Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-04-15
General 'rh ON as and the Battle of
Chlckama

Although his great victory at Nashville
is now best remembered, of all the battles
in which General Thomas was prominent
actor, Chickamauga was the one in which
he rendered the greatest services. He COM
manded the left wing Of the army, and du
ring the first days fighting the rebels at
tackled his corps very iiercely and in great
force. AT council of war held during tile
subsequent night, Thomas sat with Rose
Grams, Cri,tenden, McCool, and some Of the
subordinate Generals, round a table in
wretched howell which served as the general
headquarters. His physical fatigue was so
great that he could only keep himselfawake
when required to speak, and as soon as he
had delivered his opinion he would fall
asleep again. That opinion was invariably
the same. In response to every question
put to him by General Rosecrans, Thomas
would rouse himself sufficiently to say: "In
my judgment, the left wing should be
strengthened, and in moment be would
be doing again. The soundness of this
opinion was verified in the next day s battle.
The mass of tie rebel army was hurled
against Thomas during the whole forenoon
| Though his lines nowhere gave way, he be-
came anxious, and repeatedly sent to the
commanding General for reinforcements.-
| Rosecrans attempted to furnish them, but
through blunder, gap was caused in our
| lines. Here LonGstreet's corps at once
came through, cutting off and routing our
right wing, aud sending it in hopeless con-
fusion from the field The thousands who
were engaged in that pell-mell flight toward
Chattanooga at first supposed that the whole
| army had dissolved in the same manner
but the cannon of Thomas, sounding
| through the whole afternoon, reassnr-d hen
He maintained the fight until nightfall re-
pelling the charges OF the whole rebel ar II
now concentrated against him, and driving
back with dreadful slaughter the onset OF
their most determined troops. Throughout
that day Thomas stood calmly in the mids,
OF the leaden tempest, giving his orders,
! providing against every en- rgency,
Strengthening every weak point and fight
ing until darkness and the exhaustion ct
his ammunition compelled him to cease. lie
held the field at the termination of the bat,
tie: and it is not too much TO say that had
his supply of cartridges been more ample,
he might have finally routed the rebels. On
the evening Of this terrible dav General
/ Thomas took his coffee at the camp fire Of
one Of his division commanders. who had
been wounded in the fight, and during the
chat OF half an hour on commonplace top
ic. never once alluded TO the battle which
had been raging, in which only his own
| plnck and firmness had saved the army
| from destruction, or to the fact that his host
! vnS i niurpd and lleediup Surh comma :, A
| OF nerve is in great measure a matter o!
temperament; bu, it is also the result OF
/ training. glimpse Of which General Tho
| mas himself once gave, IN moment of IN.
wonrei confidence. when friend complain.
| ed Of a serious wror which hid been done
| him. "Col mel. said the commander slow.
| ", Il have taken a great deal Of pains to
| educale myself not 10 feel