The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1889-08-03
CONFEDERATE FIaHTINa.
4 story 81 valor, Endurance and Hero
ism that Compel Admiration
in Americans.
T0en. II. ". Boynton in Cincinnati COM
mercial Gazetto.I

Zen. II. v. Boynton in Cincinnati Com ~
mercial Gazette.1 Po
IA one advances In the study Of the :" =,
,attle Of Chickamauga he must, q. "a
very step, become mere ana mole "
~ nresncd with the magnifcence OF ),
he Confederate fighting. Since lhe a
Brst assertion that Chickamauga was =
lor both sides the hloodiest battle OF
the war, In proposition to numbers ano q
the time Of the Engagement, ana tnat
r. far outranked in Its percentage OF :
: ,lIos, and wounded any Of the battles .
Of modern Europe, there has been an
snsInatrious searching of records, both
81 Sour own war and Of recent famous
foraiun cam paIgus. to test the accuracy :.
az the claims for Chickamauga. But %
fha investigation has prOceeded-and
II Il now sufficiently completed to al 4
low general results to be stated with
certainiy-thc more clearly the truth
al the fjrst assertion has been made to
anoear. IT'S not strange, therefore,
that the discussions OF The PAST year,
which have served to dispel 80 many
II. che ulIeapprebe nsiQns which cloudeu
fha public mind in regard to this bali
lie. and dwarled II In the history OF
the country, should have created such |
wideepread Interest In it's real history,
ana raised II al once 10 the very front
rank Of the lnost notable engagements
Of our war. ID,
The marvel OF German fighting In
the great battle OF Mars la Tour Was
performed by the Third Westphalian
regiment. 1t suffered the heaviest
loss Ia the German army during the
Franco Prussian war. 1t went into
the battle three Thousand strong, and
ia loss was 49.4 per cent. There was
\ nothing Id tho campaigns Of which
this formed part which exceeded
these figures, aud they became famous
throughout the German army. And
vet ia Dur war there were oyer sixty
Z regiments whose losses exceetled this.
Seventeen of them lost above 70 per
cent. aud quite number ranged from
IS 10 10 so. There were over score Of
regiments ON each side at Chickamauga
- hoae loss exceeded that OF the West
phalian Regiment.
but the object Of this letter is more
particularly 10 set forth the character
u the splendid fighting performed by
every portion Of Bragg's army on this
noted field In Georgia.
The battle of Saturday opened II
front OF Gen. Brannan, on The extreM'
Conlederaie right, and hero brigad'
Of F0rresl's cavalry, dlsmounted, as
sisted almost Immediately by Coined
crate infantry, assaulted the Onio'
lines. AS they were driven back b.
:. I. al, overwhelming fire they were CON
tinuously reinforced fol nearly fou
hours. The battle was continuous AM
constantly at short range. In fact,
was q distinguishing feature OF tn
whole two days battle that most OF
was hand to hand with the bayonet an
dubbed muskets. Forests men, !
front of Brannan assaulted time an
again, marching up into the very FACT
of the Union Infantry, and In the
final effort came on, four lines deel
with their hats drawn over their face
and bending forward against the storI
of lead as men face the elements. III
rapid fire Of long and well-traincd II
fantry seemed to have no effect upt
these veterans, and II was not un
they had marched up into the line
batteries, which with double shott'
\ canister snfiladed their ranks at mu
uerous range, that their advance W
checked. Even here they stood a
fought with desperation. Ector a
Wilson Of Walkers division, and w
thall and Govan, OF Liddells,
marching to the assistance of thu
contending in this hell of battle,
came, 10 turn, as holly engaged the
selves in front of Baird, and for ho'
on this portion of the field the see
lust described on the extreme Conf
crate right was repeated for all tn
bricades. At the first onset Waltz
and GOvan drove their lines over
flank of tho regular brigade and c
tured lis battery, only to be themsel
pushed buck again almost at the &c
of the bayonet, and so shattered IF
their own courageous exposure at sh
range as TO DO practically put ont
the fight for several hours. Moth
could exceed tho valor of these trot
There was nothing in the way OF I
perate fighting either Of infantry or
tillery which they were not called u
to face. Aud they did face 1t wit
courage seldom equaled, aud which
was impossible to surpass. Thus
lines Of the two armies, marching
ward the sound of this furious bal
closed in towards the positions
Braunan and Forrest, each striR
the other, as they came into post
and within reach, with as ponder
and murderous blows as are over