The National tribune., 1892-02-25


that we were on short-yery authorizations, and
in famished condition, appropriating many
things TO feed on that under any other con-
ditions they would not have beSrudged the
dogs; and while did say that starvation stared
Us in the face. but repeat what Ro5ecrans,
Johnson Sheridan aad Wiliich remarked over
and over at the time and history repeats the
same truths Does any sane man who was Ia
Chattanooga at the time Of that siege deny,
first, that we were on the shortest ratious We
ever were on during our service; second, that
the chances were that unless relief should come
soon, fears were entertained By our command
er that we would have to either evacuate OF
surrender. Hunger. that rayenous wolf, was
crashing his teeth upon every soldier in
Chattanooga-and repeat, starvation was i'm
minent, and desperation sat upon the helmet
Of our coumssaries. The facts as experienced
by Us are to-day historical, and every page has
privatiOn and hardship inscribed upon it, and
this Is no disparagement TO the good name or
any soldier whose name was daily repeated by
his Orderly" when short rations were meted
out to Us zone day" for five, while, brave and
true as soldiers. willing and determined to
fight il out On that line, il was equally true
that that all important Ontingent-toOd-had
much 70 DO with the probable result, and Gen.
erals Is well as private soldiers were apprehen-
siye and did east about them as to the best way
out should relief fail 10 reach the army IN q
specified number of weeks.
Who does not remember the imprecatiOns,
the heated words, which fell from many SOL
der's lips when his small allowance was meas
ured out 10 him2 presume C0mrade Mcneil
| did not smile aud thus evinCe thorough salts
| faction at any time when bis ration fell to
| him." Though his tears may have been with
held he felt like cursing, or long way of from
| thaukfulness. If he did not shed tears at any
time, no doubt he made wry faces.
Comraie Mcneil says it is a fact established
/ beyond dispute that Braggs army was thor
/ oughly and soundly whipped at Chickamauga;
/ then in the next breath he says it was great
mistake. the withdrawal of our troops on Sun
| day evening. Yes, comrades, while i5 is not
/ true that Bragg was whipped at Chiekamauga
I one whit more than ROsecrans was, and that
/ the Union army was withdrawn because our
| commander thought himself in great danger
/ Of being driven into and across the Tennessee
/ River has gone down into history as a repTOach
| upon the Army OF the Cumberland, and every
| gallant veteran felt its CALLING until it was
/ rolled of in that ever memorable victory on
the flights Of Missionary Ridge.
/ All, indeed, COmrade Mcneil, if Bragg was
! s0undly whipped at Chickamauga and Rose
/ Grams ran away from victory, how much did it
| Lack of being burning repTOach and disgrace
/ to the Union forces? out of your own mouth
| there proceedeth your own condemnation.
/ History says, and it would aid COmFade Mcneil
I he to read it up little-Gen. Rosecrans, be-
/ Iisving the day was lost went to Chattanooga to
give orders for the retirement Of his army and
make preliminary dispositions for crossing the
Tennessee River" and all histories referring TO
this battle speak of it as a disaster. The facts,
| as proved by history and by the experience of
| every soldier who participated in that draw
| game BATTLE warrant the assertion tho re-
| proach and disgrace Of Chickamauga were
removed amid the clouds Of glory on the dizzy
| flights OF Missionary Ridge"
In closing / give to all comrades this ex-
! pressive extract from Van Horne's History of
| the Army of the Cumberland " In the battle
| Of Chickamauga are features Of distinetness
which are very marked. This fact is evident
| from the reports Of the Generals-n-Chef and
| other Generals of the opposing armies; but,
| nevertheless, the campaign of which the battle
| itself was the eulminatiOn-and ROsecrans's
! management of the Union sde-has elected
very severe and antagonistic criticisms"
And later. in December issue, / find Comrade
G. l.. Peoler, of the Seth H., paying his re-
CARDS to me in commenting upon the same ar
| ticle and will at once pick him up where he
| has fallen. He says the Army of the Cumber-
| land had 1000 and Bragg nearly three times
that number, which would aggregate 100000.
| Now, if COmrade Peeler shot as wide of the
mark when in the army as he has in shooting
| this bungling Wad at me he evidently didn't
do much damage. History says Rosecrans
| had 6,l60 men all told and Bragg 10000;
| and thus had 1880 more than Rosecrans.
| Thus "his guess" is 10000 short of the
| truth, as we'll authentcated facts in army
| history prove. The burden of his broad
gage picket shot is the disgrace Of which
he finds so much fault, and he fOrtifes himself
behind the fact that the whole strategic move
ment was for the occupancy of Chattanooga.
He may think so, but historians say that if
Bragg had followed Rosecrans when he re-
treated from the field of Chickamauga ho would
have driven him across the Tennessee River or
would have annihilated him. Why didn't he
follow? Because he felt whipped. Just for
the same reason that RosecTanS left Chicka-
manga and sheltered in Chattanooga. He felt
whipped, and no doubt COmrade Peeler felt
much the same way while on the retreat, and
/ must confess i did. That our Communicating
Chief did not know (which was beaten in
that engagement is fact which has gone into
history, and his occupying Chattanooga because
Bragg failed to follow up his retreat is another
fact Of history. Therefore / make this ac-
knOwledgment that believe that every Union