The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1863-10-26

, The following extract from private LET
: ter appears in the Chicago Tribune OF Tue
day: -a-91
-- ri g In CAMP, Sept. %, 1863.
b A week has now elapsed since the terrifi
battle of last Saturday and Sunday, AM
the newspapers begin to arrive here hlle'
with such nonsensi cal accounts OF the affair
that fear you at the North have a. YER.
poor idea of the magnitude of the contest
or the way in which our defeat war brough
about. That it was a sore defeat, think
no one questions, and but for the indoml
table valor of our Western soldiers, mis-
managed as they were, it would have been
a crushing and irreparablo disaster.
| think we ough ght to have had, and did
have, $4,000 men, and 2O2 pieces artillery
in action on Sunday, but put the figures at
the lowest notch, and you may bet on their
correctness. Joe Johnston may possibly
have had $4,000 men under his command,
but do not think it, for if he had we would
have been driven into the Tennessee river,
so poorly acere our forces handled. You can
not fail to r.otice the immense amount Of
our artillery. Of this we lost between
thirty and fifty pieces heard General
Mitchell say he thought our loss would not
exceed thirty pieces, while some put it at
fifty pieces. The medical men say our loss
in killed and wounded is between ii 900 and
10000; while our loss in prisoners is be-
tween 5000 and 1000. AL our severely
wounded were left in the enemys hands,
as well as the bodies OF the slain on the
field, for we were forced back distance of
nine miles. And all this horrd slaughter
took place, or nearly all, between II o'clock
and O'Clock on Sunday-two short hours.
believe that the rebel loss in killed and
wounded is as great, and perhaps greater
than our own, and We have some l,500
prisoners.
When Rosecrans commenced his move
ment on Chattanooga, Bragg lay there with
about $4,000 men, which was amply suffici-
ent to hold the place against any force that
might attack in front, or from the north
side of the Tennessee Now old Rosecran's
plan was to send Crittenden's corps down
to attack Chattanooga in front, THAT is
from the north side of the Tennessee river
while he with Thomas and McCoo should
rear of the town, cutting off Bragg from
all reiniorcements and making him either
come out ia the open field and risk all on
the fate of single battle, when We had
the choice of the ground and vastly supe-
rior army, or else lie in his entertainments
at Chattanooga and starve TO death as
Pemberton did at Vicksburg.
Well, Just as Resecrans had succeeded in
making the movement, Joe Johnston arriv
ID with few thousand men from Mobile,
and took command, ordered tie evacuation
If the town, and commenced making big
hew Of falling back on Rome or Atlanta.
Rosecrans was completely fooled by this
movement, and rushed with Thomas corps
nto Chattanooga (where he spent couple
If precious days in counting his beads, and
aying his pater nosters with catholic
while he sent McCook's corps
Ind the greater part Of the cavalry still fur
,her south to flank Rome, in case Johnston
should attempt to stop there. Instead OF
this, as Is now evident he should have
his forces and have beaten
Ieueral Johnston before ever he
received reinforcements from Virginia.
Thus you see "old Rosy" spent a week
catching flies, when he ought to have been
whaling Johnston. That willy rebel no
sooner discovered the movement of McCook,
than he set about to "gobble" him, and
threw large portion of his forces under
Polk between Thomas and McCook, thus
orcing him to retreat. Then occurred one
Of the most terrific stampedes on record:
Dur brigade was with McCook, and brought
up the rear, so l happen to know all about
it. We retreated for forty light hours, and
scarcely stopping to eot-steeping was out OF
the question.
Here follows al elaborate account Of the
battle which we omit, our purpose being
only with results.
The rebels fought tlw battle with the OBJ
ject First-If possible to hur the army
Of the Cumberland into the Tennessee, re-
take Chattanooga, and reopen communica-
ton between Richmond and Alabama and
Georgia by this route.
Sscond-To sive Rosecrans such terri |
BILE thrashing that he would not be able TO
move or give battle again for two or three
months, 10 capture guns and prisoners, and
obtain a victory that would revive their
spirits at home, and put their waning cause
abroad on its legs again. Meanwhile they
can transport all their army back to Vir
ginia. flush with q Western victory, TO ad !
minister another dose OF salts to the Army
of the Potomac, and attempt to take
Washington.
In this object think no one will dispute
the rebels were ominently successful. It
will be at Last three months before this
army can again take the offensive