The National tribune., 1906-09-20

he were present. Gen. Rosecrans took
off his hat and handed ii to an orderly.
and grasped my hand in both of his
saying:
You took the responsibility to dis
obey the order. did YOU? Thank Col
for your decision. 1t would have cost
us 1000 lives to have taken this posi-
ton if you had given it up
Gen. Reynolds just then came riding
up in advance of his forces, and Gen.
Rosecrans said to him:
wilder has done right Promote
him." and Gen. Reynolds. after looking
over the position. said TO me: You dtl
light, and should be promoted and not
Censured."
The next morning an order was read
at the head of every regiment of the
fourteenth Corps, describing the attack
of my command. and saying that the
conduct of the brigade should be emu
lated by all, and recommended my pro-
motion as BrigadierGeneral. and di-
recting that the command should there
after be known. as Wildcr's Lightning
Brigade.
/ have forgotten to say that just be-
fore we reached the south end of Hoov-
er's Gap a bright orderly came riding
up to me as we were trottinS forward.
and said that Gen. Reynolds directed
me to halt until the arrival of his infan-
try, which were several miles in the
rear. 1 assured him that l would halt
as soon as we arrived at the head of tho
gap. Years afterwards l learned that
this messenger was ]. B. Foraker. since
Governor of Ohio and now Senator from
that State.
Our rapid movement broke through
Bragg's right center. and enabled our
army to threaten his flank and rear,
which forced his retreat over the noun
tains to Chattanooga. and thus giving
up his stronghold of Tullahoma. The
heavy rains which began falling just az
our fight at Hoover's Gap began lasted
IA days, making it impossible for OF,
army to move around Bragg's right
flank to intercept him crossing the
mountains and escaping the certain de-
feat that awaited him had he accepted
battle in Middle Tennessee.
My command consisted of the 18th
Ind, Lieut.-Col. Henry Jordan: 72d
Ind, Col A. o. Miller: 18th Ind. Bat.
terry. Capt. Eli Lilly with six 10-pound
kodman guns and four mountain how
itZers: 9Sth ILL.,. Col. John J. Funkhous-
or; 123d ILL.,, Col. James Monroe; in all
about 1000 men. rank and file. a NEST
reliable command and thoroughly Well
Gfficered.
The effect of our terrible fire was
overwhelming TO our opponents. who
bravely tried to withstand its effects.
No human being could successfully face
such an avalanche OF destruction as our
continuous fire swept through their
lines. This was the first battle where
the Spencer repeating rifles had ever
been used, and in my estimation the;
were better weapons than have yet
taken their place, being strong and not
easily injured by the rough usage of
ermy movements. and carrying pro-
iectile that disabled any man who was
unlucky enough to be hit by 1t. With
Il slight improvement in the cartridge,
making them central fire. they would
still be the best in use. All great in
fantry battles are decided within 300
yards range. and always will be. This
is my judgment, based on over three
years of active operations in the field
of the great civil war. The only field
battle in the Spanish War, Santiago
was fought out and won at close range.
although both combatants We're armefl
with the most modern long-range guns.
The battles in Manchuria and about
Port Arthur were decided largely with
testants. although both sides were arm
Cd with most modern long-range maya
zine rifles and well supplied with rapid
fire machine guns. Yet the supreme
test came at close quarters, and these
battles were no more deadly than ours
of the great civil war. The losses '"ere
rot as great in percentage in those great
contests as were ours in 81 to '65.