The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-01-24

under hlo command.
The right put to fight, the Oonled.
crates prepare to crush the remainder of
the army. All around the ''horseshoo''
they gather their forces and hurl them
against the blue coats The first onset
fails. There must be another A econd
waves goes rolling on and dashes against
the logs behind which the one armed
Army Of the Cumberland is fixed. 1t
recedes without making breach Ii
will need more such waves---a constant
ly beating surf. Surely that curve. with
fianks bent almost in n circle. almost
touching, cannot be called line OF bat
tie. 1t may be a curve Of battle but how
can such O curve stand against the
whole Army Of the Tennessees
But this curved array of bayoncts
Is too tough TO be broken in front. IL
must be taken in flank. There is a ridge
just beyond the right heel of the
Horseshoe. /" 1t has been abandoned by
the Unionists. No one seems TO know
why Climb mp, Confederates; seize this
ridge. 1t commands the Union right
Once firmly lodged there you can ham,
mer them numerically.
And the gray coats do climb the ridge
and drag artillery with them.
The Union commander sees them and
at a glance discerns that without force
to drive them from it his army Is lost.
There is no such force. Every man is
engaged and needed where he is. The
generals brow is knit, and his square
mouth sets even more firmly than before
''There is cloud Of dust rising over
| there to the north, general, and men
marching under it, !" said an aid. II
wonder who they are"
1t makes a great difference to the
bounded general whether they are
| friends or enemies He looks anxiously
| in the direction pointed out by his aid
and orders him to reconnoiter the un-
certain column. The officer rides for
ward to point where he can ges . good
view, draws rein, dismounts, and climb
| ing q fence brings fieldglass to bear
ON the advancing troops. They are far
| from him. They are covered with dust,
AID their flags are furled, so that be
| cannot tell whether they are blue or
| gray. II they are gray. that means de-
struction for the troops defending them
selves in the horseshoe. II they aro blue,
they may serve as forlorn hope on the
ridge commanding the Union right.
The aid not only sees these troops.
but the troops see the aid. They, too,
wonder If he is blue or gray. Neither
can tell. but from his position they sus-
pect him to wear blue. At any rate.
| they accurue that ha doas
Suddenly every flag is unfurled, dis
| playing the stars and stripes.
| Enough. Mounting his horse, the aid
rides over the ground between him and
the head of the advancing column.
"Who are these troops?"
"'The first division Of the reserve
corps.'
Posted at the opening of the struggle
30 guard bridge across the Chickamau-
ga on ths extreme north of the battle-
field, with orders to hold it at all haz-
ards, this division had for two days
listened to the sounds Of fighting with
out firing shot. The Confederates had
made a crossing without using the
bridge watched, and the division was a
useless guard. On Sunday morning It's
commander, chatting at inaction, yet
dreading the consequences that might
occur, the blame attending disobetii-
ence of orders, determined to burn the
bridge and march to the relief of COM
rades whom he OWNED were being hard
pressed. Gathering his principal officers
in a church near by. hdt dtannounced to
them what he proposed to 10. The little
church, unused at that hour of that holy
day to anything moro vigorous than Q
minister pounding the pulpit or the
strains of "Old Hundred, rang with
the asserting acclamations of soldiers.
Marching through fields Of yellow
corn, guided only by distant but con-
tinuous roar, the division each moment
lessened the distance between it and the
army whose fate hung on its quick COM
ing. The direction taken led them to-
ward the north side of the horseshoe
and the rear of the Confedorates. First
small body of Confederate cavalry,
guarding hospital, were met. These
were easily scattered, and the column
moved on. Striking the Chattanooga
road, the division marched on down IL.
There were heights to the east. and on
these were guns. It was plain to the
gunners that the advancing column was
q rescuing column. They opened fire to
delay it. The Union troops did not heed
them. There was more important
enemy--a more important work farther
on.
But they were marching directly in
rear of the Confederate line. Filiag to
the right, through an orchard and open
fields beyond, they came to point where
the dim outline of the troops engaged
could be seen through the cverhangin2 z
clouds of smoke. The reserve halted in
field between the two bent fanss-'
the two heels Of tho horseshoe.
Continued Tomorrow
More Than Centu>y Of life.
Mrs. Catharine holland died in Litch-
field, Ills, last week, aged ll2 years