The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-05-30
CHICAMAUGA.
CAPTAIN McCaslan's Account oil HIS
Recent Trip 10 the BLOODY Battle

CAPTAIN McCaslan's AceOnni oil His
Recent Trip 10 the BIOOdy Battle
Field.
Mr.. Edltor-Please allow me space In your
naper TO give q brief description OF our trip 10
| The Chickamauga battlefield
Our coIn mission were all IN readiness on lHe
| l8fh and pleasantly seated on the G., =. d n.
railroad, when we left Greenwood az Za p 10.
| After q pleasant ride we were landed IN AT.
| lanIa In due time, when we all enjoyed gooo
supper ] at the K Kimball, the pride of Atlanta.
soon we boarded the train for Chatanooga,
and arrived 1T one O'Clock ana LOOK snelLeI ~
the Red House, just across lhe stree' ifoni 'ne
depot. con G Enusr,op
of the National Committee called and iniorni,
ed US that Gen. II. v. Boyhton wSaiu you ea,,1l GaI'
| field. about about eight miles from Cnatta.
nooga After a pleasant ride over Inc nIes, a'ss,
pike road ever saw, we landed Where, Jusl
thirty-one years ago, the two great armies
contended for the mastery. Many SAD
thoughts filled US as we calleu over III . oui
memories the names OF the oraVe men WHO
fought their last battle lust hnnd and Te m"n
daring bodies made the soil sAcreu 10 us anu
halloWed In the hearts OF al Soutnernsls; y;
What changes time has wrought! l1steau VI
meeting foes, we were met ny tos luentlcai
man Who fought us, and the liberaIity and
courtesy shown as helped In measure 10 dls.
nel the gloom which had settled upon our
oand OF eleven who had partlclpatea ~ ,,in tiie
| awfnl 81. upgle which has given that baLtle-
field such u conspicuous place In The history
Vi All Al the old land marks are preserved with
great care Not tree that stood lhere tne1
| can he cut. aud not q house can De removed
u The eoyernment has bought the battlefield.
| Containing over six thousand acres. Al! OF
Ihe little country roads thai existed tnen
nave given way to splendid pixies. Our army
drove the enemy all day SATURDAY, anu VI
Sunday morning we were 10 possession ot dad aii
the field OF Saturday " ith It's countless dead
and wounded. The two armies were posted
| fronting each other on opposite sides OF lne
LAFAYETTE and Chattanooga ROAD, Win our
army little nearer the road. Large taoneS
will the names of the corps, divisions anu
| brigades, are posted just v here each line was
sta1ding, and a turnpike road running doWn
| in rear Of each army, so that tnere ls NO
| trouble in finding just where all me ulnereuI
Commands were posted when the fight opened.
Ali YOU are required to do Is to locate the
march or charge and where sou Struck the
| enemy. .,, ,,o oa,,n,o.o In
| nositIon AZ the loot hills, Or, Hs We would call
| them in south Carolina, mountains, reacnlng
down and In soule places making part Vi tneir
line. They had alsU, when IL could Dc dohe'
| formed bf.ast works OF such materials as
they could collect In the night. As 10 what
occurred along the entire line am unaoie 10
speak. but viii coDf1ne myself 70 tne part h, "a,
| Ken Dy tuC iopii oA~ -NNS 49, ~ '-'
memorable fight.
We we're ordered forward with Deas' brigade
ON our right, and Anderson's ~ our support,
Muniyauits brigade WAS the extreme left OF
our line Forward We went through the
woods. when suddenly we burst into an open
| Aid OF some ten or fifteen acres growing III
corn. with house on the opposite slde, ano u
So,tssrv placed some seventy-five yards In
front Of the house. That house ls known as
widow Glenn's house" We crossed that nelo
at q right oblique, and entered INTO very
heavy wooded ground. where we suffered
verv severely from an enfilade fire on The left
ot Snr reg menL The troops In our front be-
Ionged TO Gen. Sheridan's division, ana gave
way Ibefore our charge Gen: HsrGs Her T. wap T.ap
of General Sheridan. said 10 ns LnaC Wnen
those guns In front OF the Glenn house ceased
| IN roar he look ed, and seeing Gen. Sherlaah =
men running he Immediately double-qulckeu
~ nstt.ry and brigade Of nye regiments Of
Infantry, armed with seven snootlng rlnes'
down to the Glenn house and gave Us tne en-.
