, 1864-01-06
OFFICIAL HISTORY,
Gen. Rosecrans' Report
OF TIE
CHICKAMAUGA CAMPAIGN.

0Gu. TtOS0CId11S tLGpO1'
| oF r1r
-.-
EHTCKAMAUfA CAMPAIGN
|
The official report of Gen. Rosecr,ns' chict
amorr, 1,rn1,o;[-., h., aa. ~ 49,. D1Sn nv.
a-a1;.s. ln aae ~ soiue " nsns. III
tAsy Pulls u tne report cover 1ne oc
cupation Of Middle Tennessee and the pass
age over the Cumberland Mountains. Th'
defai3 md ,von,a N ~ Ill., ,Et'1! go 80 4enl
ns.~,,:.a 1 ~ "onu oe " 1i1'ie interest," 10 th'
un".l'afy teaoer. Inc movement over tut
Cumberland Mountains commenced on tht
18th Of August, and was completed on. tht
evening of the a3th. The n,ovement across
the river wos comraan.as .Sssa4 nc ~. ae.oss
.ne t,'es WIS commenced august 18th, and
completed on the 9TH Of September. The
reconnaissance Of Gen. Crittenden m tba ft}
deye1oned the fart tbo+ ,b, a,o,,r ~, .-..'.
oted Ch.ttonoaas 49, . s..s ~ enem5 nao esasu'
- aes ~. oosa ssa. lus aas aao nlgnt previous,
| anu MS advance took peaceable possession
that day. His whole corps, with Its trains
| passed around the noint of T,oot,ont Non~,'
tain IN the NH md oornnoa ~ ns...sm.
| 80 ."e AUen' auo eanPeo "t hossV1lle
I'VE n,i4es soula o1 chattanooga. The report
then details the movement Of the other d.
visions Of the army, which brings it M to
the no,nt Of intercst to ~ ,-,,,,s ~ ~ ~
rsrna;n5ar af 49, ss. ~ W. puone' Ane re-
'es. ~ .ue icpore "e give verbatim:
mus, On me evening OF the 18th, the etroops
| were s9na1antially' within supporting DIS
tance. ofoefs were given Ut onceto move the
mioi. i ~ tmG ;.R 9fuer o. pattle' down the
Tnsehalti"usu3 a.4n VIII V1eW 10 covering the
1aIayette road toward Chatt'noosa and facing
LEE fEe mosI p pracli;e;aole route to the enemys
1font. Inc position Of our troops and the
nal1o"nGes OF nc roads retarded our move
menus. During the day, while they were in
InusatIss, og ou5 ea'alsy, nnder Colonel Minty,
Mas attacheo On Inc !e1t OF the road. It be-
came apparent that the enemy was massing
heaviiy On our left, crossing Reeds and Ar
e3andef's bridges In force. while he >had
threatened dordon's Mills: Orders were,
1aeieioie, nna Ha, giSen TO Ten. Thomas to relieve
sn inT a1ns @eaaens as,. corps posting one divis-
with the remainder Of is corps by the wild
Q" Glenn's house to Rossville and the La
layette road, lis left extending obliquely
across it near hel1y's house. Gen. Critten-
den vas ordered to proceed with Vun Cleye
and Falmer's divisions to draw the enemy
from the Rossyille road and form on tic lcfft
OF zen. Wood, then ut Gordon's Mills.
General McC00k's corps was to close up to
General Thomas, keep the position at Cnaw-
hsh Springs and protect General Crittendcn's
right, while holding his corps mainly in re-
serve. The main cavalry force was ordered
to close in on Gen. 3lcCook's right, watch
the crossing of the Chfckamanoa- nTa oct M.
der his orders. The movement fnr fbe cnn,
ccntration Of the corps more compactiv tn.
ward Crawfish Springs, was begun on the
it very Secretly, and wus executci 20 s1n,v1v
that McCookfs CORPS only reached Ponn1
Spring ut dark, and biyouacked. rcst;nr m
their arms during the ni,.ht Crittan7len's
corps reached its position on the Rossyi]1e
Road near midnight. '" '''~
the 18th, that the enemy was moyino to onr
left. Minty's cavalry and WIlder's 7,nunted
brigade encountered the euemv'g cayalrr Mt
Reeds and Ale1anders brIdees fowari even.
ing, and were driven into tie Rossyille Road.
at the same time, the enemy hal been dem
mauga. Heavy clouds Of dust had been o1,-
served three or four mIies beyonfi the Gh;ct-
amausa, sweeping to the norfh-Tesf
In view of all these facts, The necessity he.
came apparent that Gen Thomas must use all !
posslple olspatc4 IN moving Ills corps to the |
pus!upn p.a1 ass.sne9 Ain. ae was therefore til
1GG sGeGu 10 proceed WIN az dispatch, and Gen. |
49,, ~ ~ ~ ciose Up toiCla"nsh Springs as
Tgn Sgun an tnohna t eolumn we out Of the Way.
