Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-03-30
WHO WAS victor IN
CHICKAMAUGA Fight p?
Historians Call it q Drawn
Battle


question as to which army won in the
battle of Chickamauga has provoked
much controversy, but unbiased hist0-
ry sets the engagement down in the list
of drawn battles. The Confederate
historians, however, insist that the vic
tory was with the Southern army.
The late Gen. H. V. Boynton and the
late Gen. John B. Gordon had a num-
Der of sharp passages in public prints
years ago over the question. Gen.
Boynton advanced the argument that
Rosecranz did not run away from
Chickamauga; that after the battle he
advanced on Chattanooga" In re-
ply to this somewhat remarkable pro-
position, Gen. Gordon said that mas
much as Rosecranz had been in pos
session of Chattanooga for months, he
could not understand how his retreat
from Chickamauga could be twisted in
to an advance on Chattanooga.
Gen. Gordon went on to explain the
situation at some length, He said tina:
Gen. Rosecranz had Atlanta as his OBJ
icctive; that he left his stronghold at
Chattanooga and turned south. After
the battle his face was turned back 20
Chattanooga, where he proceeded SOI
fortify his position even stronger than
ever. The fact that the Confederate8
met Rosecranz at Chickamauga ami
turned him back, is the circumstance
upon which men like Gen. Gordon base
their claim to the victory,
Gen. Bragg was severely criticised
for failure to follow Gen. Rosecranz in
to Chattanooga and finish him. How,
ever, Gen. John B. Gordon defends Gen
Bragg. He says that Gen Bragg knew
that Chattanooga was strongly forti-
fed that wires had been stretched at.
intervals across the fields between
Chickamauga and Chattanooga to OBJ
struct as much as possible Confeder-
ate advance, and that other obstruC-
tions had been placed in the path of
the Confederates. Gen. Rosecranz, il
seems had anticipated a possible ad-
vance on Chattanooga by the Confed-
crates and had done everything known
to war preparations to obstruct his
antagonists if they attempted to storn
him in his stronghold. Gen. Gordon
was of the opinion in later years of
his life that if Gen. Bragg had under
taken to follow Rosecranz into Chat
tanooga his army would have been cut
| to pieces or captured.
Two months after the battle Of
Chickamauga the armies found them
| selves engaged in another death Crap
pie. From September % to November
"a, the date of the Lookout Mountain
engagement, the armies had been re-
pairing the awful damages to their
ranks in the Chickamauga massacre.
The battle of Lookout Mountain open
ed the final conflict on these historic
fields This battle was fought Novem-
Der "a. Next day came the battle CT
Missionary Ridge, November 20, The
latter engagement broke the power u
the Confederates in the Chattanooga
territory, and left the federals in I'M
disputed possession of the valley.
Including the battles of ChickamaV-
ga, Lookout Mountain and Missionary
Ridge, and various skirmishes incident
thereto, the losses here were about
$4,000 These facts and incidents VIII
be of intense interest to the Confeder-
ate veterans and visitors when they
assemble here May 1929, for their an
nual reunion. The environs of Chat
tanooga are richer in war history than
any other point on the American CON
tinent For this reason, and the addi-
tional fact that no locality has so much
scenic beauty, the attendance on this
May reunion is expected to be the
largest in the history of the associa-
ton of Confederate veterans.