The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-12

the reformation of the wing, thereby saving
1t from Tout, although not without very
hard fighting, in which both sides lost heav-
lily. Two days later the battle was renewed
by furious assault on the national lines,
but after a sharp contest the enemy was
driven back with heavy loss. Unwilling to
engage in a general action, the Confederate
army Tetreated to the line of Duck river,
Murfreesboro. This battle was one of the
Dloodtest in the war, and resulted in a loss
of 9,511 men by the national forces. and 1926
by the Confederates. As soon as Vicksburg
was beyond the reach of possible succor
from Bragg, by a brilliant flank movement
Rosecrans dislodged him from his in
trenched camps at Shelbyville and Tulla-
homa, and in fifteen days, June "A to July
(, drove hina out Of Middle Tennessee. AS
soon as the railway was repaired ne occu-
pied Bridgeport and Stevenson. From the
fth of July to the 18th of August railway
bridges and trestles were rebuilt, the road
and rolling stock put in order, supplies
pushed forward and demonstrations made
to conceal the Point OK crossing the Ten.
nessee river From the 14th Of August till
the 1st of September he crossed the Cum
berland mountains and the Tennessee river,
and, threatening Braggs communication,
compelled him TO withdraw from lmpreg-
nable Chattanooga on the 9Th of Septem-
Der, and retire bel IND the Chickamauga I'M
til Gen. Joseph h. LCngstreets arrival with
his corps. -
Rosecrans concentrated his forces with
the utmost dispatch to meet the inevitable
combat. The battle was opened on the 18TH
by an attempt to gain possession OF the road
to Chattanooga, Continued through the day,
and resulted in Rosecrans defeating the at
tempt and planting George H. Thomas S
corps, reinforced by Gen. Richard w. john
sons and Gen. john M. Palmer's divisions,
firmly upon that road During the night
Longstreet came up, and was Immediately
given command of the Confederate left, On
the following morning the contest was re-
ticnal Ieft and center.
At this moment, by the misinterpretation
Of an oIder, Gen Thomas J: Woodss di W.
center, into which General LOngStreet
pressed his troops, forced Jefferson c.. Da--
off Philip II: SLeridan's three brigades of
the right, all of which, after gallant, but
unsuccessful, effort to stand this charge,
were ordered to reform the Dry Valley
road at the first good standing ground in
rear of the position they had lost. The two
divisions of Horatio p. Van Cleve and Da-
partly shattered by this break, and four or
five regiments were scattered through the
woods, but most of the stragglers stopped
with Sheridans and Davis's commands. The
remainder nearly seven divisions, were I'M
broken. and &C ntinued the fight.
EFFORT TO SAVE THOMAS.
The gallant Gen. George H. Thomas,
whose orders the night before, and reiter-
ated few moments before this disaster,
were to hold his position at all hazards.
continued the fight with seven divisions,
while General Rosecrans undertook to make
such dispositions as would most effectually
turn the position by advancing on the Dry
Valley road and capture the remaining COM
missary stores, then in a valley two or three
miles to the west Fortunately, this adj
vance was not made; the commissary train
was pushed into Chattanooga, the cavalry
ordered down, closing the ways behind the
national right, and General Thomas, after
the most desperate fighting, drew back at
night to Rossville in pursuance of orders
from General Rosecrans. On the 22d the
q VxTnC lfnnf tod NJ Nhnf 10 400
The. battle was victory to the Confeder-
ates only in name, for Chattanooga, the
o;oJective point OF the campaign, remained I
in possession of the national forces. The
total national loss, in killed, wounded and
missing, was 1919; the Confederate loss,
1854
General Rosecrans was relieved of his
command on the 23d of October, and he was
assigned to the Department of the Missouri
IN January, 1864, with headquarters in ST.
Louis, where he conducted the military OPP
erations that terminated in the defeat and
| expulsion from the State of the invading
Confederate forces under General Price. He
was placed on waiting orders at Cincinnati
on Dec 10, 1864, mustered out of the volun-
teer service on Jan. Is. 1866 and resigned
from the army on the 18th of March, 1867
after receiving the brevet of major general
in the regular army for his services at the
offered the Democratic nomination for Gov
ernor of California, but declined.
the mas Of Y SS and he 10 aef on
until the 18th of June, 1869, when he re-
turned to the United States, and declined
the Democratic nomination for Governor of
Ohio. Subsequently he resumed the prac-
tice of engineering, and in 1872 and 1873 was
engaged in an effort to initiate the construc-
ton of a vast system of narroW-gauge rail-
ways in Mexico, at the instance of Presi-
dent JuareZ. He became president, in 1871
! of the San Jose Mining Company and in
1878 of the Safety Powder Company, in San
| Francisco.
| He was also intrusted with the charter for
| an interoceanic railway from the Gulf of
a N
| republic, under considerations urged by him
| when envoy to Mexico, and he was request
| ed to use his influence to induce American
! railway building skill and capital to under
| take the work. He memOrialiZed Congress
| to cultivate friendly and intimate CONNER
] cial relations with Mexico, and to encour-
| age and assist the material progress of that
| country, and, at the instance of American
| and English railway builders and of Presi-
| dent JuareZ, he went to Mexico He had
/ for fifteen months ably discussed in the
newspapers the benefits of railway con-
| struction to Mexico that the legislatures of
! seventeen of the Mexican States passed
| al Congress to enact the legislation advo-
| Gated, and the Governors of six other States
| sent official recommendations to the same
| effect. In 1876 General RoSecranS declined
| the Democratic nomination for Congress
! from Nevada. He was elected as a Dem
ocrat to Congress from California, served
| from the 9Th of December, 1881, till the 4th
| of the United States treasury in June, 1885,
which office he held for four years. At the
| expiration of his term of office he retired to
| his ranch in California, where the closing
years of his eventful life were passed.