The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1907-05-23
10TH KY. AT CHICKANIAUGA.
The Battle Closed With the Union Arm!
Holding It's Position.

Editor National Tribune: / notice il
your issue Of Jan. 10 communication
by Richard Boyle. Sergeant. Co. e, 10ti
KY, relative to the second days battle
at Chickamauga, from which one would
infer that he and a few others of hi:
company were all of his regiment tina
assisted in checking and holding at bay
Longstreets army on that ever-to-be
remembered Sunday. He says: ''Thc
division on our right center lifted ou
of battle line and passed to our real
and right, while the attack on our left
was closing in like a pair Of shears
made recoiling the business for all un-
til that fatal gap opened the way fol-
successful assault. The doubling back
of our division to the incoming wedge
caused great confusion" At this point
he and his 3S or 40 brave fellows (be-
hind trees) slept into the widening
breach, forming at right angles to the
line of battle, where they stood. loading
and firing on the wedge, whatever that
may have been.
Without further comment I will pro-
coed to tell the way l saw things on the
morning in question. On the opening
of the battle our regiment lay inactive,
while a few yards in our front there
was a terrific battle raging. The ground
where we lay being lower tn; n that in
our front, the shot and shell passed
over us harm1essly. The boys in our
front and all along our left seemed to
be holding their position, and l saw no
skulkers coming to the rear. When ii
was discovered that Longstreets battle
line was passing our rear thru the gap
that was left open to our right we were
ordered to fall back, and | suppose this
order was given to our whole line, as
all fell back without any apparent cause
for so doing, except to get ahead and
in front of Longstreet, close up the
breach and straighten our line. To do
this required rapid movement, and TO
one not realizing the situation it would
have seemed that the whole army was
stampeded and on the run. Evidently
the larger portion of the army on our
right took this to be the case, for they
continued on the run to Chattanooga,
believing no doubt they were fortunate
in escaping. When our color bearer
reached a point ahead of Longstrcet's
battle line he halted, waving his flag,
and our regiment formed in reasonably
good order. Just as we started to march
by the right flank into the breach the
troops that had formerly been In our
front began to arrive, some rushing thru
our ranks. breaking us all up, others
joining US. Soon all became so MKT
that no particular regiment or COM
pany could be identified; every man
fell into line at any point he could do
SO, and ali continued to the right until
We We're fully in front of Longstreet's
column. Then we faced to our left
flank and commenced business, every
man apparently on his own account,
with d determination that knew no de-
feat. We succeeded in holding the Con-
federates in check until the arrival OF
Gen. Steedman's command, which got
there just in the nick of time, for the
Confederates had succeeded in rallying
some of their scattered forces and were
massing them on our right to make one
last and desperate effort to rout us, and
would probably have succeeded in this
had it not been for the timely arrival of
reinforcements. Steedman's forces
moved in on our extreme right, sweep
ing everything in front, starting the
whole rebel army on the retreat, and
thus ended the great battle Of Chicka-
manga, We We're ordered off the field
soon after dark, when not sound of
musket or cannon could be heard on
either side. Had we remained 7 have
no doubt we would have found our
selves in undisputed possession of the
battlefield next morning. After falling
back and taking position in the gap all
our resistance seemed to come from
Longstreet's forces, the Confederates on
our right and left having been whipt
and routed before we We're ordered to
fall back.-Joseph II. Shively, First
Sergeant, Co. H, 10th KY, National Mil
itary Home, Ohio.