The Wadsworth dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1892-1899, 1895-10-30
ON FIELD.
The Great Battle Tast Occurred sept ID
and 20, 1868.

The Great Battle Taat Occurred sept ID
and 20, 1868.
With the sole exception Of Gettvs-
burg, Chickamauga was tire most san
culinary battle which had TINS far ever
been fought on the American continent.
1t took its name appropriately enough
from the creek along the banks Of which
the stubborn encounter ragged most
f1ercely-a stream Whoee Indian nanle is
said to signify "riVer OF Geash. " uCse-
Grams, with his army Of 80, G G men, lad
marched out of Chattanooga ia tie late
summer of 1868 in pursuit Of Bragg,
who seemed to be retreating southwark.
But the Confederate commander, receiy-
ing re-enfo1cemcnts which brought his
force up to 10, 600 mon, turned sudden.
ly about and fell upon RosecrGns with
great yigor Gu tie morning of the 18th
of September. All day long the battle
ragged with tie utmost fury. II was
Bragg's plan to crush tie Federal left
flank, seize The roads to C~hnttanooga.
cut Rosecrans elf from bis base u sup
plies and capture or destroy his ont 10
army. But fortunately tie Union left
the "keypoint" Ct the Vice situation
was commanded by that wonderfully
tenacious thieftain, Major General
George II. Thomas, who On that fealfal
day we'll won his famous title of "1Ee
Rock of Ch-ckamauFa."
Though the Confederate attack, made
by superior Numbers, was both fierce
and determined, it had gltned no i'm
PORTRAIT advantage until Il terrible dis
Iste" h0tcll the center of The Union line
through II misunderstanding of orders
which led General Wood to withdraw
an entire division. Through the gap
thus left Lorgstreet Immediately threw
six divisions, dividing McCook's corps
from the rest of the Enion army and
scattering the entire right wing in great
confusion.
Tho disaster seemed TO be irreparable.
Rosecrans himself, apparently believing
that all was lost, left The field and fed
to Chattanooga to gather up the frag.
ments Of his beaten and disorganized
forces and make a last stand there. But
Thomas, ~undaunted as the mountains
which doomed above him, chung to his
position until he was REINFORCED by the
reserve under General Gordon Granger.
With less than half as many men he
beat back repeated onsets of almost the
entire Confederate army. The slaughter
along his lines was frightful. Evening
came. The Union ammunition was ex-
hausted, and Thomas men met and
hurled back with cold steel the final
desperate charges of the enemy. Then,
under the shelter Of darkness, Thomas
withdrew TIE heroic fragments Of his
corps toward Chattanooga.
Technically Chickamauga was a Con-
federate victory, and beyond a certain
Hiolal advantage the bloody triumph
was fruitless, fer Chattanooga remained
in Union hands until Grant and Sher-
man came mp and raised it's siege in the
splendid campaign which eliminated in
the thrilling struggle "above the
clouds" on Lockout Mountain. The
Union loss at Chickamauga was IS, 900
men killed, wounded and prisoners; the
Confederate from 1900 to 90, 600
This record eloquently a;tesrs the stub
born and desperate nature of the fight
ing, which extended over two whole
days, the 10Th and goth of September.
-Four brigadier generals commanding
fell Tn either side. Among the Union
officers WHO especially distinguished
themselves we've Philip H. Sheridan,
who led a division, and James A. Gar
field, Rosecrans' chief Of staff, who was
made % major general after the battle
for his gallant and meritorious sery-