Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-10-07
THE BATTLE OF CHICkAMAUGA
Account of Sundays Contest

| Prom Correspondence Of the Cincinnati Gazette
| During the night of Saturday some chang,
was made in the disposition of our forces. am
| the line was 50 far withdrawn that it restet
along a cross road running northeast ant
| southwest, and connecting the Rossville Will
| the Lafayette road. By this arrangement Oul
extreme right was made to rest on Mission
! Ridge as it should probably have done in tho
/ first place. The new line that formed was
/ mile shorter than that of the dav before
cen Rosecrans' headquarters were removed
| from the house belCngingt to the widow Glenn
near the right Of the line, to point some
what nearer the Lafayette road, and in view
Of the center, and every precaution was made
that genius, science and patriotism could
make, to beat back the avalanches Of the
enemy, should they venture upon an attack
the next day.
The changes in the order of the different
divisions made the new line stand thus One
brigade Of NegIey's division was near the
extreme right, then came Johnson, then Baird,
then Palmer, then Reynolds then Brannan,
then Negley's other brigades, then Van Cleye,
then Wood, and then Sheridan. Wilder and
Minty, with their mounted force, held the
extreme right. I have given only the general
order Of our line, Brannan and Van Cleye
were really held somewhat in reserve. The
other divisions had reserves detailed from
their own regiments or brigades.
II any one wishes TO get general but at
the same time a clear idea of the nature of
the battlefield of Sunday, let him imagine
two roads, the PossyiIle and LAFAYETTE grad
uaily approaching each other as they run
northwaTd, the average distance between
them over the space where the battle was
fought being about two miles. As we look
@
called Mission Ridge, is upon our right and
away to the left flows the Chickamauga. Be
tween the ridge and the creek, and especially
betwec the two roads, the country is mostly
level, and is covered with dense forests OF
oak and pine, interspcrsed here and there
with small coruhelds. This is the general
idea OF a battlefield destined TO be immortal
IN the records of the historian
That was indeed a night of awful suspense
winch settled around US after the last gun had
been fired on Saturday. 1t was very chilly
and cold and much suffering amongst the
wounded was Occasioued thereby. Those who
were still alive and well, although th,y too
We're exposed to the numbiug cold. thought
but little Of their physical condition. True,
no warm fires kept the influence Of the frost
from their limbs, for fires were strictly for
blddcn. No blazing light helped to cheer
their minds and dispel gloomy images there
from.
The morrow came. No sound of cracking
musketrE on roaring cannon, or bursting shell
disturbed the peacefulneSs Of that Sabbath
morning. The Sabbath YES, it was the
blessed day of rest-rest given iii mercy bv
kind heaven To ungratefuI man. VIII the
battle Re renewed to-day If so, it will be
by the action Of the enemy, for Gen. Rose
Grams does not willingly fight on the Sabbath.
Inc frsI hour after sunrise passed. Sure
iy, said our officers and soldiers, "there will
BE no fight; for if the enemy had intended
to attack us he would, following his usual
tactics, have fallen upon US at daybreak"
Two hours more had gone by, and some
dropping musketrv began TO be heard along
the various parts Of our line. Finally. at
about ten o'clock. there were several fierce
volleys, and the loud booming Of half a dozen
pieces Of artillery announced that the enemy
had agaiu, as on the day before, assaulted
our left.
And now that the battle has begun. let us
glance one moment az the couteuding forces.
On one side is our cid army which fought at
Stone River, reinforced by two divisions
(BE5uuan's and Revnolds0 of Thomas corps,
and Starkweathcr'- brigade of Bairds diyis-
ION. But cOunterbalanciug these to some ex-
tent, Posts brigade of Davis division and
WaEncr,s of Woods were both absent We
might on might not also rely for assistance
upon Steadman,s division 81 Gen Grauger'~
corps
Opposed to these was the old Army of the
Tennessee, which Bragg had So long com
mauIcd: LouEStrect'- formidable corps from
Virginia ono half Of J0hnston's army from
BuchueI's division from East
Tennessee EaJury Maury's division from
Mobile; Bri-adicr-GuueraI Lees command
from Atlanta, and from twelve to fifteen