Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1863-09-28

AUNaHl6Ee haQ been won.
and large portion OF the army wx. badly
shattered. That the enemy, with his numsri-
cal superiority, would he abe - ofSsr again
battle on the following day could we'll be sup
posed. Gen. Rosecrans anticipated renewal
of the struggle, and prepared for il.
During the night the disposition OF onr forces
WIS changed. The line was made to rest along
n cIoss.road running northeast and south we.t,
and connecting the Rossyilie and Lafayette
luats BY this disposition our extreme rish:
was msdr to rest on Missionary ridge The
ncT line was mile shorter than tha, Of tia
b. tore.
On Sunday morning the enemy renewed the
attack a little before 10 o'clock and repeated
the tactics of the previous day by throwing
IN. mselyes drst upon our extreme left formed
by General Beatty's brigade of .ley,s dfy Wis.
ion 1t stood the o. set some time, but aaally
Desiring to mite the two portions Of Gen.
kegfey's command, Gen. Rosecraus ordered
General Woods division 70 taxa the position o
the two hrigades stationed further to the right
The reee.s pereeiving the withdrawal OF Neg.
ley, and believing 1t to be retreat in good ear
nest, quickly also moved upon the center and
the action speedily became general. Finding
themselves Unable to make an impression on
Wood, the enemy, after the lapse of an hour or
SO, seemed to concentrate their main strength
upon the centre, now again commanded by
Thomas.
During the night our troops had constructed
along the line barriers of logs and fence. rails,
and thus comparatively sheltered, they .pt %
nucus, murderous Tnusketry nr upon the
enemy. Our artillery was planted pom higher
ground IN tie rear, and fired over the infantry
Destructive as our fire from small arms and
cannon was, il did Tot stay the advance Of the
rebels. At times they staggered, but only 10
rally and push again forward toward our
lines. With frantic yeils, Lonsstreers and
Hilis corps both came rolling steadily on, in
columns by battalions. Our centre, weakened
TO the extent of almost one-third, was not
strong enough for success in this unequal
contest Closer and closer approaching the
shouting hostile masses, and at last forced
Brannan's division to yield its position
Meantime, as Gen. Reynolds was severely
pressed, Gen. Wood was ordered to march in
stantly by the left flank, pass Brannan, aud 20
TO his relief. Davis and Sheridan were to shit
over to the left, and thus close mp the line. As
the occasion was urgent, Gea. Wood drew in
his skirmishers with considerable haste aud
the rebels, for the second time, mis,aking a
Withdrawal for fight, pressed forw ard nfe 4
torrent, ana poured Husketry, canister aad
grape in the flank of the division, moving upon
double-quick. The men endsayored for a
time to keep their flies in order, but as the
piuiess storm OF lead and iron continued 10 b.
hurled against them, the regiments began to
spread out like fan, wider and wider until
nnaily fhey We're torn 10 flinders This was
especially the case with the brigade COM
manded ny Col. Buell.. Parker's brigade alone
PASSED On 10 It's destination comparatively in
tact.
i he battle row extended upon its most crit.
icai phase. The breaks temporarily caused by
the shifting OF divisions from one point of tn,
line 10 another We're so promptly perceived
and turned TO advantage by the enemy thaf
,hey proved fatal, and cost the loss of the day.
DaSlss DIVISION, coming mp to take Woods
position on the extreme lett was taken with
great suddenness and fury hy the left flank.
ana pushed 10 the right in utter disorder Sim.
ultaneously the weak remnants OF Van cleve,s
and Palmers divisions, ea posed by ths win
drdWai of Davis, We're attacked with equal
vehemence on the right, and forced back In
gre at confusion.
The rouI on the left and the rignt was now
complete, and even the exertions of General
Rosecrans and his staff, who, with drawn
swords, attempted to restore order, were of no
avail. Streams Of demoralized, uncomfortable
men. neeinE toward the rear, were all that re-
No ed OF larga portion of the army.
A1ttr that fatal break our line OF battle was
not agaln reformed during the DAY. The army
was, in fact, cut in two, MeCook with Davis
Sheridan and Wilder, being thrown off 10 the
right, Crlttenden, except one brigade of Woods,
indomi1able corps, and Johnsons division of
McCook E, remaining alone upon the left
7 Ihomas's divisons-Eegley's, Brannan's and
Bairds.had been iearfully shaken and much
scattered by the fight over the log works, and
Reynolds's was the only one that retired in
tolerable order
Retreat was now the only resort left and the
whole disorganized mass Of our troops fell back
over the road to Rossviife Crowds OF strag-
glers, in mobilize disorder, made good speed
toward Chattanooga, with the exception or
Sheridan, Davis and Wilder, who, cut OF from
the center, still struggled as best they could
On the right. the divisions OF Baird, Reynolds,
Negiey and Brannan, and Rarkers brigade OF
W oods division, alone retained cohesiveness,
where the Ross VILE road debeuches
from them, for another fight. The line was
formed SO that the leftrested upon the Lafayette
road, and the right Of the gap represented an
arc OF circle, and q southeast hill about its
center formed the key to the position.
Between two and three O'clock the enemy
appeared on the Lafayette road, and, moving
by the left fisnk, soon formed for another at
tack. At first they directed q heavy Ore OF mus
kerry and artillery upon our position, as though
menacing to dispirit its defenders before coming
to an assault; but the 10000 or 1900 men that
them felt that the fate Of the Army
OF the Cumberland, and, In O great measure,
that OF the Union, depended upon the repulse
OF tho enemy, and when the rebel lines finally
but to recoil with severe loss Our troops Wers
formed in two lines upon the crest, and, firing
one after the other, they kept up an unbrohen
futilade with telling effect. The enemy, con-
but thrown into such disorder thas Turchin's
brigade and other portions Of the line folio wed,
and took several hundred prisons. Toward
sunset the enemy were driven back to the po-
road, and abandoned the contest.
When Thomas's division was most sorely
pressed during the afternoon and ID looked az
one time as though they would again have TO
dened and encouraged by the ad vent, on the
right, of Mitchell's and Whitsker's brigades of
lne reserve corps, under the command of Gau
Gordon Granger himself. With this accession
Of strength, our ability to maintain our posi-
ton was no longer doubted. Soon after Gen.
Granger had reported to Gen. Thomas, his two
origades We're sent out on the road, under com
mand Of Gen. Steadman, to retake an ammuni-
ton train that had fallen into the hands of the
enemy. They came upon a large rebel force
and after severe conflict drove them away
. While Gen. Thomas was making his gallant
hight, Sheridan and Davis had managed, after
being much cut up, to work to the Rossvine
road with the remnants of their divisions, and
falling hack in the direction Of Chattanooga.
At night Gen. Thomas fell back to Rossville,
four miles from Chattanooga, after bringing
all the wounded, transportation and other ma.
terial within each.
While the Struggle Of Saturday ended in a
drawn battle. that OF Sunday resulted in dis
astrous defeat. The failure of the first day
was partly due to the great numerical strength
Of the enemy, and partly to the deficient for
nation of our line of battle. That Of the sec
ond is justly ascribed TO improper tactics on
the battle -ft Id, and above all to the absence
Of command. The inspiring example set and
Influence exercised by the Commander in
Chief at Store river were wanting, he having
been compelled to leave the field and return u
chattanooga before the action was over.
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