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


order, but as that pitiless storm of lead
and iron continued 20 be hurled against
them, the regiments began to spread out
Ike fan, wider and wider, until finally
they were torn to flinders. This was es-
pecially the case with the brigade COM
manded by Col Buell. The undaunted
Wood, with Harker's brigade, compare /
lively intact, passed on to his destina-
ton.
Here was the great turning point in the |
battle. Here, indeed, the battle was lost.
Davis coming up to fill the vacancy
oeeasioned by Woods withdrawal, was
caught upon the left flank by the fiery
rebel torrent now pouring through the
opening, and pushed off toward the right
in utter disorder, Ike door which is
swung back upon its hinges, and
shattered BY the same blow. Van Cleve,
and what remained of Palmer, were
struck npon the other side, and shivered
as a sapling by thunderbolt Even the
personal exertions of Rosecrans him
self, who, with drawn sword, and at the
head of his devoted staff, endeavored to
cheek the rOut, were Intellectual
After that fatal break, our line of bat
tie was not reformed during the day.
The army was, in fact, cut in two; Nc
Cook, with Davis, Sheridan and Wilder,
being thrown off to the right, (Critten-
den. except one brigade of Woods, be
ing broken in pieces,) and Thomas, with
his indomitable corps, and Johnsons di-
vision of McCook's 5, remaining alone
upon the lie t. In the fierce tornado
which had swept over his log breast
-Ars.a1vIy
all his divisions fighting desperately. all
rallying at the earliest practicable mo-
ment, but only General Reynolds retir-
ing from the works toward the hills in
anything like tolerable order.
As soon, however, as the corps had
reached the foot of Mission Ridge, it
formed anew its broken ranks with alac-
rity and rapidity, only less remarkable
than the obstinaey with which it so long
endured the assaults of the enemy upon
the level ground below The great lead
er himself, Gen Thomas, assisted by
Baird, Reynolds, Brannan, Scribner
Harker, Negley, John Beatty, Wood and
Turehin, reOrganized the brigades with
wonderful celebrity, and Immediately be
gan making head against the enemy.
From this time McCook disappeared
from thegeneral history of the battle; as
indeed, extricating himself from his de
moralized and routed corps, he headed
toward Chattanooga, and, at about on
o'clock, disappeared entirely from tn
field His two divisions, Davis ant
Sheridan's, forced off toward the right
far behind their original position, wer
assailed by immense squadrons of tn
enemy, and fearfully battered. Each ha
but handful left as it retired, towar
nightfall, upon the RossYille road, bu
the men must have done gallant fightin
or they would not have come off as we
as they did. In fact, wherever Sherida
is, whether isolated or in company, an
whether the odds against him be one O
many there Is certain to be a fight
1t was about halfpast twelve, wher
hearing a heavy cannonade open upo
the right, 1 galloped over in that direc
ton to see what it might mean. A longitJ
dinal gap in Mission Ridge, admits tn
Rossville road into Chattanooga valley
and skirts along a large corn6eld at th
mouth of the gap. Looking across tn
cornfeld from the gap, you see THO
woods upon the other side The corr
field itself is a sort of "eove" in th
ridge, and here were numbers of all sort
of army vehicles mingled with the debri
of dismantled and discounted batteries
Fragments of Davis flying squadron
had also lodged in this Gald-
:s,F,,E,Isisas -ggs.zing upon This soar
60, ana hung perhaps dozen musk
balls into the field Instantly men an
mails, rehicLes became mass of strD
cling, cursing, shouting, frightened if
Everything and everybody appeared
dash headlOng for the narrow gan. an
men, horses, mules. ambulances. ba
gage wagons, ammunition wagons. art
Iery Carriages and czissOns were role
and tumbled together In a confused. i
extrieable and finally motionless mas
completely blocking up the mouth of Il
gaps, Nearly al this booty subseouen
j fell into the hands of the enen,
Siekened and disguised by the speetacl
turned away to watch the operations
General Thomas corps, upon which aIor
depended the safety of the armv.
Cen Thomas had withdrawn his me
almost entirely from the valley. an
taken up position on the side of Mi
sion ridge. His left still rested upon n
Lafayette road, and his right upon n
ridge near the gap l have already SD,
ken OF. Here were collected the sba
tered remnants of the powerful corr
which had so long breasted the fierce a
saults Of the enemy in the forenoo,
Here was johnson, who seems to hay
l. : Il
Here was the unconquerable Wood. wit
Harkers brigade, and here were ais
such fragments OF Crittenden's corps g
could be induced to venture upon al
other stand. The whole were drawn Il
IN line forming circular curve. facin
the southeast 4 hill near the middle :
the curve was the key of the position
and Harker's brigade was appointed +
defend the same. Soon after the hi
was occupied, house upon its summi
was set on fire by the enemy's shells an
continued to burn for long time wit
great fury
Not long was the new line of haiti
permitted to remain idle. Cannon bel
lowed against 1t; missiles of every kin,
were hurled into it; shells burst abov,
1t; rifle balls went tearing through If: hn
still it remained firm.
1t was certain, however, as trutb If
self, that unless assistance sboDId rooof
40 II SeSHf0 SfeFrrCr UnsEC -FIU'IT
speedily, it must at length succumb. fol
the rebel leaders emboIdened bv the ro 1U-
of McCook and Crittenden, were gatber
ing their hosts to hurl them in q Las
mighty effort against the feeble banf
that confronted them. ~ '''HO
Suddenly a vast cloud of dust was
seen to rise above the trees. awav 70 tbo
left, and few minutes afterward lono
lines of men emerged from the wo n1
crossed the Lafayette road and be0an
advancing toward US over the fe7Js
Their discipline seemed verv nerfact
and it was an imposing pageant when ~
they came on, their banners Ant+oroJ
above their heads and +Lo: 0N