The Winslow mail., 1913-09-13

@ nent in the east and the
IVA \ other in the southeast
Z as&A Whether not Fate decreed
Kn~@@sa%1xsaT thus chance, accident and neces-
ESASa4ggH sity three elements that are pres
E~ AAA% ent in all great military opera
tions, combined to produce the
conflicts of Gettysburg and Chickamauga.
1t is a part of the military history OF the
United States that neither Meade nor Lee
intended that the battle that was to decide the
issues between the opposing forces of the
Union and the Confederacy in the east would
be fought at Gettysburg but chance and acci-
dent, otherwise Fate, decreed that it should
be decided there, and Gettysburg is a glorious
heritage in which all Americans are common
heirs.
Seventy-fve days after the flames of Get
tysburg, two great armies of Americans threw
themselves against each other like thunder
bolts of death the banks of Chickamauga
creek, in the northwest of the state of
Georgia, ten miles south of the city of Chatta-
nooga, Tenn and the battlefield of Chicka-
mauga is mournful but glorious testimonial
to American valor for all time to come
Like the conflict of Gettysburg, the slaugh-
ter of Chickamauga was due largely, If not Who'll
1y, TO chance and accident Neither General
Rosecrans nor General Bragg, commanding the
Union and Confederate forces, respectively un-
derstOod or expected that battle would be
fought on that wooded plain
After the Tulahoma campaign of the Union
4,
1853, General Bragg moved the army of Tennes-
to Chattanooga. General Rosecrans about
the first of August, began moving the army Of
the Cumberland to the western slopes of the
Cumberland mountains with the intention of
throwing his forces the Lookout range
into the Chattanooga territory.
General Rosecrans had established headquar-
ters at Winchester, Tenn, for the purpose of di-
recting these military operations against Chatta-
nooga. His left corps. under Crttenden, was at
McMnnville, about fifty miles north of Winches-
ter, but the same distance from the western
base of the Cumberlands. The center of his line
was at Decherd under Gen. George H. Thomas.
who was destined to glorify his name at Snod-
grass Hill. McCook, commanding the goth corps,
at Winchester with Rosecrans. Mintys
cavalry to the left of Crittenden. E. M. Nc
Cooks division of Mitchells cavalry corps was on
the right Of the goth corps. General Sheridans
division early in the month of August was ad-
vanced to Bridgeport and Stevenson Ala, the
Tennessee river
Thomas and McCook were sent through the
mountains many miles south of Chattanooga,
striking the valley about forty miles south of
that city. Crittenden dispatched to the vi
cinfty of Chattanooga, the purpose being to
gage the attention of Bragg until Thomas and
McCook could cross the mountains and place
their corps between Chattanooga and the Con-
federate base of supplies to the south.
General Bragg however, was not to be
caught in such trap. On the night of Septem-
per I ana morning or september ne quietly
evacuated Chattanooga marching south to in
tercept Thomas and McCook, they down
from the mountains into the valley south Of
Chickamauga The Confederate plan Of cam
paign is clearly revealed in this movement Gen
eral Bragg opportunity to engage the
Union corps in detail and destroy them Long
street was coming over from Ringgold, Ca. with
heavy reinforcements having just reached that
point rom Gettysburg. 1t was the golden oppor-
tun'ty for the Confederates. but slipped through
Braggs hands by failure the part of corps
commanders to carry out his orders.
General Crittenden discovered that Bragg had
evacuated Chattanooga on the morning of Sep
tember 9, and Immediately occupied the city
Through the most unreliable information Cen
eral Rosecrans believed that Bragg was in full
retreat on Rome, Ga. Acting upon this informa-
ton he ordered pursuit through the Pigeon noun
tains. Crittenden's corps, with the exception of
a garrison force, sent after Bragg. They
found him at Lee e Gordons mill on Chicka
mauga creek, preparing for battle with the
forces of Thomas and McCook.
There lingering doubt that a great
battle was to be fought the banks of the
Chickamauga the morrow. On September 49,
which Friday, General Braxton Bragg, realiz-
ing that his plan to engage his antagonists in de-
tail had miscarried ordered a movement of his
army down the Chickamauga to effect crossings
at a number of bridges and fords Late on the
evening Of the 18th sharp engagement occurred
at AleXander's bridge.
The battlefield of Chickamauga was a densely
wooded plain with occasional elevation from
which the thunderbolts of could be hurled
from heavy artillery.
The visitor today to the field of Chckamauga
is wheeled along the Lafayette road, an old high
way, well improved by the government, that
did service before the for the country folk