The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-25

BATTLE. SUNDAY. SEPT. 25.
THE CRISIS OF THE CIVIL WAR.
Last Tuesday was the anniversary Of the
decisive battle of the civil war. the battle
of Chickamsuga. fought September 10 and
20, 1858, between the Union army under
Gen. Rosecrans and the Confederate army
under Gen. Bragg. This was the bloodiest
battle Of tho war ct the West in proper
tion to the numbers and the duration of
the engagement. Its losses in both the
srmies were greater than those at Shiloh
or Stone River; greater than those at An
tietam, in proportion to the numbers en-
gagged; greater than those at Gettysburg,
for Meade at Gettysburg had $4,000 more
than Rosecrans, and three days. fighting
against two days at Chickamauga. It was
probably the bloodiest battle of the war on
the Confederate side, where the percentage
of killed and wounded far outranked any
of the battles of modern Europe since
Eylau in 1907.
The fairest criticism on the campaign OF
Chickamauga IL that delivered by Sheri-
dan in his Memoirs" Sheridan COM
manded division under Rosecrans at
Stone River and Chickamauga. He gives
Rosecrans credit for great military ability
in the operations by which he forced
Bragg TO abandon Chattanooga, which
was the prize of the campaign. Here
Sheridan says Rosecrans should have
halted and secured the great prize hey ond
any chance Of recapture. But Rosecfans,
by some strange infatuation, mistook
Bragg's evacuation Of Chattanooga where
he could not fight to advantage for fight
and recklessly started in pursuit scatter
ing his corps SO widely that Bragg had
. half dozen chances to destroy him
in detail had he acted with promptness.
Up 70 the 9th Of September, when Bragg
was forced 70 svacuate Chattanooga, Rose.
Grams behaved like man Of true military
genius. He held the prize of the cam
paign In his grasp, and it was his clear
military duty to instantly close in
Thomas and McCook upon Crittenden in
Chattanooga. thus uniting his scattered
command and having them well in hand
for new advance or to resist attack. But
Rosecrans became persuaded that Bragg
was in full retreat and pushed McCook
and Thomas in pursuit. Bragg had only
fallen back to meet heavy achievements
from Lees army under Longstreet
There were three days when Bragg
could have fallen with his whole army
upon the corps of Thomas that was separ-
ated by three days. march from McCook
and crushed it; then crushed Crittenden
ands.McCook in detail. Crittenden could
not move to Thomas without exposing
Chattanooga and Thomas could not move
TO Crittenden without exposing McCook.
BY the night Of the 18th Of September
Rosecrans learned from Sheridan's scouts
that Bragg had only withdrawn in order
to form a junction with Longstreet and
was advancing to crush him before he
could concentrate the separated corps of
his army. Rosecrans knew the real situa-
tion and his peril the night of the 1Ith
but instead of instantly withdrawing his
whole army TO Chattanooga he did not
move until the 18th and was still in
motion trying TO unite his forces when he
was attacked on the 10Th and finally de-
feated on the Goth with great loss of men.
material and artillery.
Had Rosecrans on the 18th instantly
fallen back 10 Chattanooga. the battle OF
Chiokamsuga never would have been
fought and it never ought to have been
fought, says Sheridan. because it was moi
necessary TO fight 1t to secure Chatta.
nooga. Rosecrans hesitated until il was
too late to withdraw and then hurriedly
concentrated his army and delivered bat.
tie 10 superior numbers. Had he halted
at Chattanooga on the 9th, or even fallen
back on the 18th, he might have delied A..
tack by superior forces. We had won the
prize OF the campaign. the strategic posi-
ton of chattanooga without battle, and
IL was not necessary 10 fight battle to re.
tain il except on our own terms OF advan
tage. Bragg turned on Rosecrans, caught
him still in motion In q false situation. de-
feated him aud would have run him out o.
Chattanooga and pursued the remnants O,
his army TO the Ohio river, had he pos
sessed moral courage enough to seize hi.
opportunity.
The battle OF the 10Th Of September wa.
q desperate contest and the Confedera;,
loss was terrible. but there was no genera
stampede on either aide the tirss day. Or
the next day. the 3)sh, from 10 O'Clock IL
the morning until ?. m. the whole RICH,
wing of the Confederate army dashed, Tx,
. succession Of giant breakers, sgainss Low
Union hreassworks OF logs aud rails, vary
ing from two 20 four feet In height, bu, i,
rain. The Confederate loss in lis rich
wing wss so great that bv 2 .. N. il va
incapable of the further e9for. 70 hel,
Longstreet's victorious troops destroy IA
Union left under Thomas that still hel,
the field.
An inexcusshle error in the in;erpret.
tion ~ an order sent by Gen. Roseo-ans /
Gen. T. J. Wood led that officer 10 lift h
division out Of line. iongstrses saw hi
chance and through this gap Of a mile an
. half instantly drove. ike wedge, HI
column Of attack, 1900 strong. dispersin
the whole Caion right and center. The
Isongstreet hurled the whole Confederas
army nron our len, under Thomas, an
was rcpalsed With such fearful loss IL,