Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-08-01
Most Magnificent Confederate Fighting

Most Magnificent CcnfeQerate c4SACAi5'
From the Commercial Gazettel
As one advances il the study of the BAT
tie OF Chickamauga he must, ut every step,
become more and more impressed with the
magni6cence of the Confederate lighting.
Since the first assertion that Chckamauga
was for both sides the bloodiest battls OF
the war, in proportion to Dumbers ana tne
time of the engagement, and that it lar out.
ranked in the percentage Of Killed ana
wounded any Of the battles of modern Eu-
rome. there has been an industrious searcf-
ing of records, both of our own war and oil
recent famous foreign campaigns, 10 teet the
accuracy of the claims made Tor ChicKa-
mauga But the further the investigation
has proceeded, and it is now sufhclently
completed to allow general results 10 De
stated with certainty, the more clearly tne
truth OF the first assertion ha5 been maze 10
appear. II is not strange, therefore. that
the discussions of the past year, which nave
served to dispe so many OF the mldappYe'
tensions which clouded the public mind in
regard to this battle, and dwarfed it in the
history of the country, should have created
such wild despread Interest in it's real history,
and raised it at once 20 the front rank OF
the most notable engagements OF our war
The marvel OF German fighting in the
great battle of MARSHA Tour was performed
by the Third Westphalian Regiment 1t
suffered the heaviest loss in the German
army during the Franco Prussian war. 1t
went into the battle 8 900 strong, and lts loss
was 49.4 per cent. There was nothing In
the campaigns Of which this formed part
which exceeded these figures, and they be-
80 hon ho fSarnnon N al
And vet in our war there were over sixty
regiments whose losses exceeded this.
Seventeen of them lost above 60 per cent,
and quite punber ranged from 70 to 50.
There were over a score OF regiments on
each side at Chlckamauga whose loss ex.
ceeded that OF the Westphalian regiment.
But the object of this letter is more par
ticuarly to set forth tie chaIac tr Vi the
splendid lighting performed by every por-
ton OF Bragg's army on this noted field In
Georgia.
The battle Of Saturday opened in font of
Gen. Brannan, on the extreme Confederate
right, and here brigade of Forrest's cav.
airy dismouuted, assisted almost immediate
ly by Confederate infantry, assaulted the
Union lines. As they were driven back by
an overwhelming fire they were continuous.
~ reinforced for nearly four hours. The
battle was continuous and constantly at
short range. In fact, it was distinguished
feature Of the whole two days battle that
most OF the fighting was at close range,
much of it hand to hand, with the bayonet
and dubbed muskets. Forests men in
front of Brannan assaulted time and again,
marching up into the very faces OF the
Union infantry, and in their final effort came
on four lines deep, with their hats drawn
down over their faces and bending forward
against the storm of lead ss men face the
elements. The rapid fire Of long and we'll
trained infantry scanned to have no effect
upon these veterans, and 1t was not until
they had marched up into the line Of fire OF
batteries, which, with double shotted canis.
ter, enfladed their ranks at murdarous
range, that their advance was checked.
Even here they stood and fought with des.
peration. Ector and Wilson of Walkers
division, and Walthall and Govan OF Lid
dell's. all marching to tho assistance of those
contsndiug in this hell of battle, became, IN
turn as hoty engaged themselves In front
of Baird, and for hours on this portion OF
the field the scene just described on the ex-
treme Confederate right was repeated for all
of these brigades At the first onset Wal
thall and Govan drove their lines over the
flank of the regular brigade and captured
its battery, only 10 be themselves pushed
back again almost al the point of the bayo.
net, and so shattered from their own cour-
ageous exposure at short range as to be
hours. Nothing could exceed the valor of
these troops. There was nothing in the
way of desperate fighting either of infantry
or artillery which they were not called
upon to face. And they did face it with q
oalaopo onnc1Ioa and chinh it
impossible to surpass.
Thus the lines of the two armies, march.
ing toward the sound of this furious battle,
closed in toward the positions of Brannan
and Forrest, each striking the other, as they
came into position and within reach, with as
ponderous and murderous blows as are ever
ceiiVered In war. Cheatham, moving to
the support of Walker, turned on johnson
with irresistible force and drove him we'll
backward toward the Lafayette road. when
Palmer arriving on Johnson's RIGHT. these
two divisions, acting in concert drove Cheat.
ham back a mile, and badly shattered
his entire command. Next came Hood with
Law and Bushrod Johnson's divisions and
one brigade of Prestons. aud these gran
pied with Davis and Wood and Sheridan
along lines of battle that at times were
scarcely two musket lengths apart, and thus
lni sunuowu tuis oou.eou 80 SeA - 'oo .hich
woods between the Lafayette road and the
Chickamauga, each line bending backward
as the other delivered it heaviest blows, and
as if gathering strength by the recoil, in al
most every instance, rushing forward again
10 s, sway the opposite side backward in turn.
There was no general stampede on either
s s,os at any point of the first days battle,
.s eat weight of lines and weight of metal and
Va eSe momentum of blows vigorously deliver
eu controlled the result at every point.
,,a aase se,Ia 10 the evening of Saturday, when
sno ugatlng o. - flnks had we'll nigh