The National tribune., 1885-08-27

were then three miles apart, when, 10 and
| behold Maj j.-Gen. Polk was quietly eating
! his breakfast and his troops were showing
! no signs of advancing. Gen. Bragg made
! use of many words which were more forci-
/ BILE than eloquent.
| Another golden opportunity had slipped
I through Bragg's fingers by no fault o. his
! own. How shall we account for it? Was it
I that Divine hand was directing affairs
/ Gen. RoSecrans saw that himself and Hal
/ lecll had been mistaken in the supposition of
/ what Bragg would do. He began to see that
all the pleasant stories told him by men who
/ had come into his camp, informing him OF
! Bragg's retreat were lies. Bragg, instead of
| retrcating, was preparing TO cut him up
/ pieCemeal. Now was the time for action.
Gen. Garfield Rosecranss Chief Of Staff,
/ instantly comprehended the situation of af-
! fairs. The army must be concentrated.
/ There must be quick marching. Crittenden
was at Lee & Gordon'S Mil, McCook was
| 80 miles south of him, and Thomas %
miles from Crittenden, who must hold the
roads leading across Missionary Ridge TO
Chattanooga till Thomas and McCook could
join him.
The salvation of the army depended upon
! the carrying ont of this plan. COuTiers rode
at breakneck speed carrying orders. Bragg
was Fastening his troops north. Bragg had
the shortest distance 10 march, but he muSt
cross Pigeon Mountain, cross Chickamauga
! Creek. and seize the roads in the rear of
Crittenden, which would compel Rosecrans
! to fight on ground of Bragg's choosing. 1t
was on the morning of the 18th that he
abandoned his effort to annihilate Negley.
On that day he decided to move north.
Go over the Pigeon Mountain and make
T -o+,N 1,,ct hn 'raln loft
were Bragg's orders TO Wheeler's cavalry. At
the same time he ordered Forrest to proceed
! north and threaten Crittenden's connection
with Chattanooga. He had decided, under
cover of these demonstrations, to move his
army north, cross the Chickamauga, and get
possession of Missionary Ridge. He decided
/ 10 go, but did not start.
WAITING FOR LeNGsTREET.
For four days he remained inactive. Why?
Possibly for this reason: Longstreet was on
his way, and he would wait The golden
thread dropped from his grasp once more.
Well for our country that it was sO for had
he moved on the 18th there can be little
doubt that Rosecrans's army would have
been swept from the face of the earth-cut
up, a division at time. He did not move
till the night of the 18th, and all through
these hours Thomas and McC0ok were
marching.
Who can measure the value to the coun-
try of that unaccOuntable delay of Bragg?
Not till Rosecranss three corps were almost
within supporting distance of each other
did Bragg give the order to advance.
There are several roads leading eastward
from the Lafayette road along the east side
of Missionary Ridge to fords and bridges
across the creek. The first ford north of
Lees Mill, mile distant, is called DaltOn's;
a half mile farther is Smiths; half mile
beyond that is Alexander's bridge; a little
farther is another ford !; beyond that is Reeds
bridge, and beyond that is Dyers bridge.
The distance in q straight line from the mill
to Dyer's bridge is about five miles On the
Dry Valley road, leading along the west side
OF Missionary Ridge about a mile and half
from the mill, is the house of Widow Glen,
where RosecraHs established his headquar-
teTS.
BATTLE OF SEPT. 19.
We come to the morning of the 10Th of
September. Bragg has a well-defned plan
to cross the Chickamauga at the different
bridges and fOrds, move rapidly by his right
flank, seize the road leading from RoSSville
to Lafayette, push across Missionary Ridge
TO ROssville, cutting off Rosecrans from Chat
tanOoga Having done that, he viii close IN
upon the Union troops and Oyerwhelm them
by his superior numbers.
Rosecrans has made his movements over
lookout Ridge to compel Bragg to evacuate
Chattanooga, and he has succeeded. Crit
tenden holds it. RosecTans does not wish 10
fight superior force, but sees that a battle
is inevitable. If he can meet Bragg and hold
Oh ~ Chattanooga even though he may be
compelled to fall back from Missionary
Ridge, he VIII have attained the primary
object Of the campaign. If Bragg does not
drive ROsecrans out of Chattanooga and
across the Tennessee, his attack will be a
failure even though he may drive Rosecrans
from Missionary Ridge.
Rosecrans and his Chief of Staff, Gen. Gar
field, though neither of them had ever been
to R9ssyiiie or up the Lafayette road, saw
the necessity Of holding that highway. They
fully comprehended the move which Bragg
was making, or saw, rather, what he would
be likely 10 do
Fortunate the selection of commander to
hold the right-George H. Thomas, the i'm
perturbable, well-poiSed, clear-headed, self
reliant General who had won the battle of
Mill Springs; who at PittSburg Landing on
the second day, and at Stone River, had
shown sterling qualities as a General; greatly
beloved by his troops for his strict, firm dis
cipline-not that of q martinez, but of
judicious commander, who had only the
welfare of bis men in view. Pap Thomas"
they called him. They would do anything
for him.
The enthusiasm which he had inspired in
them was not that which manifests itself in
hurrahs-the swinging of caps, but it was the
| holding-on quality, endurance pluck, the
/ never-give-in determination which trans
| forms line of men into wall Of adamant.
The day was one Of great anxiety to Rose
Grams and Garfield. They could see clouds
of dust east Of the creek, extending far to the
north; but not till the head Of McCook's
! column reached Crawfish Spring, a mile and
a half south of Lee & G0rdon's Mil, did
| Rosecrans dare to put Thomas in motion
| toward Rossyille along the Lafayette road.
THoMAS's POSITION.
| All night long Thomas's men were on the
march past Rosecrans's headquarters at
! Widow Glen's house. When daylight dawned
on the morning Of the 18th Thomas was
wheeling into position east of KeIly's house,
| his troops facing eastward.
The men threw themselves on the ground.
ate their hardtack and cold meat and drank
their coffee. Long and wearisOme had been
| the rapid marchings. They had been on a
race with Bragg and had distanced him.
They were on the spot which he had
hoped to secure, and TO obtain it now he
must fight for it.