The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-03
TOLD OF GEN. R0SECRANS
A STORY OF cHIckAMAuGA RELAT-
ED BY ONE WHO WAS WITH HIM.
Stirring Scenes Participated In by
Leading Generals of Both Armte.
During the War in the West.

Lexington CKy) Letter in Philadelphia
Times.
Private William H. Polk a well-Known
citizen of Lexington, who served under the
late General Rosecrans, was seen bv vour
correspondent to-day and asked to give
some of his recollections of the dead COM
Hander. AS Mr.. Polk was an orderly on
jeff c. Daviss staff at the famous battle
of Chickamauga and carried messages be-
tween him and General Roseerans he was in
a position to tell of some of the inside
workings of that great conflict Mr.. Polk
talked as follows:
Yes, l served under Rosecrans in Ten
nessee. My regiment. the Twenty-frst Il
linois-Grant's old regiment-first served in
Missouri and northern Arkansas. 1t then
went 10 Shiloh as part of the division Of
General Jeff c. Davis It was with him in
the advance on Corinth and one of the adj
vance regiments in pursuit of Beauregard
when he retreated southward And when
General Halleck, then commanding the
United States army, ordered Buell. to adj
vance on Chattanooga with his corps,
Davs's division formed a part of the force
This transferred us from the Western army
and we continued a part of the Army
of the Ohio and Cumberland, successiveiN
We were with Buell. in the long march to
Louisville, and his subsequents advance on
PerryviIle.
You know that Buell. was relieved of
command after the battle of Perryville,
which was fought Oct. s. 1862. bitter fight
had been going on against him for some
time, promoted principally by the Governors
of Illinois ard Indiana-Oglesby and Nor
ton-especially because Buell. had punished
a good many of their States troops for pill
I fho& IN,
Louisville to Perryville good many of the
new troops from Indiana and Illinois pill
LACED a great deal and Buell. was very
severe on them, holding that they were in
juring Union men as we'll as Southern
sympathizers. Then, after the battle of
Perryville, it was claimed that Buell. made
a botch of the affair. and his enemies Sc
cured the removal of that grand soldier and
strategist
Kentucky through Mount Vernon and Cum
herland Cap into East Tennessee Hal
leck and Stanton, secretary of war, wanted
Buell to follow him through the Kentucky
mountains, but Buell. insisted that it was
best to push his army down to Nashville.
"On Oct. "a Halleck relieved Buell. and
placed Rosecrans in command of the army.
The army soon learned to like their new
general, clubbing him old Rosy Halleck
and Stanton also urged Rosecrans to adj
vance into East Tennessee, but he ignored
their advice and marched on to Nash
vile, as Buell. ndQ suggested.
ARMY MOVEMENT.
1.-THE advance of Rosecranss army on
Murfreesboro commenced on Dec. &c. 1862,
our division passing through Knob Gap,
when our brigade, Carlin's, charged and
took two guns. Bragg waited for us with
his main army in front of Murfreesboro.
On the SOth our division went into line of
battle on the right wing, with Johnsons
division on our right. This was our extreme
right. In taking. position our brigade, Car
Inns, had a hot fight, our regiment los
ing heavily in charging After Grants
promotion in Missouri Lieutenant Colonel
j. W. S. Alexander was made colonel of the
regiment In going into position he saw two
or the enemy'S guns and ordered a charge
Ihey uncovered four more masked guns in
front and whole six-gun battery to the
right obllque, and tell you they made it
Next day Bragg hurled heavy masses
against our right, crushing Johnson's divi-
sion and taking our division-Davis's-- sin
Hank We had a desperate struggle and
were finally driven clear back across the
Wilkinson pike to the Nashville road. Ev-
erything was apparently lost to us, but the
center and left of the army stood firm.
and stayed the tide of disaster
Il was captured during this rout on our
right and saw Bragg stop at the Grissom
house, which was used as hospital He
looked as cold and impressive as a cake of
Ice. General Pat ClebuIne joined him and
1 took great fancy to him. He looked so
soldlerIy. AT this time our troops had re-
treated beyond the Wilkinson pike and were
making q desperate stand in the cedars and
rocks between the pike and the railroad.
year, and thought it a queer New Years
eve picnic. The fighting on Jan. l and
was desperate. the advantage being with
us. Our brigade was ordered to the left
10 oppose Breckinridge's celebrated charge.
We had about sixty cannon in position and
our brigade was in the reserve line. Riding
KOSecranS
the enemy pierces the first line. get up and
go at him with the bayonet.' But the line
was not broken, the terrible fire of the bat
teries repulsing Breckingridge's gallant
charges which Bragg had foolishly ordered.
This victory made Rosecrans a great IA
vorite, and the boys cheered him whenever
he appeared. Resting up for six months at
Murfreeesboro We prepared to advance on
chattanooga. The army had then reorgan-
lied our corps, McCook's. being designated
as the Twentieth Corps. The Tulahoma
campaign followed in June. Bragg declined
battle at Tullahoma, where it was offered
him. falling back across the Tennessee into
Chattanooga.
GETTING READY TO FIGHT
On Aug Halleck presumptively ordered
Rosecrans to advance. but the latter de-
layed until the 18th. Our corps, McCook's,
formed the right, Thomas's the center, and
Crittendens the left. Our corps advanced
by Stevenson, Ala, crossed Sand mountain
about thirty miles south of Chattanooga,
and also Lookout mountain, hating at AL
pine, Ga. We were swung away from
Thomas and he from Crittenden, and if we
had been attacked in detail. as Bragg or
dered General Polk to do, we would have
been destroyed. Our corps was in a critical
position at Alpine and a hurried movement
10 the left was necessary. concentrating at
Chickamauga. / was then an orderly to
General Davis, commanding our division,
and was detailed to carry a message to
General Thomas and General RoSecranS.
The message was written on thin paper
and ] was told to chew and swallow il If
captured 1 had a good horse and started
after dark. I climbed the mountain gap and
started at q gallop along the road which
led along the smooth mountain top. The
moon was shining brightly and spurred on
rapidly. kept my eyes skinned for the en-
envy, but encountered none. passed the |
cabin of q mountaineer and a dog ran out |
and pursued me some distance. l wanted TO |
shoot him, but was afraid shot would |
bring the enemy. About daybreak reached |
General Thomas and delivered the message. |
] then rode back TO Alpine, where | found |
the corps coming up the gap from the val
ley below.
our cavalry was covering the movement |
and the enemy's cavalry was pushing them |
hard. Al the top of the gap General Lyttle, |
author of that immortal poem, am Dy-
ing Egypt Dying, sat on his horse review
ipEr he for valley.