The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-01-08
NO. 221.

If the same efforts had been made ear
ly in August to reinforce ROsecrans, that
were made in September, the rebels
would have been driven headlong beyond
Il 10 COOsa River, and the objective point
Of the campaign would hare been Atlanta
instead Of Chattanooga.
Thst We were largely outnumSeFsd At
ChicksmKugS, General Rlsecrans gives
bis emphatic testimony; sad there is DO
doubt about the fact. Bot such was the
sieadineBs Of our troops, there il reason
10 bslieTs il it had no! been for the error
in handling them in the heat Of battle,
by which assP was opensd and our right
center completely broken, the rebel army
would have been oVsrthroEn. The error
consisted in the movement Of Woods d.
Tision. C0neeFaing this, the turning
point OF tie battle, We have the con
fiie;ing testimony OF Generals Bose
Grams and WOod. We confess We DO
nat see how General Wood could hava
closed up on Rsynolds' without nov
iny f. The rear OF Bra1nSn, who was
between them. II Wood was to make
this movement, surely Davis, who wEs
on his right should have been ordered
to cl So up on Bra1nan Rs fast as We0d
m0Tsd out Of the line; and thea Sheri
dan, who was on ths extreme right should
have been hurried 70 clOso up OF Davis.
This would have bsen . general move
msnt Of the right wing toward the left.
At ths time Wood's movement commenced
the contsnding armies were closing upon
each other from our left 10 Tight-that is
from east TO West-liko the blades Of q
pair Of shears, snd the weight Of the
rsbsl attack struck the point in our line
which Wood hsd formed just IS he Was
Withdrawing. So tie i6o right divisions
Of cur line, those OF Davis aud Shsri
dan were separated from the main body
OF our army ard Generals BsEecrsns,
Crit;snden aud MoCook being on the right
Of the break, retired upon OhattanOCga,
General Garfield, ths Chief Of STAFF, max
ing his wsy % General Thomas, who was
lslt 80 bear the brunt Of ths contest It
vas in the effort from tie right 70 stGm
lhs rebel torrsnt through ths Gap, by
striking il in flank, that The gallant Lyts
fell st the head Of his brigade.
General Thomas right, which Was now
Trmn,n's division, was exposed 70 = to-
rible hsnk attach, and its situation WAS
most critical, aud rapidly becoming des-
perats, when General Gordon Granger,
wish Steedman's division Of tho reserve
corps, most Oppogtunely came int0 ac-
tioD, snd Gen. SteedmaB, grasPing = reg
mental color, led the charge that check
ed the enemy and saved Thomas from
being involved in the rout.
There does not seem to be anything
to complain OF in the conduct Of ths
CORDS commanders on the Geld. Critten-
den aud Granger are specially commend
cd Tor excsllenhy Well-timed movements,
nads On their own judgment, and tie
whole country recognizes ths great glery
Won by ThomIs.
There has been no more remarkable
battle shan that Of ChickamAugA fought
during the war, aud none thAt has been
more closely studied or less thoroughly
c9mprshended by the public at large.
The official reports prove the error Of he
prevailing opinion in Europe, cultivated
by tho leading English journals, that our
army suffered . rout almost ~ thorOuc=
Is that Of Ball Run. Oaly one division
that Of Davis-and one brigade Of
Woods division can be said to have bes1
routed, and that was no fault OF the SOL
diers, and they gave no indications Of
psnie. The main body Of our army
firmly held its ground until the close Of
the second day, retired 70 a stronger p1-
sition in good order, and were ready for
the enemy on the third day, rePulsing his
rscoaEoissance. It isAsi " noti,n that
the rebel. have circuls'sd - their own
expense, that Bragg had nothing TO do
after the goth but 70 push on TO comrleto
bis victory. tie would have run against
tas same living wall that proved in
prsguabls on the afternoon Of the 2Oih.
AS he did not advance, in the language Of
General Rosecrsns We Withdrew from
R)ssVills,s took position Of the ob
jective point Of our cAmpaign-Chs'ta-
nOOgA-and prepared to hold it."