The National tribune., 1901-06-06

in the underbrush and rocks. After severe
| fighting Davis was driven back, where
| upon Wilder's Brigade charged, and by 6
| right-oblique movement OF tbA right of tn,
brigade, and rapid firing of our seven
| shooters, cleared Davis's front and saved
battery for him. Davis having reformed
| his division, we fell back to our temporary
works and were hardly there when the
rebels in tremendous masses came out OF
| the woods near Vineyard, and fell or
| Davis with crushing effect driving him he
fore them like chaff moving Obliquely t.
our right. Davis's men were driven bacl
to our right, many of them crowding over
our works, and as soon as the front was
clear we opened terrible fire on those il
front, driving them back. and then, by ad
vancing and changing front to the right
we opened Il murderous intilading fire OF
them, which sent them back with heavy
loss. Crittenden and Davis rallied tn,
latter's division, Crittenden being very
near capture at one time, and as we with
| drew Dayis's Division again advanced
under a terrible fire to the woods east oi
the Vineyard field, but was soon repulsed
and fell back across the field to the woods
on its west side, reforming and opening
fire. The rebels followed to washOut oI
gully, which ran across the field, into
which their lines jumped as cover when
we rallied at the woods, preparatory to
another rush at him. Wilder saw his
chance, Immediately moved forward,
changing front to right, placing two guns
of Lllly'S Battery so as to rake the ditch,
opening on them with canister at 10 yards
while the Spencers tore through them as
they leaped out of the death-trap and fed
to the woods, despite all efforts of their
officers to rally them, the supporting lines
being torn to pieces by the terrible fire.
Liily's other guns joined in the fight. and
L. .l.,V.
double-shotted 10-pound canister at 10 TO
$40 yards range. The field was strewn
with rebel dead and wounded, mostly of
Hindman's and PreSton's Divisions. We
withdrew to our former position, and
Davis had reformed his division on our
right front, with part of Sheridan's Divi-
sion, which had come up and joined him in
his attack and repulse.
Sept. 20th the lines were reformed to
the rear of yesterdays battle, Davis's Di-
vision being to our left front. midway
perhaps between the Widow Glenn's and
the Dyer House. Woods Division was on
his left, ard Sheridan in front of the
Glenn House and to its right. We were
now near and parallel to the Dry Valley
road. The battle opened and ragged along
the new line, and all seemed going well
with us until Wood moved out of line
under q mistaken order. Davis with his
two brigades closed to the left as Wood
moved out, and Sheridan moved to the
left to fill Davis's place. Wilder's Bri-
gade was moved to the right and rear of
the Glenn House en- echelOn to Sheridan.
When Wood moved out of line. after noon.
BushrOd johnson discovered the gap, and
LOngStreet pushed his troops in there be-
fore Davis could close it. Davis made
desperate efforts to close in on Brannan.
who was driven back on the other side of
the gap, but was forced back, although
Bradley's Brigade, of Sheridan's Division,
had closed up to his assistance. AsSailed by
Hood and Buckncr Davis was being both
tanked and driven, when Sheridan brought
up LaibOldt's Brigade in columns Of regi-
mentS, which charged en- masSe to force
the rebels back, but was repulsed. Lytle
was then closed in to the left from the
Glenn House towards Dycr's, and the
fighting was terrible. But the length of
the rebel lines enabled them to overlap
Sheridan's right, and his men were coming
back in disorder. Wilder at once ad-
vanced his lines, striking the enemy in
flank and driving them for more than a
mile, until beyond the Glenn House,
which was set on fire during the fighting
by shells, where we were severely engaged
for some time. We then fell back to
Sheridan's light works at the Glenn
House, but finding that Sheridan had been
driven back on the left, and the rebels
swinging in between us and him, and even
firing Oh Our led horses. Wilder fell back
to a ridge behind the Glenn place, having
about 300 prisoners, but had to abandon
the guns Sheridan's command left at the
Glenn House, having no horses for them
g. a. Dana, Assistant Secretary of
War, came up at this time (having lost
his way to Chattanooga, just as Wilder
was about to form his brigade on the left
to fall on the rear of Hood and Hindman,
who had swept Davis and Sheridan from
the field and made right wheel toward
NiletOc's. Dana ordered him to cover the
rear and escort the trains, etc, towStd
Chattanooga, which he did. The brigade
lost 107 killed and wounded and IS miss
ing in action.
In The National Tribune of April 6,
1893, Lieut.. G.. Il. Belknap, 21st Mich.
has an article on Chickamauga. He COM
manded part of the skirmish line in front
of Lytle's Brigade, which had thrown up
light breastwOrks on the morning of the
10th along in front of the Glenn House.
After Lytle's Brigade was moved to the
left toward the Dyer House, or lanyard.
its skirmish line was driven in on the
works near the Glenn House, and were
making Il stubborn resistance, many of
them being armed with Colts repeating
rifles, when Wilder's Brigade came up
from right and rear. Beiknap writes:
Coming IN from every angle of the front
We're the SkirmshcrS. In a short time at
least 300 men were about the Glenn
House. Sheridan's entire division had
moved to the left, and the skirmishers
were cut off and surrounded. We had but
time to get into position behind our works
before the enemy were upon us. The roar
Of battle to the left was deafening.
In the midst of one of these conflicts there
came cheers from what had been our rear
and then came charging down through the
woods long lines of boys in blue. driving
the enemy like chaff in the wind before
them. 1t was but a moment and Gen.
Wilder, of the 'Hatchet Brigade was
at my side. Gen. Wilder ordered me to
retire my men behind his line and take
position to support his batteries of light
brass guns, which were sending shells
into the midst of the enemy's moving
troops as they came up. A regiment NOV
ing up through the timber turned to their
left in files of four, coming straight to-
ward the battery, not more than 80 rods
away. The guns were turned OIL these
men. The first shell seemed to strike the
on end, taking out the two center
files the entire length. In an instant they
were on the run like q flock of sheep In
Sheridan and Davis formed their shat
tered divisions near the Dry Valley road,
along it toward Viletoe's, and,
if my memory serves me right, they had
a severe fight with LOngstreet's left,
which was swinging around. 1t is but
justice to the men of those divisions to
say that they fought CALAMITY and per-
against overwhelming numbers,
and were never the crowd of fupitivaS