Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1913-09-25
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of battle swept through Kelley field Then there
Of those mysterious and unexpected
lulls In the storm but 1t merely gathering
force for the climax Of hurricane that mao
ragged in the forest along Chckamauga creek for
two days. 1t soon to break again, and lts
lightnings were next to fash around horseshoe
summit, where l was standing. l saw the ad'
vancing Confederate legions sweeping all before
them across the open plain in my front. Long
street had driven his brigades through the Union
lines and swept the right wing of Rosecrans
army from the field in wild disorder. wheeling
his forces he started for Thomas in command oil
the left wing. If Thomas could be routed, a VIC
tory for Confederate arms was assured that
would shake the nation to its foundations Next
/ behed the brave General Brannan raliying the
remnants of half dozen brigades on Snodgrass
Hill. General Thomas marshalling his shat
tered forces for resistance that placed his name
high in the esteem Of the nation.
Before could grasp the meaning of the whirl
and the rush of the regiments. Snodgrass Hill
had been converted into citadel of defense from
which the thunderbolts OF iron could be hurled
against the advancing foe. I looked again and ]
saw Longstreets Confederates scaling the side
of the hill with majestic tread. Then I saw
sheet Of fame burst from the Union lines on the
crest of the HILL full in the faces Of the advancing
Confederates. No troops could stand in that
storm of lead. They halted. dazed and deadened
by the awful carnage. Their lines gave way
only 10 De reformed at inc lOOI VI Ilu5e iOi
another charge. saw the flags of Mississippi
Alabama and Georgia, South Carolina and Vir
ginia, and the lone star of Texas flashing de
fiance at the foe on the summit OF the hill. An
other charge into the face of deadly volley and
another retreat to the foot of the ridge! VIII
they never desist in their mad attempt to scale
the ridge? Now saw some Of the Confederate
standards on the crest of the HILL and men In
hand-to-hand combat. They piled the dead In
the trenches and fought their bodies. But
egain l saw Gordon, Granger and Steedman come
to the relief of the Union defenders with fresh
troops and the Cohfederates were hurled main
ed and shattered, from the vantage point they
had gained by superhuman effort and undaunted
courage The side of the ridge was strewn with
the dead and wounded. Bursting shells had ig
nited the dry leaves of the forest and bodies were
scorched and blackened by flame and smoke
At last, the was sinking behind Lookout
Mountain, throwing dark and spectral shadows
across the plain upon which one OF the greatest
tragedies of modern or ancient warfare had just
been enacted, General Thomas withdrew his
forces under orders from Snodgrass HILL leaving
the bloody field of Chickamauga in possession OF
the battered but shouting Confederate legions
after two days of fighting that has never been
excelled in the history of The Confeder'
ates were the victors at Chickamauga, but Rose
Grams and Thomas got their army to Chattanooga
in safety, fact that has seemed to make honors
even.
What followed the carnage at Snodgrass Hill
is history. General Bragg hesitated he faltered,
he lost Every commander Of division under
him that fateful field expected to hear every
minute order to follow Thomas and clinch the
victory but the order never came Thomai
reached Chattanooga in safety and after
succeeded Rosecrans in command. The Iona
siege Of Chattanooga followed. with which read
ers of war history familiar.
Chickamauga was the bloodiest two-days bat
tie Of history. The forces were about equal II
numbers Much controversy has from time te
time arisen over Chickamauga statistics. but from
the best obtanable information the total strength
of each army was little to the rise of $4,000
men, making the number actually engaged some
thing than 100000 The casualties were
about follows:
Confederate: Killed, 2.26s; wounded 1868;
missing 1890; aggregate. 1871
Union: Killed, 1855: wounded. 9,749; missing
Alta; aggregate 1919.
These deadly figures show that the aggregate
slaughter at Chickamauga was $780, including
dead, wounded and missing in both armies