The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-28
THE BATTLE OF CHIcKAMAUGA.
The Fight in Which Croxton's Brigade Opened
the Ball in the Chickamauga Swamps.

In recent number OF the National tribune,
an excellent weekly, published at Washington,
which deyotes most of its space to articles re-
| lating to our civil war Gen. FL. v. Boynton has
| an admirable account of the battle of Chicka-
| manga, designed to correct an impression which
| influenced the career of some prominent COM
manders after that battle, the actions of others,
| and has taken an undue hold on the popular
| mind That impression is in substance that
Rosecrans. after taking Chattanooga, marched
out in pursuit Of Bragg, met his forces at
| Chickamauga, was disastrously defeated.
and driven back in confusion into
| that place. and his army penned up
there until it was rescued by Grant, with his re-
| endorsements under Sherman, from the Mssis-
! sippi, and Hooker, from the Potomac General
| Boynton, then Lieutenant-colonelo OF the thirty
| fifth Ohio, in Vanderveer's brigade of Brannan's
| division, the third division of Thomass-the
| Fourteenth-army corps, active and gal
liant participant in the battle Of Chickamauga and
| the movements which led to it, and the charac-
| teristics which have since made him celebrated
as a correspondent, keen observation and clear
| comprehension, especially qualified him to I'M
| derstand what was going on and to perceive and
put in their true relations the essential facts OF
| that great campaign.
| General Boynton does full justice to the brill
| liant strategy by which Rosecrans drove Bragg
from his strong positions on the Iullahoma and
Shebyville liue. across the Tennessee and by
which, moving through a country Astounding In
| natural difficulties such confronted no army
! in any campaign of the war, he deceived Bragg,
| crossed the river and threatened Bragg's COM
| munications that he abandoned Chattanooga
and moved southwark as far Lafayette.
| Rosecrans learned, before Halleck and Stanton
knew of it, that Longstreet, from Lees army,
| and Breckenridge and Walker, from Mississippi,
| were reinforcing Bragg in his front, and as soon
| as he know of it he began to concentrate
h nd
| Chattanooga AS Bragg knew that
| Longstreet was in reach, he commenced his
concentration towards Chattanooga to cut Rose
| Grams off from it, and the consequence OF the
| two movements was the battle of Chickamauga.
| On the second day after the close &C that two
| days battle the Union army marched into
Chattanooga, which was the objective of the
campaign. In the second day of the fighting, a
/ misconceived order caused break in the Union
| line which threw several divisions into disorder
| and the right of the Union army was broken,
| but Thomas established new right, and from
then to the withdrawal, after night, four miles
| to Rossville no unhurt man left the li.-a. The
| army remained at Rossville that day, and in
| the early morning of the next marched into
| Chattanooga and established its lines around
| that city. While his troops were throwing up
| breastWorkS to strengthen their new position, a
day or two afterwards, Rosecrans rode round
the lines, and he stopped in front Of the com
mand to which this writer belonged the soldiers
| greeted him with cheers, and he replied with
| this speech:
| "We boys, We started for Chattanooga and
| here we are"
! Our special object in referring to General
Boynton's article, which commend TO every
body who wishes to get clear idea of the battle
of Chickamauga and the movements that led to.it,
was to call attention to one passage in
which he has fallen into an error of
detail, which illustrates how difficult
it is for even the most intelligent
| man. with the best opportunities, to tell story
with so many great incidents without having his
memory misead him in some particular. Gen.
Boynton says: 1.-The hight march of Thomas
and McCook had prolonged the Union left several
miles and saved the army. 1t had concentrated
between Bragg and Chattanooga. Thomas on
| his arrival across the roads leading to Alexan-
| ders and Reds bridges, began at once to exam
| inc his front. 1t was reported to him that con-
federate brigade had crossed the latter the night
before and that the bridge had been burned in its
rear. With the minor purpose of capturing the
brigade, If the story were true, aud the
broader. purpose of thoroughly explor
to move on the road to the bridge,
| with two of his brigades, landowners and Con
nell's. After very short advance Brannan
| struck strong advance. Baird, who had moved
| Croxtons brigade forward on the right, immedi
ately struck the enemy The fighting at once
became general and fierce along the line of both
| divisions and before either army expected
1t Thomas had opened the battle of Chicka
| manga"
In this passage General Boyrton assigns Crox-
| tons brigade to Baird. Croxton's the sec
ond brigade of Brannans division. The circum
| stances attending the opening of great battle
| are always interesting to those participating 1t
| happened that this writer situated as to
have an opportunity to observe closely what &C.
| Cured at the time to which the passage above
| quoted by Gen. Beynton relates. Brannans divi-
sion after bivouackng late in the afternoon be-
| fore, had been ordered to resume its march,
| started about dusk and marched ali night That
| was march not easily to be forgotten by any
who participated in it. AS the coming dawn be-
| gan to afford a dim light, the head of Brannans
Lee & Gordons mills During short halt the
position of the confederates was pointed out
and mention made of sharp fighting the day be-
| fore. Brannan's column shortly debouched on
| to the Lafayette and Chattanooga road. marched
down it some distance, and halted for short
rest The was just beginning to get the
better of the mist and fog of September morn
| ing in the Chickamauga bottoms = 1t hap
pened that in the order Of march
Croxtons brigade was at the head of Brannan's
| column the Fourteenth Kentucky at the head Of
| the brigade and the Tenth Kentucky next The
halt threw the division and brigade stats to-
gether, and the field and staff officers of the two
| Kentucky regiments. and indeed those of the
| other three, the Tenth Indiana, Fourteenth
! Ohio and the Seventy Indiana, joined
| them. After the long night march the sun made
everybody cheerful. and there was lively talk
| and some wagers as to whether there would be a
battle that day. The march was speedily re-
! sumed. The writer was then attached to the
division staff. and riding in advance of the col
umn with it. just before reaching the point
whore the road from Reeds bridge joins the State
road on which the column was, General Thomas
| was encountered, sitting on his horse by a
| large oak just in the edge of the road The col
umn halted, and General Brannan rode up to re-
| port Col Dan McCook, commanding a brigade
in Changers reserve corps, and in Steedmaa's di
| vision, was there and much excited. He had
been recalled from Reeds bridge, and reported
| that he had cut off small confederate brigade
| which had crossed, and which he would have
| captured if he had not been ordered away. He
was indignant at the order, and told in language
more forcible than polite. how the confederates
had treated him as he withdrew One express
sion he used was that "Jim Steednan might as
| well have torn star from my shoulder" so sure
was he of winning his brigadership by
| canturing that BRIGADE. This Gallant