Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-10-08

|
star recently placed upon bis shoulder; ant
now the troops of tia Reserve Corps, com
psFatiTsIy unused to battle, had en- oDportu
nifty of testing their Inettle- Soblv did they
pass through the ordeal, and. although once
thrown into confusion By the concentrated
fire from a score Of rebel regiments and hal
as many batteries, they rallied UIlfeT tie firs
and drove the enemy from hill almost a:
| formidable as than which formed the KEY tc
| Gen. Thomas position. The rebels made one
| desperate endeaToT to retake this position
! but we're bloodilv repUlsed, and almost for
| the first time since the fight began there va:
a lull in the fearful form.
| Al hour passed By, AID 1t became evident
| that Bragg would not be foiied IN his attempt
! to annihilate our gallant army without another
| effort. Folks corps, assisted by the Georgia
! State troops, by Dabney Maury's division, and
| by various detached fragments OF the rebel
army, were to try their hands upon the heroic
! band who, as the forlorn hope of the army,
| still held the hill Our feeble ranks were
| gathered up. The thinned battallions were
! brought closer together. The dozen pieces
of artillery were planted to sweep all ap-
! proaches to the hill; aud each man looking
at his neighbor, vowed, some mentally and
others audbly, to die right there if it were
| necessary for their country, for freedom and
| for mankind
! All along the woods skirting the cleared
| fields al the southeastern foot Of the hill in
the hallows and rayines to the right, and away
to the left, upon and beyond the Lafayette
| road, the rebel legions were seen gathering
| for the onset.
just before the storm broke, the brave and
high-souled Garfield was perceived making
m ba Of
He had come to be present at the final con-
| test, and in order to do so had rode all the
way from Chattanooga, passing through Il
fiery ordeal upon the road. His horse was
shot under him, and his orderly was killed by
his side. Still he had come through, he scarce
knew how, and here he was to inspire fresh
courage inlO the hearts Of the brave soldiers
who were holding the enemy at bay, to bring
them words Of greeting from General Rose
Grams, and to inform them that the latter was
recognizing the scattered troops, and, as fast
as possible, would hurry them forward to
their relief.
| At last a she'll came hustling through the
air, and burst with loud explosion over the
hill. This was the signal for rebel attack,
and at once the bullets flew thick and fast
amongst Us.
Just upon the side of the hill to the left.
! and In the rear Of the still smoking ruins of
the house, was gathered group whose names
| are destined to become observation-disclosures,
Whitaker, Granger, Garfield, Steadman,
Wood Calmly they watched the progress of
the tempest, speculated upon its duration and
| strength and devised methods to break its
| fury.
The fight around the hill now ragged with
terror inexperienced before, even upon this
III "a, Il
two lines, and as they marched up to the
crest and fired deadly volley at the adyan-
| cling foe, it fell back little ways, the men
| lay down upon the ground to load their guns,
and the second line advanced to take their
| place! They, too, in their turn, retired, and
| thus the lines kept marching back and forth,
and delivering their whitening voleys till the
| very brain grew dizzy as it watched them
And all the time not man wayered. Every
motion was execute4AEith as much precision
as though the troops were on holiday pa
rade, notwithstanding the flower Of the rebel
army were swarming round the foot of the
hill, and score of cannon were laundering
| from three sides upon it. Every attempt of
the enemy to scale it was rcpulsed, and the
gallant Harker looked with pride upon his
i lines, standing or lying just where they were
when the fight began.
But our troops are no longer satisfied with
the defensive. Gen. Turchin, at the head of
his brigade, charged into the rebel lines and
cut his way out again, bringing with him three
hundred prisoners Other portions of this
brave band followed Turchin's example. until
the legions of the enemy were fairly driven
back to the ground they occupied previous to
to commencing the last fight. Thus did
twelve or fifteen thousand men, animated by
heroic impulses and inspired by worthy lead
ers, save from destruction the Army of the
Cumberland Let the nation honor them as
they deserve
At night Gen. Thomas fell back to Ross
vile, four miles from Chattanooga, around
and in which city the army lies tonight.
Our losses have been most severe, and can
scarcely fall short of / ZOO killed and 5000
wounded. Col. Barnett tells me that our
loss in artillery will not fall short of fifty
pieces. Our deficiency in transportation and
baggage cannot now be estimated.
But the enemy has suffered as severely as
we in thai which he can least afford-human
life and limb. He intended by massing all
his available forces together, to annihilate the
Army of the Cumberland. He has failed to
do so, and although it would be childish to
deny or conceal our own fearful losses, yet we
may console ourselves by the assurance that
in his circumstances his failure to destroy US
Is for Us signal victory, and for him an ire
parable defeat.
FROM THE 22D WISCONSIN, letter from
the 22d Wisconsin, dated Murfreesboro, Sept
22d, says the regiment has moved within
the Notifications and occupy our old camp
ground, destitute of shade but contiguous to
water of good quality; the duty is severe to
picket alternately with the 10th Michigan
during some very cold nights. The health of
the regiment is good and, in this connection
it might be said that food is abundant and
wholesome, and the medical department rep
resented by a solitary Surgeon, Surgeons
Bcknell, Blanchard and Burbank, at different
times, have left us, each in the order of rank
and the duties of that branch dcvolving on
factory manner.
"Troops Of every arm are constantly pas
sing through this city, by rail and pike. We
know not whence they come, but we know
well whittier they are bound, and send our
blessings and our prayers with and for them.
"There is much going on connected with
the army, which gives US an inkling of affairs
in front. The heavy shipments of ammuni-
ton, and thousands of wheelbarrows, and the
order for surgeons to 60 forward, and the re-
turn trains of wounded soldiers and prison
ers, tell US of the activity OF our army, and
the perils to which it is exposed Among
the rumors prevalent, is the report of Gen.
Changers Reserve Corps being handled
roughly, and Rosecrans retreat to Chattanoo-
ga, and the rapid and heavy reinforcement of
the Army of the Tennessee. Afars look
chnerH hui still the utmost sOlicitude exists