The National tribune., 1906-10-04

to place, apparently without plan or
purpose, and at last thrown into battle
in the most disadvantageous way me
chivalrous Lytle, commanding q Dri-
gade. and one of the best soldiers in the
army. had fallen in what seemed to De
an actual sacrifice. Tho caught In nank
while marching, Sheridan's men had
fought with a desperation that was
vicious, and inflicted severe loss upon
their enemy. The lack of plan ana
method for the battle Disguised Sheri-
dan unutterably. In the hubbub ABOUT
Rossville. in assembling his men out OF
the ruck of fugitives and wagons that
collected there, he was impatient anu
wrathful When suggestions were made
of going back to Thomas, and when
an Aid arrived with an order to that
effect. Sheridan replied with many hot
oaths that his division had for two days
been botched around by lot or blank
fools, and that now he was going 10
take care of it himself as he thought
best.
Gen. Thomas Knew Nothing OF the Dis
astef.
Gen. Thomas was unaware for some
hours of the overwhelming disaster on
the right He kept looking anxiousiy
for reinforcements from that direction,
and seeing heavy cloud Of dust rising
far to his right and rear, sent capt.
Kellogg galIoping to guide Sheridan TO
position. Capt. Kellogg soon came back
with the startling news that the ad-
yancing column did not wear blue, but
gray.
Nor had the enemy fared much bet
ter. In spite of Longstreets astonish-
ing success in routing our rtght, anu
the confusion into which he had thrown
four divisions, he had been so roughly
handled that he had to ask Bragg for
s
o'clock Bragg acted in way to make
Longstreet believe that he thought the
battle was lost, and replied to the re-
quest that he had no troops except
Longstreet's that had any fight lett IN
them He directed Longstreet to re-
main where he then was and left the
field, telling Longstreet that he coulo
be found at Reeds Bridge.
The bitterest struggle of all the saw
agely-fought encounters of those two
intense days was yet to come on and
around the low crest of Snodgrass Hill.
How 1t Appeared to Dana
Assistant Secretary of War Charles
A. Dana had his nerves shaken to the
utmost by the terrible scenes OF the
rout on the center and right. AS soon
as Wilder's Brigade had escorted him
to Chattanooga he rushed to the tele-
graph office and sent the following soui.
shaking dispatch to the Secretary OF
War:
chattanooga, Sept. 20; p. m.
"My report to-day is of deplorable
importance. Chickamauga is as fatal
a name in our history as Bull Run. me
battle began late this morning Ihe
first cannon was fired at >, Dut no con
siderable firing till 10. Previous to 1O
| Rosecrans rode the whole length OF
lines. All seemed promising, except
columns of dust within rebel lines NOV
ing north, and report from our right
that enemy had been telling timber
there during night. Soon after the bat
tie commenced Thomas, who held the
left, began to call for reinforcements.
Then about IL came word that he had
been forced to retire to his second line.
Reinforcements were sent him, and NC
Cooks whole corps, which was on right
and as reserve in the center, was or
dered to his assistance. WOOD, or crit
tenden's Corps, and Van Cleve, who
held the front in center, were also or
dered to left where the fury OF cannon
ade showed that enormous rebel force
was massed. Their places were filled
by Davis and Sheridan, of McCook's
Corps But hardly had these divisions
taken their places in the line when tne
rebel fire, which had slackened on our
left ever since it was turned ana driven
back about three-quarters of an hour
previously, ouiSt O'NA 80
nous volume upon our center
Never in any battle l have witnessed
was there such a mass of cannon ana
musketry. This lasted some 20 min
utes. and then Van Cleve, on Thomass
right, was seen to give way. but in toll
erable order, borne down by immense
columns of the enemy. These columns
are said to have consisted of Polk's en-
tire CORPS They came through with
resistless impulse, composed of brlSadcs
formed in divisions. Before them our
soldiers turned and fled. 1t was whole
sale panic Vain We're all attempts to
rally them. They retreated directly
across two lines of considerable ridges
running parallel to our line or battle,
and then most of them made their way
over Missionary Ridge. and arc coming
here by Chattanooga Valley road. our
wagon trains have mostl! got mere al
ready, and the road IS full of cisor-
dered throng of fugitives. McCooh,
with the right of his corps and Nilders
Mounted Infantry, attempted TO recover
the day. but it was useless. Davis ana
Sheridan are said to be coming OH at
the head of couple of regiments III
order. and Wilder's Brigade marches
ont unbroken. Thomas, too, Is coming
down the Rossville road with an ''rgan-
ized command but ell the rest is con-
fusion. Our wcInded are all left be-
hind. some 5000 in number. We have
Iost heavily in killed to-day. The total
of our killed, wounded and prisoners
can hardly be less than 20,0Oa. ana may
a., m