The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-11-23
FIE2CEST OF FIGHTING.
Brilliant Story Of Chickamauga, tho River
of Death.

FlEHCESI UF FlGHIlNR.
Brilliant Story Of Chickamauga, tho River
of Death.
As one advances in the story of the
battle of Chickamauga he must, at every
step, become more and more impressed
with the magui6cence Of the Confederate
fighting. Since the first assertion that
Ohickamauga WAS for both sides the
bloodiest battle of the war, in proportion
to numbers and tho time Of the engage.
ment, and that it far outranked In the
percentage of killed and wounded any OF
the battles of modern Europe; there has
been an industrious searching of records,
both of our own war end of receut fa-
nous campaigns, to test the accuracy of
the claims made for Chickamauga. But
the further the investigation has pro-
ceeded, and it is now sufficiently COM
pleted to allow goneraV results to be
stated with certainty, the more clearly
the truth of the first assertion has been
made 70 appear. It is not strange,
therefore, that the discussions of the past
year, which have served To dispel so
many misrepresentation which clouded
the public mind In regard to the battle,
and dwarfad it in the history Of the coun-
try, should have created such widespread
interest in it's real history, and raised 1t
at once 10 the vory front rank Of the
most notable engagements af the war.
The marvel of German fighting in the
great battle of Mars Ia Tour was per.
formed by the Third Westphalian regi-
msnt. 1t suffered the heaviest loss in
the German army during the Franco
Prussian war. It wont into battle 5000
streng; and its loss 49.4 per cent. There
was nothing in the campaigns for which
this formed part which exceeded these
figures, and they became famous through
out the German army. And yet in our
war thsra were only sixty regiments
whose losses exceed this. Seventeen of
them lost about 60 per cent, and quite a
number of them ranged from 10 TO 80.
There were ov0r a score of regiments on
each side at ChickamauQa whose loss az
ceeded that of the Westphaliau regiment.
But the onejsct- Of this letter "a ihsoutG ut6f fs 6
particularly to set forth the character Of
the splendid fighting, performed by every
portion of Bragg's army on this noted
field in Georgia.
The battle of Saturday opened in front
of Con. BraAnan, or The s1reme Con.
federate right, and here brigade of
Foneafs cavalry, dismounssd, assisted
almost Immediately ty Confederate in
ansry, assaulted the Union line. As
they were driven back by any over
whelming fire they were continually
reinforced for nearly four hours. The
battle WAS continuous and constantly at
short range. In fact, it vas distinguish.
cd feature of the whole two days battle
that most of the fighting wa at close
range, much of it hand to hand, With the
bayonet and clubbed muskets. Forests
men in front of Brannaa assaulted tins
and again, marching up in the very faces
Of tho Union infantry, and in their final
effort came on four lines deep, with their
hats drawn over their facea, and bending
forward against the storm Of load as men
face the elements.
The rapid fire OF long and we'll trained
infantry seems to have no effect upon
veterans, and it was not until they had
marched up into the line Of fire of bat
terios, which, with doubled shootsG can
lister, enfiladed their rank at a murderous
range, that their advance waa checked.
Even here they stood and fought with
desperation. Ector and Wilson's OF
Walkers division, and Walthall and
Govan of Liddell's, all marching to the
assistance Of those contending in this
hell OF battle, became, in turn, as hotly
engaged themselves In front of Baird
and for hours on his portion of the field
the scene just described on the a1trema
Confederate right was repeated ior all o.
these brigadss. AZ the first onset Wal
thsll and Govan drove their linss owe,
the flank of the regular brigade and cap
tured its battery, only to be themselves
pushed back again almost at the bayonet
and so shattered from their courageou!
exposure at short range as to be pracsi-
calIy put out OF ths fight for severa
hours.
Nothing could exceed !Le valor o.
these troops. There was nothing in tht
way Of desperate fighting either of infan
try Or artillery which they wsrs 40
called upoa to face. And they did face
it with courage seldom equalled ant
which il Was impossible to surpsss. Thus
the lines Of the two armies, marching
toward the sound of the furious battle
closed toward the positions of Brannar
and Forrest, each strikiug the other a
they came into position and within rsaci
with as poudsrous and murdsroua blow
as over delivered in war. Cheatham
moving to the support of Walker, turned
on johnson with irrssistibls force ant
drove him Usll backward toward the La
fayassa road, phsa Palmer, arriving or
Johzson's riast, sksaa iro di,isions, act
iag in coscsr., dove Chsatlam back
nils ard badly shattered hia entire com
maud.
Nsxt came Houd with Law and Bush
rod Johrson's divisions and one brigad
of Prestou's and theao grappled lines o
battle that At tlnss weys scarcely tw'
muske; lengths, and thus until suudowl
lLis contest rased in the thick woods be
tween the Lefayette road and the Chick