The National tribune., 1888-08-09

road could have been taken by Wood, which
would have evaded this terrible march
between these two fires on either side of the
road. And after passing Immediately under
the eye Of the enemy, with hugle blasts
notifying the Johnnies that we were coming,
knapsacks were unslung 10 make charge that
was as fTuitless of the possibility of effectiDg
anything but actual death and defeat and a
surrender would have been. Rushed into the
jaws of death, hard onto the brazen brass field
pieces, by the order of some one. Who could
it have been other than the besotted COM
mander commanding that division. Whisky
made the mistake, and as we brought up just
where hell was let loose for our reception, was
never the intention or order from Thomas or
Rosecraus And the dead comrades of ours in
the s9th III. will fix that damnable mistake"
so firmly in our minds that time will fail to
efface il. Wood saws Branuan's line was be-
tween him and Reynolds. This movement
the order Of sOmebody-opened wide gap IN
our line Of battle, and Longstreet ordered
BuckneT, with II pieces of artillery, TO press
into it. The order was instantly obeyed. On
came the rebels, striking Davis In flank and
rear, throwing him into confusion and causing
q severe loss of men. Here Woods DIVISION
was rolled up like parchment and forced TO
lie down in ravine-hugging mother earth
closer than they had ever had occasion to DO
SS+AN
shot and shell were sent in among US SO thick
and fast that the air itself seemed impregnated
with sulphur and lead. The two divisions on
our right, Van Cleye's and Palmer's, were
struck with equal violence on the right and
thrown into disorder. The actual fact was
now apparent-the Union army was cut in
twain, the right and center were utterly routed
and the day seemed lost. At this juncture
Thomas won the title, 3" The Rock of Cbicka-
mauga" The rout had carried the right and
center, with ROsecTSus, McCOok and Critten-
den, back to Chickamauga. Thomas was mott
fed of the situation by Garfield, Chief of Staff,
who had made his way somehow through the
carnage. Thomas had formed his line, crescent
shaped, on Missionary Ridge the right at the
gap the left on the Lafayette road hill on
the southeast forming the key. He formed
his brave men with fragments from Sheridan's
and other divisions fronting the Ridge with
artillery, and waited the coming of Longstreet,
who had been ne resistless Achilles of the day,
and had described a circle of glory and victory,
and stood facing his men as at daybreak. Ker
shaw attacked the Ridge, but was hurled back.
The attack was renewed and Tepulsed; repeat
ed, and Tepulsed again, and swept by the fire
of our position. Lougstrect found gap IN
Thomas's lines late IN the afternoon, and poured
his legions into 1t; it seemed as though the dis
aster of the day was to be repeated, but Gran
ger was at hand with the reserve. The
Union army in his hand. Steadman's Cavalry
| Brigade burst upon LongstTeet's force Swift
was his charge, terrible was the conflict, but
/ the enemy was broken. thousand Union
veterans yielded up their lives to possess this
gap for Gen. Thomas, and IL was done. Long
street confronted the position with two divis-
/ ions; determined to take il, they successfully
came to the assault. A battery of six guns
placed in the gorge poured death and slaughter
/ into their ranks. They charged within few
| PAGES of our pieces, but our grape and canister
/ and the leaden hail of musketry delivered in
! spariBg but terrible volleys from cartridges
! taken in many instances from the boxes Of
/ their fallen comrades, was too much even for
! Longstreet's men. At sunset they made their
! last charge. We were out of ammunition, but
/ applied the cold steel. They ran; they gave
way to return no more. At nightfall the
/ whipped enemy fell back leaving Pap Thomas
victor Of the hard-foUgbt field Thus the de-
| feat of the day was saved by the victory of the
evening. Our army though crippled remained
! upon the field. Bragg claimed victory, but
\ was unable TO remain upon the field, 1t were
/ useless to deny that we were severely handled,
and il would be unjust did we fail TO declare
/ 10 the world that George ii. Thomas saved the
Union army from defeat and utter rout at
/ Chickamanga. 1t was indeed the bloOdiest
battle Of the war, costing Bragg $4,000 men
and the Union commander 49, 5l all told. Hill
/ uols HOuIHSu b6I pI0uu uSdu ASteHdSIS, HHiit
she sent up the cry " No concession to rebel
lion," but urged still more vigorous measures
for the maintenance of the Union, the laws
and the Constitution. Chickamauga was to
many an Illinois family the river of death, but
1 with unfaltering purpose to save the Union
/ they demanded that room be made for new
levies, and these were in turn made, and rush
( ed TO the relief and assistance of their COM
rades at the front.
The seth H. railroad regiment was the last
organized body Of Federal troops to leave the
bloody battlefield Of Chickamauga. Wilich's
Brigade was designated by Gen. Thomas as
rear-guard Of the army. Gen. Which in turn
assigned the seth III. as the rear-guard of his
brigade, and thus il was the only organized
! regiment and the last one, with its colors fly
| ing that left that terrible field on that mem
oraDe Sunday afternoon, Sept. 90
/ Shattered and torn, fatigGed and worn, bat
/ brave and determined, they fell back with the
immortal Which At their head, who then told
US We were the only organized regiment whose
flag was the last TO float over that terrible and
blood stained field: and we were the last Union
troops to leave its scencs.-Sergt ISAAC K
You've, Co. II, seth H., Bristol, H.