The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-05-17

f2Z-A.l7F of each regiment in his
~ = line Of battle; and
from no fear of success
ful contradiction l VIII
say that the rebel force confronting US at the
opening Of Rosecrans's campaign Of 1863 was
composed Of lz2 regiments II infantry, and that
tie general average per regiment was over 800
men. This, with the usual amount Of artillery,
zone battery TO each brigade, would certainly
make 5000.
When asked by the Secretary Of War, about
this time, why he did not advance, Gen. Rose
Grams gave as one reason that he was deficient
IL cavalry, not having more than 5000, while
tie rebels a. his front 0UtnUmbeTed him three
60 one IN this branch.
think the Generals statement pretty good
authority upon which TO base my estimate Of
1900 cavalry under Bragg's command.
A, about sunset on July ], 1853, Negley's
Division, Of which my regiment formed a part,
struck the retreatiDg column OF Braggs army
81 E.6 River about five miles southeast OF Iul-
laboaaz. After a sharp sRirmish we found that
the fierce in our front was BucSner's Corps Of
about y 600, which had inst arrived from Knox
vile, and was covering Bragg's retreat
This Information was confirmed by state
meuts OF prisoners captured during the next
three or iOur days.
il sgouIl be as absurd 10 dispute the fact that
BuckaeE up 70 about this time had been hold
ing possession Of Cumberland Gap and East
Tennessee with considerable force. as il would
70 6tly that Burnside, with the Ninth Corps,
took pea1Gable possession OF the same section
shot time after.
Thai Buekner's Corps was in the action or
Chiclz4uauga the following circular proves to
be lacs:
HEADQ'Rs ARzrY OF TENNESSEE,
L -IEE FIE1-D, LETS TANyARD, sept. Is, 1868. !
J. JCtusou's column Hoods, on crossing at
near Reds Bridge Viii turu 20 the left by the
mOsl practicable route, aud sweep up the Chicka-
EnarZF toward Lee GordoH's Mills.
ll Walker, on Crossing al AleZanders Bridge,
VII ui.lte Ia this movement aud push vigorously
On tle enemy flank and rear in the same diTec-
tiol
III Baclzner. crossing at relS5rd's Ford viii
Join ID tIe movement 10 the let Ed press the enc
ny ug he stream from Po.k's front al Lee 4 Cor
IL. Polk VIII press his forces 10 the front at Lee
4 G1rCOa's Malls. e
s. command Of Gen. BRAGG.
@ ~. 5EE-ST- Assistant AuIutaut-C Gene ral.
On the afternoon Of Sept 20, 1863, at the
battle Of Chickamauga, charge after charge
vs. made by L0ngstreets troops against our
Enez, and each time they were
REFUSED WITH GREAT sLAUGHTER
and loss Of prisoners left IN our hands.
Th55e prisoners al told about the same story,
that L0ngstTeet had been two days unloading
at Dalton. and that his force numbered about
$4,000. q ms estimate also corresponds with
the force which LoHgstreet had IN front Of
Knoxville Oh the 10Th Of November following.
I VIII say further that it requires 10 great
amount Of sagaeity Tor a soldier IN time Of bat
tie 10 tell whether be is fighting eyen-hsnded,
man 10 man, or FIVE times his number
During the last half dag Of tie battle, from
OuT position on the Ridge, We could see the
rebels IA the valley OHe-ha.f mile OF so IN front
Of us as they formed their lines for each sue
cess.ve charge, and a. they advanced up the
slope . could count the three lines OF battle
led fft.3H f.tf1 role colin
ia Ing regiment, and in many other places
our lines were extended until we had but one
rank with which 70 meet this force.
Or army al this time occupied the crest Of
Mission Ridge, protected by rude breastworks
Of logs rails and stones, which gave Us great
ADVANTAGE over the enemy.
] know that my regiment from ] o'clock D.
70. til dark fought FIVE times its number, and
that We did no better than the other regiments
thai composed our line Of battle
To illustrate the situation, / VIII give the
remarks uia1e by 0ae Of LoHestreet's veterans
while prisoner IA cur hands. He asked
9 Where Is you-uus line of bat.le2" His at
tension was directed to the men who lay be-
hind the bresstwCrZs mentioned above He
vicRe1 the line with contempt for a moment,
and then said Eut where are the men we
arc 1Eltiug2" When told that these were the
men. he replied: Not By a - sight No
gElrl SD line ever whipped LongstEeets
Corp5
AoH, IL view Of the foregoing facts, have
no doubt Tie rebel army opposed 10 Rosecraus
81 tie battle Of Chickamauga numbered over
105.035 men.
Eosecrans's army at the opening of the
campaign was made up Of the following com
msEds: AcC0ok's TweHty-frstJ Corps. OF three
divisions, Is follows: Johus0u's, Davis's and
6heridaa's Ihomass lFourteenth) Corps. OF
four divisions, as follows: Negley's Raird's
p md -
lIWeullethj Corps, Of three divisions, as fol-
lows Woods Palmer's and Van Cleye's. This
constituted the Infantry and artillery force Of
The army Of the Cumberland except a small
reserve force under Granger al Chattanooga.
Only three regiments o. NeEley's were In
action the balance Of the division being on
Rue-4-du1y 10 the rear. The whole number OF
regiments engaged Up TO 4 o'clock D. M on the
2JlH was III AT about this time Steednian
cane 70 our support with two brigades Whita-
ker's and Iitchels), composed Of eight rsgi-
UeItz. Therefore the whole number Of regi-
meats engaged on the Onion side from the
commencement till the close Of the action wa
OLE HUEDRED AED NINETEEN REGIMENTS.
Allowing 5J3 10 each regiment aud adding for
artillery, makes about 1000. There is perhaps
10 battle Of the late war which has been 50 gen
orally m represented by writers and 50 imper.
lecls understood by the press and people Of the
Norris Is the battle Of CE5ckamauga.
3le TACT That lmmcd lately after the battle
t5-l. l-.secrans WIS superseded bv Gen Thomas
seems ~ have given the Northern people the
impression some mistake had been made and
that iu some way the campaign was failure
That mistake was made is certainly q fact
but ID was not made by the commander Of tht
Array 81 the Cumberland, nor by any Of biz
Eubonuates.
Is yas known In our army as early as tn,
l4th ~ September that Bragg was 70 be rein
forced by LonFstUeet's Corps FROM Virginia
Ab0aL this time Gen. Roseraus teiegraphed ia,
fact 10 the War Department, and requested tn,
Secretary 70 send the Ninth Corps from Knox
Vile ~ his assistance.
There was no reason WHY it could not come
as ltz nearest hostile force was Braggs army
which was then confronting R1secrans But il
ives nos sent.
TIE Army Of the Potomac remained inactiv
while Gen. Lee transferred one-third Of hi
army into another department hundreds O
miles distant, and the Secretary Of War, wheI
notified Of tie fact, not only refused 10 send TIA
needed assistance. but added injury 10 iuiustic
10 auperseciAg our commanding officer an,
Thereby casting shadow over the fame whfc
kosecrAus and ms army had won on the blood
battlefield OF Chickamauga.-JAMEsM NJ. WHAI
LOE, 18th Mich.
Have goa done your dHty IN getting one NOR
sUJscri5er for IHEAAIJONAL TRIBUNE
Y0a should DO ttis. for Il IS the best tCag % hel
gOsT comrades.
Living Witnesses!