| fiade fire just AZ our two regiments sWepI oy
in Inc woods. The 10Th ). Z. IL credited Will
| cantnriny the three pieces OF artillery posted
anon the hill On we went until we crossed
the Crawfish road, which was half mile De-
| uond inst point Then we halted aud zen.
yanigault brought up the three Alabama
| reSimspls and we reformed and moved oy the
rS1ht nm that road along which Gen. Rose.
Grams had bis army telegraph line' until ave we
inst al the foot OF the Snodgrass hills. .
Here we were placed In position with Dents
haitery lust on our right, aud which battery
supported all sGndsy nsS paa srar o.
55ne alih Alabama, and his body was placed III
the little house just In The little neid IN our
rear Long and stubborn WAS tne ngnt ~
| that point and Gen. BushTod johnston sue
ceedr,i in getting in the rear OF the enemy a1.
ter dark by going round the steep hlils ana
,Hi.ck ing Iiin In the rear when three Illinois
regiments were captured, thus ending the
Ami no lar as our command was concerned:
Hro make this 50 very Interesting we met the
IDENTICAL men we fought About nalf u dozen
NJ General Wilders men VINO Voucheo LOT
our statement or the Gienn nouse, ,a anu Snadl ah
srsss's in the evening fight. The men from
SSen. Kershaw's brigade fought ABOUT Two
| miles 10 our right.
dsnI. Gen Boynton, who was COMMANDING
the Regulars or the nlon army SAID tnat
when the men raised the yell and started lor
his men, that he told them men were eGnins ny
in their front that they had never lought De,
tore On they came: he poured shot ana
shell into them, but forward lhey Iusneo.
VoIiey after volley of his mems aeaaiy aau al IL
Trough the woods a flag IN the advance OF
ihe liae and upon IT. rs. G." On they came,
aay siiIl defiant. He said TO bis men, "a
,S6se coIors." Just then the flag bearer was
TiIIed and with his last living efforts he threw
the fiuv back down the hill " his conraaes
who carried 1t OF. He IL anxious " know Tue
n q
Kersbaw's brigade knows the name l Woulo
ai.dIv write 10 Gen. Boynton and have The
ssnot where he fell marked BY an appropriate
tablet. ,.. a.. ,,,, ,h., ,here 10 m
a,a,Tpc,ion shown 10 either Union or Confed-
crate Generals. The government puiIas just
| ths y. me kind of monument over oulh.
| Onr com III ission will recommend 10 Tue
eovernor 10 ask for an appropriation sum-
c,eniiv large 10 mark The daring OF South
Gsroiinians upon that field OF blood.
Jasked Gen. Boy ntou II there would De any
obiection 10 our placing the shaft on an emil.
ncnca very near 10 headquarters. DE salo,
none. because no troops that nave ever peen
here vet have claimed to have gone tnere Dut
turnIinians, Just there Kershaw captured u
ho,tarv saw the place marked where Capt,
+ NJ. Townsend was killed; where Col.
Hand of the 7th was killed; also where Major
Hafa Arc %1s wrsves OF the 7th Regiment men are
inst where they were buried, never having
'eeu Tuould % ike to ask the 10Th If any OF them
remembers passing or seeing & sen5 pTe sonss
fr No did we pass 1t TO the right or lett
II is called Bloody Pond because the wonn'
lied of both armies collected there " gel wa.
ter. l am Of the impression that II must
have been TO our right. would like TO know.
+ can assure the old soldiers OF The 18th and
7tb that their gallantry Is commented upon
me. am reporting 10 those regiments, OF
cuurse as include all of South Carolina's sons
In the above. ,o,,,, o,a,ar
set of men. a, -
generosity had overpOwered me, hut that |
found the same disparity In numbers exist.
i've to one. Their States make very liberal
npproprlations, and send more commissioners
tnan we do. .oo,
| erecied mon Suodgrass Range, which gives
Won a view Of the entire baLlle field at