The National tribune., 1906-10-18

morning. should the enemy choose. and
| in having rations and ammunition is
sued. The wonderful inspiration of
ThomaS's presence was as manifest there
as-it had been on the battlefield Every
body at once took fresh heart, and dis
order vanished before the feeling that
strong directing mind was shaping
| things surely and rightly. There had
been no issue of rations for three days
and hunger and thirst had tortured the
men when the enemy gave them time
to think of minor ills. Now the rati IN
wagons came up, fires were allowed
for the first time for nearly n week
water was found to make coffee and
some comfort followed the terrible day.
With his unerring instinct as to po-
sition, Gen. Thomas formed his line
during the night and early morning in
the strongest situation the topography
permitted. NeGley's Division was posted
in and around Ross Gap: Reyn0 0lds
took position on the right and reached
to the Dry Valley road: Brannau's Di-
vision formed in echelon behind Rey-
nolds's right, and then McCook's Corps
was deployed on Brannan's right.
stretching westward across the valley
Of Chattanooga Creek to the foot OF
Lookout Mountain, with Posts Brigade
in strong reserve on the extreme right.
crittenden'S Corps was formed on the
left or north of Rosss Gap. with Steed-
mans PriSades as n general reserve.
All of Mitchtlls Cavalry, except Minty's
Brigade. was deployed across the Chat
tdnooSa Valley. some distance in front
of McCook's Corps. to watch and give
timely notice If Bragg should attempt
% Hant HrruTd and come down the
-7 49, , h'n1 AjiSrjor Ridge. This was
to be feared more than anything else.
After their bloody lessons on Snodgrass
Hill it hardly seemed likely that Polk
and ,yprtl1 ril at 10
much stronger position of Mission
Ridge. 1t was far more probable that
Bragg would attempt to make his pre-
ponderance of force effective by sweep
ing down thru the open valley.
Therefore only Minty's Brigade was
thrown out on the Lafayette road 10
watch the enemy in that direction.
The troops were promptly in line at
daybreak. but they waited all day long
with scarcely ripple of musketry any
where to break the solemn stiffness
brooding over those woods and hills
which had for two days trembled under
the thunders and fires of hell.
Abuse of Bragg.
Numberiess pages of denunciation of
Eragg have been written by Longstreet,
Hood, Polk and the editors and poiti-
clans and historians of the South for
not moving co: e.r1 -:apt 21 "complet-
tanooga. All of this has the demerit
of being written long after the event.
Nuch of it is based upon the stories Of
the Union Generalization begun by
Dana's panicky dispatch. 1t is not
creditable to Longstreet. Bushr ID
Johnson, Forrest and others to excuse
themselves for their inaction. as they
did for their failure to follow up Thorn
as from Snodgrass Hill. by making
Bragg the scapegoat. They say they
We're waiting orders from him. 1t is
quite remarkable how very careful as
to Bragg's orders they became all at
once. Not even strong reconnaissance
out over the two or three miles be-
tween Snodgrass Hill and Mission
Ridge was made.
The plain unmistakable undeniable
fact was that the last thing in the
world wanted by the utterly tagged out
COnfederae army, from Commanding
General to drummer by, was any
thing that looked like fighting. What
they all wanted exceedingly, what they
could no longer do without, was rest,
water and rations. Bragg did the wis
est thing possible by moving over to-
ward Chckamauga Station. where his
men could get plenty of water from
the Chickamauga and ratiOns from the
cars coming up from Ringgold and
Dallas.
(TO be continued;