Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-10-01
INTELLIGENCER.
TnE BATTLE OF oHIcKAMAUGA.
DESPERATE ENGAGEMENTS ON SATURDAY AND
SUNDAY,
GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF TILE CONTEST,
s,e.,al Core,po#deaes Of he Cinsinasii Gazette.

so..taI Co,ye,poHdeacs Of tie Cinsinasii Gazette.
HBADauARTkRs ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND,
Monday September FL, 1868
tb.r battle aud would that could say another yic
try but alas truth compels to declare that after
series of tremendous struggles unsurpassed by thing
similar IN the present war the Army of the Cumberland
has been overwhelmed by numbers, has suffered immense
losses In men and MATERIAL and has fallen back to new
positi 1t may console to know however, that IT bias
saved its honor kept Its naughty foe at bay and has in
aiced upon the enemy severe blows as it received
But let me not anticipate propose to tell plain,
unyarnshed tale into ich my own personal observation
and experience shall largely enter but which shall at the
same TIME be faithful record of the general features Of
the great contest have just witnessed.
POSITIONS OF THE TWO ARMIES
Th rhl aruy after evacuanY Chattanooga retired TO
styette twrny.eipht miles to the southwark, concen-
trad his troops that point restored their and
hopes by the promise OF ara awatd the
rvs nf the same Near while he took possession OF the
IN Pigeon Mountain (Which Gen Rosecrans must cross
in order TO reach Georgia State road and The great ra
road which formed Braggs line OF communication Win
A,sntaG and carefully fortified them This obstruction
DELAYED or some days the advance OF our orcs which had
already crossed The Raccoon and Look ut mountains and
gave the enemy time net only To- recover tne rPs' out
to receive a portion of their reibforc' ments
Hitherto our army had been marched In thee great
coumps-Crittenden, followed by Granger, by way Of
Chattanooga; Thomas, by way OF trenton and MoCook
With Stsnley's cavalry still further TO the ssuthward.
The daily numbers and holiness OF the enemy
eompeed concentration OF our forces as rSPdy % the
nature of the would admit ana oy evening o. tne
10Th instant the whole army was IN line along the West
Cb;ckansu between the Lookout and Pigeon Noun
tans and lust to the east of that low chain OF wooded
a. Tbursdsv the 18th the army shifted toward the
north contracted its lines and as the enemys demon.
sratons became each hour threatening prepared
for battle -
a. Er;5ay morning the 18th, the extreme left OF the
srmy rested upon The Chickamauga, at Gordons Mills,
thu pot where the Lafayette road crosses the Chicka
Ths ybt could oply be loosely defined and was in coz
slant state Of preparation shift noIthward 10 order to
battle the rebels who seemed bent upon turning our lett
and getting between US and Chattanooga
About II clock A. NJ, hearing some cannonadIng to
tho northward started from near the centre OF our
lines and riding past Pamers and Van Cleves DIVISION
cana mon Cen Woods troops at GoTdons Mill Here
Nd this commander been stationed for week
liable at any moment be attacked from Lafayette by
the whole army Of the enemy and cut 70 pieces oeore
assistance could reach HIM But was matter OF the
lat inheritance that while Crttendens main body was
moving to form junction with Thoms the rebels should
not be allowed to get in the ar OF tne former ana take
nossession of Chattanooga. Consequently, Wood was
"a hold this important point at all hazards and as
long as possible and if ovepowered TO fan BACK 10 hoss
Vile renew The fight there and then ne could not sus
tam himself 10 retreat to foot Of Lookout Mountain
ard at The narrow passage between it and the rVer to
fight while man remained , -
To execute his difficult aud perilous task yen. Mood
had but two bripades, Harker's and BuePs Gen WaR-
ners conn iand Of division having been LETT in Chata-
noog. But hesitation on bis part TO I'M
dersks the business. there was no tlnchng manifested
among mis- mel in standing by him Scarcely an hour Of
that long weary passed without an alarm and not
day without ,krpish On Thursday night the concen,
tstion Of forces in the voiny OF the mi promised
the.a faithful guardians ehf; ADD Friday morning at
the hour mentioned, Gen Wood found that ms TWO
brgades It'll in position, constituted thA extreme LETT OIL
vision Of the army ia line, only Wider mounted
and Miptys cavalry being any further down the Chicka'
mauga. - -, a, L,t a.
Wood occupied can scarcely De lmagneo. me cIeeA a.
o8oo's mill bends round ia the form OF semi CIRCLE the
eonyeIty being toward the south, whence the enemy
would have advanced toward Gen. Wood. An emnencr,
forming what would De diameter OF the circle COM
psted runs from east TO west uniting the OF
the bend Upon this Gen Wood bad placed his artillery
The creek itself of considerable depth aud with bank
several feet high upon side OF IT. constituted splen
did ditch and al along it's banks lay Woods behind
rude but efficient brea.twork Of logs and rails. AN
particular describing this position because the enemy
made for the purpose OF avoiding were the
immediate cause Of bringing on battle OF Saturday
Here was Gen. Wood when found him on Friday, ex-
pecting momentary that the storm which was now -
evidently preparing would burst upon him. IL seemed 70
me that the very spirit Of vigilance embodied IN the
General as be passed useless from one cod to the other
of bis nes, directing Strengthening suggesngi ooserV
Inq what was gong amongst his own men, and recon
the operations of the rebels who frequently made
their appearance the other side Of the .tream Ib'
skirm hers firing amts continually and occasionally
the deep OF cannon would be preceded OF lnioWet
by the whz and bursting of shell, according az the mis-
sile was hurled toward or from our Ines
MAs9UyERINs AND MORE skIRMsHIss.
This state of things continued until o'clock when Va
Cleve moved from place 10 line aud took position upoI
wood's lett while Palmer marching by the lett hank came
into communication with Weeds right This made lm
mense opening between Gen Crittendens corps aud the
left wing of Gen Thomas which was eventually hed o.
another general shifting from s,u;h TO north.
Meantime the sound of brisk cannonade In the dIrec
ton of Rnggod indicated either that our mounted troop
or Gen Grauger's corps engaged with the enemy
From half past TO three cOurers came dashng past
now from MDty and from Wilder BEARING despatche,
70 Wood or Crtenden Ros.craGs, the general te io
Of which was that they fighting the enemy brlsky
and although meeting with some losses were hrmy holding
their ground Ia fact there to-day three separate
hars each Of which is OF sufficient importance TO en-
gage for moment the attention Of the historian.
BY marching the east side Of the Tennessee from
Bridgeport immediately to the and left Of Gen Crit
eden Gen Gordon Granger with the reserve corps hac
reached position few miles south of Chattanooga. Or
Friday morning he sent Gen Stesdman with two of biz
brga4es, Col. Dan. McCooks and Col John G. Nchells
to beat up the ensmys quarters the vicinity Of Reid
bridge the Chckamauga aud discover hs intentions
in that direction. The movement successful. Col
McCook claims To encountered Longstreets
and the fact that he brought twenty-five prisoners
nom McNary's brigade OF Hoods division, pretty solid
evidence that his claim ia well founded Advancing
Rinpgod the two brigades, after some skrmishng
about TO engage much larger force OF rebels when per
emptory order arrived for them to fall back
their old position The whole affair well managed
and reflects credit upCn Gen. Steadman as well as the Off
and men engaged. The truth Is, Gen Steadman !
himself an officer Of ability and may well De prout
Of such brigade commanders az Mitchell and McCook.
On Thursday Mnty and Wilder we're at Reds bridge