Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1863-10-15
PEE BATTLE or oHIoAMAueA.
eore.pondenes. Of dc oipoinn.ti es.stss.
CHATrAsoooA, Tenn. Sept. 29

~, The roar OF one Of eartb's fierce
battles has just ceased to roll amor
these mountain ranges. As the smol
lifts and the dust subsidies, the prom
nent features and results of the col
Hict begin to appear. To understsn
the failure of the enemy, it is necessi
fy to say q few words in regard to th
relative positions of the two armies.
General Rosecrans by msgni6cer
movement, had forced the enemy
abandon Chattanooga. The enemy
having received heavy re-enforce
ments, endeayored to cut our forces o.
from Chattanooga before the army
separated by its grand flank move
nent; could concentrate there. Th
right of our line had been extende'
nearly to Rome, and although the con
centration began as soon as the de
signs of the enemy became known,
was not completed in time to gail
Chattanooga, the great object of th'
campaign, without fight.
Our army having all crossed Look
out Mountain, was concentrated in Nc
Lemore's Cove, a long narrow valley
between the Lockout range and Pigeor
Mountains, lower range, running
nesFly parallel, and some six miles tt
the east. This latter range, pierced
by several gaps, through which good
roads led to Chattanooga, served Il
conceal the movements Of the enemy
and enable him to mass his troops fol
an attack on our left, which rested
nearest Chattanooga.
On the 18th, the heavy movements
of the enemy on Crittenden's front,
gave no room to doubt the aim of the
rebels, and on the night Of the 18th.
the whole army hurried to the left,
and by A. NJ. the next morning was
confronting the enemy.
The troops had marched the whole
night without rest, yet time could not
be taken for breakfast, by those divi-
sions which were to move to develop
the rebel position. Baird and Bran
nan OF Thomas corps, with Davis and
johnson from McCook's soon struck
the enemy, and before 8 o'clock Bran
nan was holly engaged, and a few
moments later Baird and Johnson
The battle ragged with inconceivsble
fury. The first and second brigades
of Brannan's division bad been en-
-gAgedSoessane twenty minutes, when
the third brigade under Colonel Van
dever, which had been sent to attack
on the left reached and fell upon the
enemy with great impetuosity.
These brigades had engaged por-
tion Of Longstreet's corps-the veter-
ans of VirgiDia-and they fought with
terrible desperation to maintain their
old reDown on these new fields of &C.
ton. Fiercely the tide OF battle rolled
from right to left, and Johnson was
forced to retire, though but slightly,
and Baird's line was broken, and bis
brigade of Regulars rushed back in
confusion across Brannan, after his
line had repulsed two terrible attacks,
in which at least one-fifth of the COM
msnd had fallen. The rebel force that
were pursuing the Regulars joining
thosein Brannan's front advanced in
four lines rapidly, de6antly and con-
fidently. Yet Brannan's men remain
ed immoveable, only changing SO as to
allow the batteries to gain an EMILIA
ding Ere.
The Regulars had lost their battery
{ (Gninther's. the 9th Ohio, in a mag
nifcent charge retOok it, and regsined
position in time to participate in the
final attack The command, drawn
up in line, had but a moment to wait
before the enemy's battalions, four deep,
were firing at close range.
But the well directed and rapid fire
of this one line of heroes checked this
overwhelming mass Of Longstreers
men, and as the batteries opened their
guns, double-shotted with canister,
our line advanced with cheer, and
the day for them was won. But, OIL
how dearly purchased. One in four
of all who stood along those ranks had
fallen in the four hours fight.
Baird and johnson bad reformed
their troops short distance in the
rear of their first position, and to this
line Brannan withdrew, after holding
the field until it was certain the enc
my was concentrating in another direc-
ton. His division was then sent two
miles toward the right, and bivouacked
for the night.
The rebels had received a decided
repulse, and their generals smarted un-
der the reverse, and massing their
available forces rushed with over
wbelning numbers upon Johnson's
and Baird's divisions. For one hour
and a half this battle ragged in the
darkness, while the white smoke of the
conflict spread like shroud above the
deep gloom of the woods. Lit up at
times by the discharge Of hundred
cannon, and the flashes of thousands
upon thousands of rifles, the scene was
grand and terrible in the extreme.
Wave after wave Of fresh troops
were dashed by the rebels on our
lines, and, as il failure only made
them the more determined, with each
repulse the conflict was again renewed.
But our noble soldiers held their
ground, and by the long ranks Of their
dead and wounded companions they
laid themselves to rest at length. till
morning should call them to still more
arduous duties.
An .L;a n nanaral and vat in 4