The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1893-03-02

mense charging column moved so slow at
It's fighting pace that it was two hours after
the first gun was fired before Cleburne's
men could step out to their work. Then
Albert Sydney Johnston personally direct
ed their line until 1t was launched on q
dashing charge. II struck the extreme
right brigade Of Sherman's division at Shi-
lob church, which, amply warned. was in
waiting behind its camps prepared to give
the novices q hot reception.
There were confusion and stampede on
both sides, but Cleburne personally showed
such genius and valor that he carried his
brigade colors, albeit there were few to
rally around them, through Sherman's
camps to the last Union stronghold by the
rivers bank, and that night older and ADLER
heads, like Beauregard, Bragg and Hardee,
acknowledged that the Confederacy had
new hero worthy Of his spurs.
Cleburne was Of an alien stock, young
lrishman who ran away from Trinity col
lege to fight English battles in India. He
enlisted as private in an Arkansas regi-
ment in 1861, and during the first year of
the war earned the star which decorated
him at Shiloh. At Perryville, KY, Oct. 8.
1862, the first battle in the west after Shiloh,
he led the brigade which broke through the
angle of the Union line between Rousseau's
and Sheridans divisions and hastcned the
disaster to McCook's Union corps He was
severely wounded there, yet refused to
leave the field.
At Stones River Jan. 81 Cleburne led q
division of four brigades. His command
formed the second line on the left Of the at
lacking column, and when his men took up
the fight the Union troops had recovered
from their surprise and stood at bay on
chosen ground. His orders were to push
the enemy and allow no time to select posi-
tions," and from dawn until p. m. he
fought his men. not halting for food, rest
or water, and without batteries to aid the
attacks. He routed and drove back one aft
er another three Union divisions, the last
of them Sheridan's.
On the field of Chickamauga, that last
day when at shutdown the Union right and
left wings had been scattered in confusion,
only Thomas holding on to the left center,
1t was Cleburne's men, forgetting wounds,
fatigue and hunger, who rushed to the last
brilliant and triumphant charge which de-
cided the day. When Stones River was
fought, Stonewall jackson was the hero Of
the east. He was in his grave when Chick
amauga surprised the world, and after that
Cleburne was named THE Stonewall of the
West"
AT Mission Ridge, where Chickamauga
was brilliantly redeemed by the Union
armies, Cleburne's division repulsed every
assault made upon it and did not leave its
works until they were flanked by the re-
treat of the Confederate left wing. During
the Atlanta campaigns the Confederates
rested on their laurels as men Of desperate
deeds and let their enemies do the breast
work storming until they came to the last
ditch before Atlanta. Then they turned
and showed the old time fierceness that
had made Shiloh, Stones River and Chick
amauga such noted fields of blood. Gle
burne was the inspiring genius Of two
bold sorties on July 20 and 90, when he led
an army corps out of the intrenchments
and surprised and attacked Sherman's
troops in their incomplete lines. The as
saults were failures, but ''Stonewalr' Jack
son himself would have failed under the
same conditions,
Cleburne reached the rank of major gen.
raj solely by merit. He was not of the
elect of the old army nor of the southern
aristocracy, or he would have been placed
at the head of a corps d'armee in 1868. His
work at Stones River, Chickamauga and
Mission Ridge was of the same order as
that of Hancock at Fredericksburg, Gettys
burg and in the Wilderness campaign-bold,
ready, persistent and successful fighting.