The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-25
Bi CAPT. nEN. $. WILLIAMS,
ilruunnn Y q

HNiN pi 1H!:h dHlH n on TIA. iHil ana
2oth OF September, 1863. in fair. op.u
battle these troops had mot. fought
ana defeated an army superior in
numbers. superior in armaincn, and
equipment. with equal advantages or
position. and composed OF the very
best material of the armies OF the
United States North. South. East OF
West; splendid regiments of New
York. Pennsylvanls. Illinois. Indiana.
Ohio. Missouri. Kentucky ANA Tonnes
sec troops. In tile fierce battle at
Ch'ckamauEa for victory and a mighty
struggle for conquest the Confederate
soldicrs demonstrated their fcalty and
consccration 10 their cause and illus
tratcd their patriotism. their sterling
manhood and the splendid nghtinE
qualities OF the chivalric Southern
citizen soldiery.
While hcslnE!rE Chattanooga ana
anxious TO again mee. cur mighty aud
gallant foe equarcly on the ncid,
saw, only once. In October. tho ;roops
OF our army marahallrd for general
review. On that occasion. ae looked
UP and down the phaianScd lines Of
greyclad warriors and noted tho star
spangled crosses OF our blue and Grim
son battle naSs glittering and SHIN
rnering In tho sunlight, the stand
ard OF cnch regiment. battery and bat
TALON was proudly upheld and waved.
as altar pieces. above the heads and
hearts OF the thousands or officer and
men who were willing to sacrifice
their lives and their all on the blood
crimEoncd altar Of their loved native
land, my heart heat fast as ] fcl' an
siation Of pride and power and glory
In our grandeur and might. and In my
boyish fancy and youthful nrdor rn-
peatcd. In sollloduy, the declaration OF
Murmlon. who. bent on peace. on view
Ing Sco,land'R mastering clans OF the
NJ
fore his defeat and utter rout on the
fatal field OF Floddcn:
by 81. George. were that most mine,
10 power Internal or divine.
Should once to peace my soul incline,
Till ! dimmcd their armor'a shine
In glorious battle fray"
Then recalled in mind. the "glori-
GUS battle fray" OF jus, month past
and noted the shortened line OF my
own command. thought OF the cold
forms and pale faces wrnpt in their
soldicr-blanket shrOuds In the narrow
confines OF their shallow rocky graves
on ChlckamauEa's icld-somc OF our
nroulest and bravcst and best. !
thought OF the thousands az fond. true
hearts at home. sad and broken-ih;s
tho scrricd ranks thouSht--and
knew--''the end Is not yet
The Fate Awaiting.
~ that time, far from me was the
thought, and never did dream. nor
could ! have conceived thaN the d!reful
fate Of those proud Scottish chiefs and
knights ara Killed cians--the pride
and power Of Scotland--at Flodden.
pictured tho fate OF the gallant Of
f'ccrs aud brave intrepid men OF thosa
splendid regiments before me-
sanguine. defiant and nvincihe.
scotland's bard and historian wrote
Of Scotlanh's gii,terlns hosts, after tac
night nj Tloddcn:
when day dawned on the mountain
side.
There, Scotland, lay thy bravcst pride;
C:,icfs, knights and nodes many u
one
AS the thought dashed for an IN
atant, to my mind said 10 myself,
'There'll he many torn aud trampled
banner, many broken line many a
shattered column and many blood
drenched field and the air or tile North
we'll as the South Will hc filled with
the wall OF the widowed ore this force
ia crushed.
The Great Slaughter.
Yet OF that marshalicd array. that
"army in grey" afterwards diejointcd
and divided, and c'ntondins against
overwhelming odds at Missionary
Ridge, November 90, - and e5 and
again at Rinrgold. November 81, and
in the campaign through Georgia OF
seventy four days Of almost incessant
marching and lighting. losing In this
campaign according 10 report of C;er-
eral Hood 22.75) men; and when the
remnant. hurled by Hood against the
entire Federal force at Atlanta. losing
5.o47. total OF 27,997--great God OF
hosts! 1t is written in history OF the
remnant at Nasnville: THE Confeder-
ate forces were driven from their in
trenchments into headlong flight The
Union cavalry Numbered upon their
heels with remorseless energy. The
infantry followed close behind. THE
entire Confederate army, except tho
rear guard. which Tough, bravciy to
the last. was dissolved into a rabble of
emoralizcd fugltives. who made their
escape across the Tennessee"
While history Is a methodicaI record
of important, continuous events and
should be plain. unwarped ana true. vet
In history" are garnishmcnt and en-
bellishment of facts and omission of
details, minut!ae. These minutiac arc
the nebulae of history, and not ono
thonsondth part or the ncbulne of the
history Of our states war Will ever be
written. In these memoirs | am only
cleaning In hstorys fields. Most OF
the sheaves have been garncred, but
there are many missing leftover wisps
and many scattered grains AS to en-
beilishcd history. we need not go froa,
our position on Missionary Ridge, near
Chattanooga, to SEQ and point il out.
Some of our histories say that the
army of Rosecrans. In Chattanooga, was
"harefooted and starving and freezing
for want OF food and clothing" Thar
flight after defeat into tho fortified city
from tho battlefield of Chickamauga
was in the night Of September 20 Sep
TENDER 20 all day on the field I Jaw