The National tribune., 1902-08-14

struck in front and flank. His right was
! flung back; his left stood fast. Sheridan
fastening to the left with his two bri
gades, was called back and rushed to the
rescue. His little force stayed the storm
for a time. Wave after wave of Confed.
crates came on; resistance only increased
the multitude. Brcnnan's artillery, at
tackled in flank, rushed to the rear for
clearer ground. and. with the Confeder-
ates at their heels, suddenly plunged into
Van Cleve marching to the aid of Thomas.
Disorder enSued: effective resistance was
lost. The reserve artillery of the center,
well posted in the rear, unable to manu-
yer in the underground, hedged around by
infantry half hour before, was now
without immediate support. The sudden
rush of Longstreets compact column
through the forest had foiled all plans.
The astonished artillerists were swept
from their guns. Gen. Negley, with one
of his brigades isolated in the rear, shared
the general fate of the right. When
LOngstreet struck the right Rosecrans was
near McCook and Crittenden. Seeing our
line swept back, he hurried to Sheridan's S
force for aid. With staff and escort he
recklessly strOve to stem the tide. They
attempted to pass to the left through a
storm of canister and musketry, but were
driven back. All became confusion. No
of battle. With wild yell the COnfed-
crates swept on far to their left. They
seemed everywhere victorious. Rosecrans
was borne back in the retreat.
-Four divisions only of the Union army re-
mained in their original position.
Thomas, expecting the promised assist
ance of Sheridan, had sent Capt. Kellogg
to guide him to the left. Kellogg, hurry
ing back, reported that re had been fired
on by a line of Confederates advancing
in the woods in the rear of Reynolds, who
held the center of our general line. The
men i'll gray were coming on the right in
stead of Sheridan! Fortunate
ly, Thomas had just repulsed Breckin-
ridges attack on his left
LoNGsTREET MAKES A SUGGESTION.
About this time Longstreet partook of
lunch, consisting of Nassau bacon and
Georgia sweet potatoes" While eating it
he received summons from Bragg, whom
he found some distance in the rear. After
explaining to Bragg what he had done,
LOngstreet suggested way to finish the
work. He said: Abandon the plan for
battle by our right wing, or hold it to
defense, draw off a force from that 'front.'
move swiftly down the Dry Valley road
pursue the retreating forces, occupy the
gaps of the ridge behind the enemy stand
ing before our right and call that force
to its own relief" Longstreet further
says: HE Bragg) was disturbed by the
failure of his plan and the severe repulse
of his right wing and was little prepared
to hear suggestions from subordinates for
other moves or progressive work. His
words as l recall them were: There
is not a man in the right wing who has
any fight in him.
Bragg then rode off without approving
or disappearing Longstreet's plan. Yet,
according to Gen. D. II. Hill, there was
at that very moment the whole Of Cheath-
ans Division and a brigade besides, that
had not been engaged during the day.
When Bragg rode away from him Long
street said: "There is nothing for the
left wing to do but to work along as best
it can" The result OF the battle is well
known, and l shall not go further into
detail Charles A. Dana, then Assistant
Secretary Of War, who witnessed the de-
of Rosecrans's army, the re-
suit of Longstreet's masterpiece of tao
tics" telegraphed to Secretary Stanton:
"Chickamauga is as fatal a name in our
history as Bull Run"
1t was, however, a fruitless victory, so
far as permanent results were concerned.
The mistakes and blunders of Gen. Bragg
were many, especially after Chickamauga,
around Chattanooga, and Longstreet was
denied the exquisite pleasure of planting
his banners on the banks of ''The Beauti-
full River"