The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-06-28

and Pegram. Pegram's cavalry had
done scarcely anything during the bat
tie but stand in observation of the
Union Left.
| Bragg Re1ews sAe BATHS.
The two armies had now been within
at least. and 1t might be said eight,
since firing had begun withih a few
hours after the Union army left Nash
VILE on Friday morning Dec. 26. For
the last four days every part OF each
army was within cannon shot Of the
other, and most Of It within easy mus
ket range. This condition Of things
could not, in all human possibility, last
much longer, and while Rosecrans was
| meditating a resumption OF his original
plan OF turning Bragg's right into MUIR
treesboro. Bragg again took the initia-
tive, and with the skill which marked
his first operations. Hardee. whose
| ton OF our army which lay along the
pike, was to make strong demonstra-
ton as II resuming the great right
wheel which had proved SO disastrous
to us on Wednesday. This IL success
full. would be irremediable, since 1t
would cut Rosecrans off from Chatta-
noOga. Hardee's artillery came. out in
to the open. and as It opened fire the
troops moved forward as IL forming
columns Of assault. While this was
fgoing on the skirmishers thrown out
from Van Cleve's Division had been
long-range skirmishing with the videts
in front Of Breckinridge on the oppo-
site side OF the little valley.
The height on which Van Cleve's Di-
vision was standing sloped down with
intermingled fields and woodland until
nearly level with the water, and then
rose rather more precipitously in a
dense wood to the height upon which
Breckenridge stood. The Union soldiers
watched their skirmishers and at the
same time strained eyes and ears to see
what was going to happen across the
river on the plain below them, where
| Hardee's guns were laundering away
at the Union artillery: Presently the
| Union skfrmishers saw a sight which
they could not fail to- understand. A
scattered line Of men dashed through
| the skirnlishers opposite and began
throwing down the fences in 'front.'
| Those who did not at once see the
meaning Of this had not long to wait
for an explanation. Immediately be-
| In pageant OF stern magniicence
| Breckinridge's whole division, arrayed
In three superb lines of battle.
| 1T was goodly sight to him who
had no friend or brother there
Each line of battle was a ,siying wall
OF brown. tipped with shining steel that
glinted with fierce splendor In the
westerling sun. The 1000 men, who
were perfectly aligned In the first grea.
wave, moved with a steady, even step,
| their baleful banners hnAting above
| them in the ,stiff breeze of the January
day. Behind the first long wall of 2. .00O
| men came at a prescribed distance an
op nas IL.
strength and then a third-great human
binows, to roll In rhythmic succession
and resfstiess power over every obstacle
As these waves pulsed forth out OF the
woods they attracted the attention OF
Hazen's and Cruft's Brigades across the.
river, which shifted aslittle with the
nervousf' sense OF coming battle and
readiness to take their SHARE Van Cleve's
skirmishers fired their last shots almost
In the faces Of the on-coming waves. and
then ran back to their places in Prices
and Orders Brigades. The enemy did
not fire single shot until he hurled
his full weight upon these two brigades.
and in spite OF their fercest resistance
crumbled tf : as an ocean wave will
| tear out Of solid earth. The
10th Ohio, 9Th and 18th KY, and the
35th Ind. braced themselves for the
shock, but unavailingly. and even the
attempt at bayonet charge by the
Irishmen OF the 35th Ind. was futile
against that mighty on-roliing tide The
two brigades were swept from their po-
sition in fragments, and went In rout
across the river, where they reformed
behind Negley's Division.
That OverwheImisg CSs.snade.
Gen. Crittenden viewed. with dismay
the swift ruin of his division. and his
Chief Of Artillery, Maj. John Menden-
hall. who had so distinguished himself
at Stone River. galloped over the plain
to one battery after another. beseech-
ing them to come and help him out
In surprisingly few minutes he had
So guns massed on the biuff. where they
opened an enfilade fire upon Breckin-
ridges charging masses. It was such
an opportunity as light artilleryman
dreams OF. hopes for, and :despairs OF
any good fortune ever coming to him
when he can put in his best gun play
on the TANKS Of "A mass OF infantry.
There was nothing to distract the at
tentiOn OF the artillerists Bragg. by
sending most OF his guns to Hardee's
front. had put them out OF the way OF
helping their own men. and the Union
cannoneers had nothing to do, had
nothing to think of but pouring swift
murder straight into the great throng
that had been led up to them like sheep
to the slaughter.
The earth rocked with the terrible
conclusion of those 58 guns, worked
rapidly and effectually by men who had
been training themselves to the high
est skill and efficiency for. over a year.
Limbs Of trees and the trees them
selves went down before the hurting
iron storm. The very stones on the
hillside became missiles as they were
struck at short range by canister and
pieces OF shells and sent spinning and
shrieking through the ranks.
Cruft's and Hazen's Brigades moved
up and added to the horrors deadly
musketry fire. All thought OF pushing
the charge further was lost in an in
stant by the Confederates,4 and sue
ceeded by a frenzy for safefy. There
was an eternity OF mortal terror before
| they could pass through that deadly
| fire and reach the covert Of the woods
| from which they had emGEged. Some
reports say that the artillery fire lasted
only 20 minutes. Rosecrans puts the
| whole period at 40 minutes, which
probably includes much OF the infan-
| try firing before the artillery was
massed and opened. No. matter which
1t was, 1t was an exceedfhg1y brief time
to have caused Breckinrtdxe to lose
$500 of the 5000 men who. had come
forth with such impressive power from