The National tribune., 1906-09-20
CHICKANIAUGA.
4 True Story of the Break I'm the Line
of Battle on Sunday. Sept. 20, 1853.

~ lfue story rnc bTeHh tine
of Battle on Sunday. Sept. 20, 1868.
Editor National Tribune: On Satur-
day night. about 1890, Gen. Woods Di-
vision was moved from the extreme
right, where it had been heavily en-
gagged from p. m. until night, and at
the above hour it was moved some one
and a half miles to the left and rear
and placed in reserve. On Sunday
morning there was a heavy fog. Be-
tween s and 9 a. m. we received orders
to move on to the line of battle to take
the place of some division that had
moved to the left. In going into line
our skirmishers ran into the enemy's
picket line, and for a few minutes there
was a brisk exchange of shots between
the skirmiShers on each side where they
came together, as they did on most of
the line. We took some prisoners. My
battery Goth Ohio Light Ind'p't Bat
terry was the only one that accompa-
MED the division to the line; the others
of the division (Sth Ind. and 26th Pa
We're parked on what was known as the
Peach Orchard, and. if / mistake not,
most OF the batteries of the corps were
parked on this hill: at least, six were.
After getting into position, say, about
500 or $50 a. M, the fog had COM
menced to rise, and we could see the
lay of the ground There was a light
line of breastworks made of small logs.
rails and brush, and from this line to
the Chattanooga and Lafayette road
they all ran in at an angle, or about Il
left oblique. Gen. Wood directed ME to
place one section on the line and leave
the other four about 100 yards in the
rear. We had probably been on the
linz va,,ta -l,4y
rode up and handed Gen. Wood a paper
which was as follows, in substance at
least:
The General commanding directs
that you close on and support Gen
Reynolds"
Gen. Wood at once called Capt
Bonds attention to the fact that he
could not comply with the orders be-
cause Gen. Brannan's Division was be-
tween him and Reynolds. He (Wood)
also pointed out what we believed to be
the main line of the enemy, which was
not over 100 yards from our line, and
between the two lines at this point there
was small cleared field, containing
four or five acres, more or less Gen
Wood said, after showing Capt Bond:
Return to Gen. RoSecrans and tell him
how the divisions are located on the
line, and l Will not move until further
orders from him" At this time there
was not shot fired on our division
front. Capt. Bond rode off.
During the time that Bond was there
Gems. Wood. Harker and myself We're
standing little TO the right of the right
gun that l had on the line, and the two
guns were near the center of Harker's
Brigade, and, if 1 mistake not, Harker.s
Brigade occupied the left of our division
at this time on the line. In some 10 or
Is minutes after Bond rode off Gems.
Rosecrans and Garfield rode up to
where we were still standing and Gen.
Garfield said to Wood:
I'VE want you to pull out of the line
and go to the support of Gen. Reynolds,
as We wish to get the divisions of the
corps together, and we have a division
here to take Your place"
Just at this time Gems. McCook. Sher-
idan and Davis appeared. McCook, Da-
Wis and Sheridan were riding together
and with the two divisions following
close TO them in column, marching
slowly through the brush After Car
field had told Gen. Wood how to move,
in rear of Brannan's Division, Wood
said:
My division fought their way on to
this line. know the ground and where
the rebel line is. and why not take one
of these divisions and go to Reynolds's
support"
NO" Garfield replied; 1--WE want the
corps together"
Gen. Wood then gave the proper or
ders to Harker and myself, and sent the
necessary orders to the other brigades,
and the move commenced. After Gar
field and Rosecrans left us they Joined
McCook, Sheridan and Davis. who were
probably so or 60 yards distant The
battery could not follow the division:
We had 20 go out on the same road that
we had come in on. ] limbered to the
rear. The two guns that were on the
line rejoined the other four, and had
commenced to move out toward the
Chattanooga and Lafayette road when
the rebel charge was made.
1t struck Sheridans and Davis's Diyi-
sions while moving or standing in coll
umn facing to the left. and as the rebels
had but short distance to come they
were on and among our men before
they had time to do anything or get to
the line of breastworkS. As the road
that had to go on to enable me to get
to the Chattanooga and Lafayette road
ran, as We faced TO the rear almost IT
left oblique. ii threw me in Is or 90
steps of whore Rosecrans. Garfield, Nc
Cook. Sheridan and Davis were sitting
on their horses talking. As / passed
with the two guns to Join the four in
the rear, / had not proceeded 100 wards
to the rear when the charge occurred
The Generals, their Aids and escorts
came tearing through the brush as fast
as their horses could run, followed
closely by the men of the two divisions
and those in rear mixed with the rebels
They ran through my battery and on
both sides, and before / reached the
Chattanooga and Lafayette road the
enemy were to our right, left and among
us.
Just before reaching the Chattanooga
and Lafayette road the underground
was not so dense. and / turned off to
the right, following after our men to-
ward the Dry Valley road, about 100
yards i'll rear of our men, who were
moving in an unorganiZed mass and
the enemy were about in the same con-
dition-all broken up. AS soon as the
enemy came to the Chattanooga and
Lafayette road they halted, | suppose
to reform. In a few minutes the enemy
threw out skirmish line and moved
across the open ground toward the hills
to the west, and came no farther than
the hills. At the same time this main
line made its appearance in the edgo
of the timber. So far as one could
judge there was not over one large or
two small brigades. There may have
been larger force, but if so they did
not become visible. While standing on
this first bench of hills ] saw n thin
skirmish line capture the six batteries
that were parked on the Peach Orchard
Hill without gun being fired Our
men seemed to be looking over iowa rd
us while the rebels came on in their
rear.
After remaining in position a few
minutes we moved on toward the Dry
Valley road, where we found n mass of
men, some 10000 or 1900. On the
road | saw Sheridan Davis and Neplay