St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-02-03
TOLD BY A SOUTHRON.
Graphic Description Of the
Battle Of Chiekamauga by
q Tennesseean.
The Fateful Morning Of Sun :
day, Sept. 10. Will Never
Be Forgotten.
Marching and Countermareh-
ing Followed by Terrible
Clash of Arms.

Marching Over the Bodies Of
Dead and Dying for an
Entire Day.
The battle of Perryville had been
fought and our army had marched all
around the mountains and come into
Middle Tennessee. We met the enemy
again at Murfreesboro and moved back
to Shelbyville, and for long time en-
camped there, writes r. in the Will
hanson County (Tenn.) Appeal. During
the whole time the Tennesseeans were
in high glee. They were near and
around their homes. But it seemed
that the fates were against them. Ken
lucky nad been given up; now Tennes-
see had to be abandoned. To leave
home in the hands of friends and go to
battle was hard indeed; but now we
knew our homes were fast falling into
the hands of our enemies. The Con-
federate cause now seemed to US
gone. The last vestige of hope was
fast fading away-especialiy to Ten
nesseans. We were falling back from
our native land. What else had we to
fight for? We were fast marching to
fields unknown to us. The shadow of
uncertainty and final defeat seemed pict-
ured on every cOuntenance. We were
fast TT aveling from the height of expec-
tation into the depths of despair, as we
Thought. Our ranks were fast thinning,
without hope of recruiting. The truest
hearts were UiUinT ayUov The hraU
were waxing faint. Hopes were sick
ening. energy dying. But on we went,
leaving all behind us. The broad Ten
neSsee river soon spread out before US,
pontOonS were stretched across. over
we went, and the river became the di-
viding llne-a large army and broad
river between US and home.
We soon began to fortify Chattanooga.
Picks, axes and spades were the princi-
pal weapons of warfare. Day after day
regiments would march out and work
under the direction of sergeants and
corpOralS as if on drill. The federals
were advancing, but had not approached
near enough to cause any uneaSineSS.
Why we were fortifying Chattanooga
was mystery to US. Many hard lick
was struck with an axe and pick to no
good.
One day while hard at work we heard
report from the opposite side of the
river. A sudden clap of thunder in
clear MONDAY sky could not be more
surprising. 1t was cannon shot from
the Yanks. They had actually arrived
at Chattanooga. This shot was salute
to us-sort of ''Top of the morning to
We. Mr.. Johnnie Reb; we are here, you
see, all the same" Our army by this
time had recruited until we had con-
siderable force: 1t had been some time
since we. had had the pleasure of fight
ing. We had made long march to the
rear, and were long way off. The
whole summer had passed and
we shoveled dirt; we hewcd logs and
we piled logs; we had made line
of fortications that was impregnable.
Our spirits revived. The war clouds
again began to appear above the hori-
ION. The federals were actually cross
ing the Tennessee river, and some of our
foraging parties had been captured in
Wills valley. All sorts Of rumors were
afioat. Our whole army was soon on the
march again, and in almost double-quick
time we went down Chickamauga.
For two days and nights we marched
almost continuously, crossing Chicka-
manga creek. near Lee 81 Gordon's mill
Here we stopped long enough to cook
ratiOns, when the line of march was
again taken up for about ten miles to a
little place called Lafayette. We then
turned and came back, almost on run,
to Lee 81 Gordon's mill, but on differ
ent road.
The next day, Saturday. the 18th of
September, we recr0sSed Chickamauga
creek about o'clock. While crossing
Gen. Forrest opened the attack upon
the enemy Immediately in front of
Cheatham's old brigade, Col. George
Nancy commanding, Gen. Cheatham
commanding division. This command
was ordered to double-quick and sup
port Gen. Forrest, but after few min
utes' run we found ourselves face to
face with a strong line of Federals.
Almost simultaneously both sides began
to fire, and yolley after volley, for an
hour or more, each side poured into the
other, Gen. Forests men and Maney's
brigade fighting together. The word
fall back was heard, and, as quick as
said, we began to retreat rapidly, and
for the first time we saw YankS all
around us. The woods seemed to blaze
from every direction.
just at this moment Gen. Preston
Smiths command. being on our left,
turned loose yolley into them that
Such laundering YOlIey was never
heard before. The whole command
must have fired at one time, which
almost completely demolished the line
of federalS that was fighting us. Had
it not been for this terrible volley from
Gen. Smiths men just at the time it
was there would not have been a man
of the First Tennessee regiment left to
tell the tale. 1t relieved US of the di-
lemma we were in, and gave the enemy
such shock they never rallied again
that day. We again turned and discoY-
cred that they were falling back.
This ended the fighting of that day
and was the beginning of the battle of
Chiekamauga. The army slept in line
of battle that night, and the next day
amauga. Two powerful armies were
facing each other, and we all knew that
the next day would prove a glorious
victory or defeat. We felt that we
had secured a decided advantage in the
evening before. We could hear the
enemy all night long moving and taking
position. Everything ON our side was
life and animation. A bold and careless
look as they passed their jokes around
the campfire bespoke the free and dar-
ing character of our men. They awoke
the next morning with the same merry
Joke as of the night before, and it was
pla inly pictured on every face that the
coming day would be day of victory to
them.
Sunday morning, Sept. 10, dawned on
us as bright and beautiful as nature
could make it. Everything babe fair
for great victory. The country was
unbrOken and looked like it had been
Just created and had never been dis
| turbed by the hand of man. Our bows
awoke from their SAUNDERS as fresh as