Polk County news-gazette. (Benton, Tenn.) 190?-191?, 1913-09-11


- thus chance accident and neces-
AEENz4SsA sity three elements that are pres
bRkl1R ent in all great military opera
49, 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
he decided there, and Gettysburg is a glorious
heritage in which all Americans 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 on the banks of Chickamauga
creek in the northwest corner of the state OF
Georgia ten mites south of the city of Chatta-
nooga Tenn and the battlefield of Chicka-
mauga is a 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
ly 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
army in middle Tennessee, which ended July 4,
1853, General Bragg moved the army OF Tonnes
see 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 across the Lookout range
into the Chattanooga territory.
General Rosecrans had established headquar-
tiers at Winchester, Tenn, for the purpose of d.
recting these military operations against Chatta-
nooga. His left corps, under Crittenden 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 II. Thomas,
who was destined to glorify his name at Snod-
grass Hill McCook, commanding the goth corps,
was at Winchester with Rosecrans. Mtntys
cavalry was to the left Of Crittenden. E M. Nc
Cooks division Of MtchelIs cavalry corps was on
the right of the Goth corps. General Sherldans
division early in the month Of August was adj
vanced to Bridgeport and Stevenson, Ala, on the
Tennessee river
mountains many miles south of Chattanooga,
striking the valley about forty miles south of
that city Crttenden was dispatched to the VI
cinity OF Chattanooga, the purpose being to en-
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 a trap. On the night of Septem.
Der and morning of September he quietly
evacuated Chattanooga marching south to in
tercept Thomas and McCook, as they came 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 saw an opportunity to engage the
Union corps in detail and destroy them. Long.
street was coming over from Ringgold, Ga, with
heavy renforcements, having just reached that
point from Gettysburg 1t was the golden oppor-
tunity for the Confederates but slipped through
Bagg's hands by failure on the part OF corps
to carry out his orders.
General Crittenden discovered that Bragg had
evacuated Chattanooga the morning OF Sep
TENDER 8, and Immediately occupied the city.
Through the most unreliable information. Gen.
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 & Gordon's min. on Chicka.
manga creek, preparing for battle, with the
forces OF Thomas and McCook
There was no lingering doubt that n great
battle was to be- fought on the banks OF the
on the morrow. On September IL
which was Friday, General Braxton Bragg realiz
ing that his plan to engage his antagonists in de-
tail had miscarried. ordered movement OF his
army down the Chickamauga to effect crossings
nj number of bridges and fords. Late on the
evening of the 18th a sharp engagement occurred
nj Alexanders bridge.
The battlefield OF Chokamauga was a densely
wooded plain with an occasional elevation from
which the thunderbolts of could be hurled
from heavy artillery.
The visitor today to the field OF Chickamauga
4 wheeled along the Lafayette road, an old high
way now we'll improved by the government, that
did service before the war for the country folk