crushing effect. Ii il had only L Zen followed
up with other rapid blows upo. the arrival
OF his remaining reiniorcenfo- IS possibly
still more gratifying results hi. >! have been
accomplished. But this is MOI :eriain, aud
let us not be too fast to fnd taa !.
AS it is, let us sec what were he fruits OF
our victory.% In the first place. se captured
7tVO well prisoners; these W. go far TO
waits equaliziug our losses at Y .ksburg and
Port hudson. In the next, wet Ok iostands
of eolors, 80 guns \of which .ongstreet 5
command brought OF u 25UN small arms,
$50 Wagons, and several th0us.~ al cartridge
boxes, and knapsacks with th. II contents.
This is a good shoWing--one th-t speaks Tor
itself-and will pass for great Victory III any
country But this is not all !; indeed, ii Is
.rf,
single battle Wesucceeded in eyt,-ilina the in,
yader from the soil OF Georgia, the tcem;ng
Egypt Of the Contederacy, at time OF much
solicitude in the public mind, aud under cir
cumstances which seemed propltious to the
successful advance OF tue enemy into the
very heart and stronghold of the country.
Our success can only be measured by what
our grief aud loss would have been il tie
enemy had reached Atlanta and oyerrun the
State
have endeavored heretofore to pay due
homage to the skill and galIantry by which
this great victory vas achieved. Officers aud
men alike did their duty, and 10 each and all
is due, uext to the Giver OF all victory, the
deep gratitude OF an imperiled people. But
the truth OF history, aB well as simple JUS
tice, requires it to be stated here, that no
one officer, or body Of men OF the same mum
Der, could have contributed more 10 the tri-
umph OF the Confederate arms than dia Gen,
Lonestreet and the brave veterans who toi
lowed him from Virginia. They had travel
led from the Rappahannock, in crowded cars,
upon open platforms and upon the tops OF
the cars, in the rain, in the dust and in the
sun, and with but little food or sleep. They
had passed 10y their own homes without stop
ping to embrace the loved ones there-homes
which some Of them had not seen since the
commencement Of the war, and had rushed
IN the scene OF action without rest or trans