Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-04-21
cKIcKAMAUGA AND THE GREAT
BATTLE

BATTLE
As the government has already made a
military park of the battle field and
monuments donated by various states
are being erected in memory of those
who died in the carnage of civil war, II
is evident that everything of value to the
future historian Should be recorded be-
fore the persons who lived and were ac-
tors in those stirring times have passed
away, This is true Of the various occur
rences-passing events-as well as the
statistics of the armies themselves and
the muster rolls of their various COM
mands
lived near where l now reside when
General Bragg's army came out of Chat
tanooga to defend Georgia from Rose
Grams advance Everybody knew great
battle was impending. General Burnside
had passed through Cumberland Gap,
occupyig east Tennessee, and Confed-
crate communication by the railroad run
ming through Knoxville to Virginia was
cut off 1t became a necessity to hold
the state road or give up Georgia to the
enemy. A long drouth had prevailed
and the atmosphere was full of dust, as
troops and wagon trains passed and re-
passed, supplemented by refugee travel
southwark.
General Bragg expected to hold the
country and made a decisive engage
ment, entrenched in the coves and great
valleys of northwest Georgia, and pro-
tected by the mountains and ridges that
had only few accessible gaps or out
let's. As the summer began to wane the
impending battle seemed TO be in every
ones mind and on everybody's tongue.
The air was surcharged with excite
a.. IA ~.,44L
sations and rumors As a people, the
Confederates were blindly sanguine, and
TO look back at that crisis it would seem
that we had really nothing to expect but
defeat, as the Gordon was drawn closer
in every direction about us, while the
outside foe had unlimited liberty, sup
plies, ammunition and men to subjugate
the south
remember how confident we became
when the first loaded train passed along
filled with troops, carrying General
Braggs relief The very next day, if
/ mistake not, one of these loaded trains
collided at Stigalls station, now called
Emerson, and is mangled soldiers were
taken out of the wreck. and the danger
ously wounded were carried into Car
tersvilIe to be cared for. The surviv-
ors were hurried away to Ringgold, to
become food for powder and bullets.
In a few days the trains began to
come back filled with wounded men ta-
ken directly from the battle field and
carried to the Atlanta hospitals. Every
TT of car was pushed into service.
an, / have seen the filthy cattle cars.
open to the weather, filled to overflow
ing with bloody men who had ridden
all the way amid stirling clouds of dust
and under a scorching sun of midday.
fl,se of 0a1I
moment to those who had been for
days under the storm of shot and she'll.
The citizens FASTENED to their relief
with food and fresh water Day after
day we gathered at the depot to haul
out sue supplies to the hungry and
ifering men, Some times the roofs
of the box cars were crowded with fed
eral prisoners. as we clambered inside
to feed an give water to the wounded
of our own army.
One day, after | had done all could
in this line I saw red silk handker
chief fluttering on the side of a box
car, where an opening had been rudely
made 10 give air to some wounded sol
diers on the inside. The handkerchief
was an improvised curtain to shut off
the glaring sunlight. climbed up and
popped in to find an officer in uniform,
painting with fever from a severe wound
IN his body He said his comrade had
gone for a canteen of fresh water and
he could not eat. / begged him to get
off and go to my home until he was
better. No he was too sick. and his
friend had been detailed to go to Allan
ia with him. He said his dear mother
was in Texas. cut off from him and no
letter could reach her. As I begun to
cry, he caught my hand and said:s II
would like to get well TO stand in de-
Tense for you good omen in the south -
waited until his comrades return adm
from his Whispered words ! knew there
was no hope. The brave officer was
dead before the train reached Atlanta
and he was an adjutant of Texas
brigade. The next day. as the train
moved southwark. l was attracted by a
soldier in a cattle car calling. LADY,
ladyy' / founu he was trying to make
me understand tina he had laid his
comrade off In the dust. because he
was dying and prayed to be put off that
he might die in quiet and the shade.
rushed around as soon as the track