The National tribune., 1888-07-19
ARGE INSTANTLY AND IMPETUoUsLY,

came upon those men so suddenly, so unani-
mously and so correctly, causing them to turn
upon the foe and
CHARGE INSTANTLY AND IMPETUoUsLY,
seems to have been an inspiration. The right
and only right thing was done at exactly the
right time. twas superlative in conception
and execution. The highest order of general
ship, possessed of full knowledge of all the
facts as they existed at the time, could not
have planned it better. Surely the American
musket is possessed of mind and is capable of
correct thinking If at this crisis there had
been Aesitancy, timidity or delay, the issue
would have been doubtful. 1t was the sudden
ness and vigoF of the onset that assured success
and gained the victory. This thinking mus
ket was again seen when the Army of the
Cumberland decided that the order to take
the breastworks at Mission Ridge meant the
works at the top of the Ridge"
GEN. TURcH1S's COMMENTS.
1.-THE article of Mr.. E. P. Burlingame of the
LIST Ohio Cav, is an excellent one as far as it
goes. He is correct in his statement how our
charge occurred, and his description of the po-
stions of our divisions of the left, held just
before the charge, is very precise. But he is
wrong when he says the boys went in by them
selves. l think there could hardly have been
a man in the brigade who, after We entered the
woods and exchanged few shots with the Tebs,
that did not hear my voice commanding,
Charge, bayonets ! which / purposely kept
fixed the whole Of that day. Reynolds did not
understand the movement, but / did. Our
first order was to take position on the slopes
of Mission Ridge to cover the retreat of the
divisions of the left wing, and we were going
to do it, when Gen. Thomas discovered tue
woods along the Chattanooga road, in the rear
of Baird and Johnson, filled with the enemy,
which he wished Reynolds to clear Reynolds
EayC d
clear the road to Chattanooga and go there,
while was sure it was TO clear the rear Of our
division and then form again on Mission Ridge,
across which our divisions had to retreat to
R0ssyille Hence when we cleared the rear 1
succeeded In turning almost the whole brigade
to the left and we joined the reserve troops
there and were ready to fight again, while he
(Reynolds), not looking round, went, with those
120 or $50 men on the extreme right, ahead,
and almost got into scrape. But the nam
thing, which Mr.. Burlngame could not know,
that even Gen. Thomas did not know and even
we ourselves did not know, was what force of the
enemy we fought aud what it was the purpose of
that force to do. But now it is all clearly evil
dent from the rebel records We knew we had
done something important, but we did not
know the extent of that Importance. 1t was
trap prepared for our left wing. Liddel, with
two brigades and battery of cannon, formed
across the Chattanooga read, aud Gist, with
three brgades supported him on his left and
connected with breckenridge. They had to
take our retreatng divisions of the left OH flank
and rear, while Breckenridge, Cleburn and =
part of Cheatham's Division charged them in
front We whipped those two brigades of Lid
defs (WalthalPs and Govau's) and took two
pieces of that battery and drove them some
distance to the right, east of the main road and
that exposd the right Of Gist who fell back
also, thus saving our divisions from the front
/ Mt I'll -
most important charge that there was made in
that or any other battle. 1t is the glory OF the
brigade, and if | live the world will know it
and appreciate. Boynton did not mention a
word of our charge"
In subsequent letter to me, reviewing
portion of my manuscript account of the bat
tie in connection with Mr.. Burlingame's paper
the General says:
Mr.. Bnrlingame was too far behind at the
time we entered the woods and l commanded
Charge bayonetsl to hear my command, but
/ am sure every man in the brigade heard it,
Some did not. After / asked Gen. Thomas
where the enemy was and received his answer
the brigade was facing south and although
could then understand what was needed to be
| done, the brigade did not l faced the brigade
about aud directed its march to the tract OF tim
Der where il was pointed out to me the rebels
| were, but the brigade did not know it until the
men entered the timber and the firing COM
menced. Then it was thatI ordered the charge.
| 1t was an entirely different thing at Mission
| Ridge. The posi- tiGn OF the enemy was lying
before everybody's eye. Yet even there it re-
! CURED considerable urging to prevent men from
| dropping down at the rlHe-pits at the loot oil
| the ridge"
| A portion of that portion of my manuscript
submitted to Gen. Turehin and Comrade +. T.
Burlingame for criticism, and which gave rise
| to the latters paper, given above, and the Gen
| erals commensurate at my request, that
might get at the correct account of the affair
reads as follows:
Mounting his horse he commanded, Atten-
| ton, brigade When ataitention, Gen. Turchn
! indicated the manner Of formation and move
| ment. and gave the command March, The
| Both and 18th Ohio were formed together, the
| Goth in advance; the 92d Ohio and 18th Ky.
! together. The brigade moved by the right
/ flank on the double quick, some 200 yards to
/ the right and rear. Gen. Reynolds rode with
the brigade, Turchin at its head. Gen. Thomas
| instructed Gen. Turchin to, upon reaching the
| edge Of the timber on our front, file left until
| his right rested upon the Lafayette road, then
charge to the rear. As observed, our lines since
morning had been bent in the form of a horse
| shoe, with toe to east. To reach the position
| on the road we had to pass west to a point
! nearly between those portions of the Federal
| line that would represent, from their positions,
|
Steedman's two brigades of Gordon Changers
reserve, who were breasting the desperate
charges Of Lonstreets Corps From this posi-
ton, between the calks of this huge shoe of
blue and gray, Of fire and Steel we were to
turn north and strike off the calk on that side
on which the gray outside had overlapped the
blue lining.
CAS- the brigade, on the doubequick, fled
out on the Lafayette road it, without the SEM
| bance of halt or command, faced by the rear
rank to the rear. This brought the Seth aud
| 1Ith Ohio in the lead, the 92d Ohio and 18th
| Ky. in their order. Between the regimen s
was probably not exceeding % feet space when
the charge was ordered When the brigade
faced to the rear Gen. Turchin in a clear, ring
ing voice, that it seemed every man should
have heard, ordered a bayOnet charge. The
enemy could be seen double quicking across
the road in double lines to arrest the progress
of our brigade in that direction. At the in
slant OF the command to charge, a glance down
the line of blue showed wonderful unanimity
of action, no flinching, no stragglers to mar its
symmetry as, with bayonsts fixed, it sprang for
ward to the charge on Che Confederates. As
the brigade started on it, now famous charge
the advancing line of gray was possibly within
less than eco yards of ls, at which distance
they poured into us tLeIslrst volley.'
Your readers will gettAc centexts to this ex
tract and will be able lii ereby TO better under
stand the circumstances md the morale of TIKI
charge of Turehin's Brig5ue at Chlckamauga Oh