Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-03-06

BuShrod JOhnSon's brigade in advance. The Union troops in the center made a. better resistance and somewhat de layed. the advance. They changed front under fire and chung tenaciCusly to their new line, facing the gap and the victory flushed foe. But they, too, had to give way before the furious dash and overwhelming onslaught of the vic torious Confederates, now in greatly superior force, until finally there was nothing left of the Union line but the still heavily assaulted left wing.
 CHATTER AXIV.
 '+raE ROCK OF oHIcKAMAUaA." g%TN1HHRB was now Hull in the
 battle on the right The fierce charge and countercharges
 were intermitted Longstreet was reforming his men, preparing to sweep Thomas from the field. So, too, there was a momentary respite from the attacks to which the Union left had been subjected all morning. The two exhausted armies rested where they were for breathing space ere they renewed the action Thomas took advantage of this respite to- with draw his troops to the rear to a more favorable defensive position. There was semicircular hill back of Kel- ley's field, called by many on account of its shape the horseshoe and by oth- CTS Snodgrass hill, from the home of small farmer which stood on the top of 1t. A spur of Missionary ridge extending out to the eastward, it rises about hundred feet above the sur rounding country It's top Is undulat- ing and broken. Some distance to the westward, in the rear of its crest there is shallow ravine, beyond which rise other hills, one ridge in par- ticular running east and west and commanding the horseshoe. It was thickly wooded, and in places very <steep. As it covered both the Ross vile and Dry Valley roads Thomas determined to re-establish his line there.
 The troops as they retreated up the slopes were thrown around the crest of the hill and preparations made for another series of assaults to be expect ed Firing on the right had not yet been resumed, and Thomas, ignorant of the disaster, having received no word, fancied this to mean the rebels had been repulsed and had given over the attack. He confidently expected re-enforcements and fought on, eager ly looking for the hoped for succor. He did not know that he was left alone with his four divisions to fight the whole Confederate army.
 Presently a cloud of dust rising above the treetops indicated body of men approaching Snodgrass bill from the right. Hoping, praying, that it was Sheridan's division coming to his assistance, Thomas directed staff of ficer to ride down and make sure of it. The soldier came back at full gallop and reported that he did not think it was Sheridan's division, but the troops of the enemy.
 To meet this new danger Thomas hurriedly extended his lines to the right and rear along the edge of the hill, occupying the position at first by a single Ohio regiment, and re-enforc- ing 1t by stragglers from different di- visions who began drifting into his lines in considerable numbers from the routed right. Each one brought q tale of defeat and disaster which might well have appalled, the stoutest heart.
 1t did not take Thomas many min utes to surmise that he was left with a fraction of the Union troops to hold Snodgrass hill in the face of the whole Confederate army. If he gave way, if he retreated or were driven from that field, the Army of the Cumberland would be irretrievably ruined, routed, smashed, battered to pieces, destroyed.
 The expected attack was not long in coming. Sweeping forward with re- sistless force, excited and stimulated by their tremendous successes of the morning, Longstreet's veterans hurled themselves upon the hill. Again and again the gray deluge came rolling up the slope as a mighty wave assaults a rock shore. Again and again they were beaten back by the wall of fire which ringed its crest. The continuous rattle of the musketry was like the rolling of a mighty drum. It was scarcely possible on either side to use artillery to much advantage, and the men fought it out hand to hand attacks mainly, with small arms.
 Sometimes when the desperate gray ranks perilously neared the crest a countercharge with fixed bayonets drove them, after horrible struggles, down the hill. The carnage was fright full. The slopes were soon covered with dead and dying. There was no water to be had, no food, no rest, no respite even. It was fight, fight, fight, until the brain reeled The hill ran with blood. There was little pond on the field. Divisions fought for it, wounded men and horses struggled to it, buried their heads in the sickening bloody water-drank and died.
 The heat was terrific. The dry trees and underbrush caught fire here and there from the rifles fire. The smoke hung low over the hill. Mems forms appeared through it in ghastly yellow outlines. The flashes of the rifles and guns pierced the murky clouds with long lances of flame.