IAomas p1shed forward nninterruptedly dur |
III III ans 4'gnt, M ana 5g aayIght the head Of bis
column had reached heliy's house, on the La |
iayettG road, where Batrd's division was post
pa,,,;o H. bfannan an borrowed, and ~as posted on
- =
i'es1 ih;a an1 aai1t d1e2anders na1 6Haages:
g. tuio poInt tol; McGooh7 OF den Grnn-
III g r. eorps; VINO naa maoe reconaoissance
H. to aIs h; scnShnluan4 tne evening oeiorc, and
.m .aa oaluea heeas bfldSc, mel ten. Thomas,
ges IT, i,a1 a. IN asoletea brigade OF the
amu ~ w. y. p1aage pelnS destfoyea' rapid move
nsn. aasa. ~ tan1 ulleet1oa ihlgnt result IN the
iaptule ot tue JORGE thas Isolated Gen.
- aou.as o1uslea ntannan, WIN t"o 9risndes,
70 ieeonnoiter IN that direction, and attack
" stilall iotce ne shouid meet Ihea advance
:ooh sne9unteIeo strong body Of the enc
ns, atiacEeo II vigorously, and drove it back
lo1c than nall mile, Where 4 very strong
Quinn o1 thG enemy WAS found, with the
:s;asnt ;: lntenIlon Of turning our left and
;an1ns .an ?os5eSs11n @ o. tne Lafayette koad he-
~ dI di.conaaso9 oea9o r. ns vigorous
~ ~ r,aro ~. ...' ~ s Pau u tne enc
s. -. ~ "o's w out 1ei., ano openeo
FnE BATTLE OF THE lvTn or SEPTEMBER.
The leading brigade became engaged at
bout 10 O'Clock a. m., on the 1Dth, On our
:3t1eme left, extending to the rIrht. Wherp the
;nemy combined to move in Heavy masses.
len. McCook to send Johnson's division I'd
Thomas assistance, and he arrived oppor-
unely.
Gen. C7lttenden,, with great good Sense,
lad already dispatched Palmer's division, re-
S'AAA6 |a-E AAe1 ~ Asc4 u11A 1tCeAfluS my ap-
roval: The enemy returned our attack, and
Y sas driving back Baird's right in disorder,
Fhen johnson struck the attacking column
Hank and drore It back more than half |
1lie, until his OWL right was overlapped and |
{ imminent danger Of being turned, when
'almer coming IN on Johnson's right, threw
Is division against the enemy and drove
ack Ills advancing columns Palmer's right |
;as soon overlapped, when Van Cleve's d.
islon came to his support, but was beaten
ack, when Reynolds division came in and
ias, n Turn, oyerpowered. Davis' division
ome INTO the fight then most opportunely
nd drove the enemy, who soon, however,
evcloped superior force against his line, and
tessea Linn so heavily that he was giving
round, when Woods division came aud
armed the tide OF battle the other way. |.
About 8 p. m General AlcCook was orler
to send shcridan's division to the sun
ort Of our'line near Wood and Dnyis, direct
e Lytle's brigade to hold Gortlon's mills,
ar extreme right Sheridan also arrived on.
ortunely to save Wood from disaster, and
1e rebel tide was thoroughly stayed in that
uarte-. !
Meanwhile the roar Of musketry on our | :
entire grew louder, and the battle approached .
cadquarters ct Widow Glenn's house, until I
usket balls came near and shells burst about | :
Our centre was being driven. Orders
ere sent to Gen. Ncg1ey to move his d.
sion from Cnwfsh Springs and above,
nero ne had been holding the line OF the 6
hlckama'lga, to Widow G1enn'e, to be held
reserve to give support wherever it might
required. At 4:S0 P. m- be reported with .
. DIVISION, ana as the indications TINT cur