Evening star., 1897-01-16

recently named as the one which entered
into his controversy was dated the after
noon of September %
The two first were sent from a point a
mile south of Rossville or six miles south
of Chattanooga, ard declared the Union
army TO be in that city in great confusion
and hastily evacuating the place. when, as
matter of fact, 1t was in line in very
strong position. and most skillfully form
ed, within easy range for field pieces of
FORESTS position, and in his immediate
front. the forests effectually concealing it.
or this TACT Bragg, however, was inform
ed. and had telegraphed to Richmond that
the enemy still confronted him. The third
dispatch was sent from a point on the
Rossviile road to Chattanooga. about two
miles and a half from the city, in the af-
ternoon of the 22d. 1t reached General
Bragg about o'clock. 1t also represented
that General Rosecrans was evacuating
Chattanooga.
General Longstreet claims that this dis
patch changed Bragg's plans, and while
his army had been disposed, and the move
ments to his right begun, looking to cross
ing the Tennessee above Chattanooga, and
marching on Rosecrans' lines of commune
cation. with the view of compelling him 10
retreat after reading Forests dispa tch, he
gave orders for direct attack upon Chat
tanooga instead.
A rough outline map will make the situa-
ton clear.
The Situation.
At the opening of the campaign Bragg oc-
cupied Chattanooga. Rosecrans was sixty
miles northwest, beyond the Cumberland
mountains. With Chattanooga as his OBJ
jective he crossed the Cumberlands, the
Tennessee river. Raccoon and Lookout
mountains, and came down east Of the lat
ter. twenty-six and forty-two miles. re-
spectively, south of Chattanooga, the rails
at these points being the only practicable
roads for wheels over the range. Bragg
thereupon evacuated the city and took post
at Lafayette. twenty-six miles south of the
city, and so directly opposite Rosecrans
center. Bragg. reinforced by Longstreet
from the Army of Northern Virginia, start
Chattanooga, while Rosecrans also marched
north toward Chattanooga. The armies
met September ~. 1863, on the Chicka-
mauga field. nine miles south of the city,
and fought for two days, the plan of each
being to gain control of the Lafayette road
which was the road to Chattanooga, each
therefore, trying to hold possession of that
road between the other and the city. At
the close of the second days battle Sep
tember 2O) Bragg had succeeded, and held
the road three miles south of Rossville
At dusk General Thomas withdrew his
army from the field, marched it through
McFarland's Gap to Rossville Gap and at
midnight had established it again across
the Lafayette road between Bragg and the
city, the objective of the campaign
On the morning of the 21st the entire
Army Of the Cumberland, with very incon-
siderable exceptions, was in position, as in
dicated on the map, in Rossville Gap, on
the ridge to the right and left of 1t, and
across the valley to Lookout mountain, eff
fectually blocking Braggs direct advance
to Chattanooga.
Early in the forenoon of the 2lst. the
morning after the close of the battle at
Chickamauga, Forrest having two divisions
q which
mounted. moved north on the Lafayette
road to point to the left of and in front
of Rossville Gap. Ascending one of The
spurs of Missionary Ridge, but evidently
where the near view was so obstructed by
the forests that he could not discover the
solid formation of the Army of the Cum.
berland in his immediate front, he sent the
following dispatches to Bragg:
ON THE ROAD, September 81 1868.
General:-We are within a mile Of Rossville
Have he been on the point of Missionary Ridge. Can
see Chattanooga and everything around. The
enemys trains are leaving, going around the point
Of Lookout mountain
The prisoners captured report two pOntoOns
think they are evacuatinE as hard as they can 60
ing: l think we ought to press forward as rapidly
as possible n B. FFoespsssssy FopsT b4saa,er S General,
Please forward to General Bngg.
MISSIONARY RIDGE
On the Point opposite, South Of RossviIie
III
Lieut.. Gen. Polk.
General:-I am on the point as designated, where
1 can observe the whole Of the valley. They are
evidently fortifying, / can distinctly hear the
sound OF axes In great numbers.
The appearance Is still In last dispatch that
he is hurryng toward Chattanooga. He is cut
ting timber on the point Of this ridge have lust
captured captain and two privates who were
acting part OF a corps Of observers. He (the
captain) reports that number Of forces passed up
the road toward Chattanooga, but does not know
who. what their numbers. They passed up about
pm yesterday. n B. FORREST,
The Crucial Dispatch.
The first of these dispatches is the one
which II Is claimed Gen. Longstreet re-
CARDS as the Crucial dispatch of the war,
and the disregard Of which fixed the fate
OF the confederacy" But The Star has
shown that Gen. Brage was fully aware of
the fact that the Union army still con-
fronted him at Rossville, five miles south
Of Chattanooga. instead Of having moved
on to the city. as Forests dispatches de-
clared. and so was not evacuated as hard
as they could 60" The dispatch Of Gen.
Forrest which formed q part of the con-
troversy between Gems. Longstreet and
Bragg was not sent until the afternoon OF
the next day (22dl. It was written from q
point on the Rossville and Chattanoo1a
road. half way between these towns and
70 about two and . half miles from each.