Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-09-19
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N ~ n 1~~@~ ADVERSARY
1OllJ e 1DEIOcS WAR STORY
:; IS, OF Chickamauga

copyright, 1903, by G. L. Kilmer.]

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
copyright, 1903, by G. L. Kilmer.]
t 1THE battle was lost at 3 o'clock
in the afternoon of Sept. 20,
but, like the hero Of Marengo,
sturdy old Thomas felt that
there was time to fight another If he
! only had the troops. His last man had
J been put in to save the army from be-
ing surrounded. A gap less than mile
I'm length remained to be covered by the
Confederates to make their circle COM
p}ete, and they were rushing in from
two directions.
Longstreet was forming his ranks of
i; gray upon spur Of Horseshoe ridge
to drive the charge home. His guns
were unlimbering on hill where they
could rake Thomas line lengthwise,
: and that dauntless hero, with die-in-
= our-tracks look on his face, felt that
the hour had come to die. The odds in
men and guns were at least two to one
beaten in battle, had never yet retreat
cd.
And as things stood at Chickamauga
there would be no chance Of retreating
with more than fragment of the
troops If Longstreet's men rushed on
and closed the narrow gap behind
Thomas. The way of retreat would
be shut, the road from Chickamauga
creek to Chattanooga through the noun
tain pass at Rossville. Back on the
Rossville road, four miles from the bat
tie field, Gordon Changers reserve corps
had been stationed some days before
to guard the rear of the army against
surprise.
Throughout the morning of the Goth
the roar of battle and the clouds of
dust from moving troops told Granger
OF fierce struggle on Thomas line.
"They (the Confederates) are concen-
trating over there" he said to his staff.
There is where we ought to be-"
He waited impatiently until II
O'Clock, scanning the region with his
deld glass. Then he declared, with an
oath, Ppm going to Thomas, orders or
no ORDERS"
III you 60 it may bring disaster upon
our army" interposed his chief aid.
~There's nothing on my front now
but ragtag and bobtail cavalry" he ex-
claimed. "Don't you see Bragg Is pill
Ing his whole army on Thomas?"
Granger started with two brigades,
leaving third to do the work of guard
ing the road. Clouds Of dust were
stirred up by the marching men, and
couple Of miles out the column was
tired on by rifle skirmishers, and two
guns were planted in open woods.
A little farther on the column came
to Thomas field hospital and found it
In the hands Of Forests Confederate
cavalry. Granger cleared the hospital
OF gray troopers and next met an aid
from Thomas who had come out to see
df the dust clouds raised by the column
meant the approach of new foes or
friends. At l o'clock Granger grasped
Thomas by the hand as he stood anx-
dously watching Longstreet's swelling
ranks on Horseshoe ridge. "Those
men must be driven back" said he,
pointing to the batteries and the men
behind them.
''Can you do it?' said Thomas.
Eyes. My men are fresh and just the
fellows for the work"
No time was wasted maneuvering.
AT the command Right face! For
ward march" the brigades Of Whita-
ker and Mitchell wheeled into line with
their division commander, General
Steedman, at their. head, carrying the
nag Of regiment. At that instant
Longstreet's guns flashed out on the
ridge, and Thomas said: There, Gen.
eral Steedman; you can see their exact
position. You must take that ridge!'
'I'u do it," Steedman exclaimed.
Granger touched Steedman familiarly
on the shoulder and said, ''Sted, old
boy, it's going to be deuced hot in
there
Eyes, general; it looks So"
Granger continued, "Sted, If any,
thing should happen, you know, have
you any request"
Eyes, general" Steedman said in the
same calm tone. IF 1 fall please see
that my name is spelled correctly in
the newspapers" This was hint that
the jump from the nickname "Sted" to
Stedman was natural in excited war
correspondents.
In twenty minutes the charge was
over and Longstreet's men flying back
down the southern slope of the ridge.
After few leaps forward Steedman's
horse pitched headforemost, throwing
his rider violently to the ground. The
enemy met the charge with she'll and
canister and then with murderous RI
de fire. Steedman lost / 1000 men out of
$500, but Thomas line was now plant
ed on the ridge coveted by Longstreet.
When Granger reached the field
Thomas men had used up all their
ammunition and the supply train had
been cut off. The cartridges brought
by Changers men were divided among
The troops on the line, but when the
enemy massed new force and dashed
Tor the ridge there was nothing to
check them but cold steel Steedman