The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1913-05-09
Sh0DGRASS HILL
BL00D|tST SPOT
At cH|cKAMAUGA.
WAS TO THE GEORGIA cARNao.
WHAT ROUND TOP WAS TO
GETTYSBURG.
DESCRIPTION BY GEN. GORDOI
Iilustrious Warrior Tells of Rush "a
the Hand to Hand Conflict and N.
Heroism of the Soldiers of Both
Armies.
Special to The Herald

| CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, May~7
The battlefield at Chickamauga b.,
many points OF interest to those SIR
vivors of both armies who fought
there, but Snodgrass Hill or Hores
shoe Summit, is to Chickamauga
what the little Round Top is to Get
tysburg. 1t was there that the con-
suming flames of battle rose highest
and enough blood was shed to make
"Chickamauga a Mecca throughout
all ages
Snodgrass Fill was the bloody spot
of this great battle, if in fact apy
spot was bloodier than others. The
conflict at this point as most readers
are aware, took place Sunday even.
ing. Gen. John B. Gordon describes
the fight Cor the possession of this
historic hill at follows:
In the furious tempest there now
came one of those strange, unexpain.
ed lulls; but the storm was only gath.
|ering fresh fury. In the comparative
stiffness which pervaded the fields its
mutterings could still be heard Its
lightnings were next to flash and its
thunders to roll around Horseshoe
Summit. Along that crest and around
SnOdgrass' house the remaining
troops of Rosecrans' left wing plant
&c themselves for stubborn resist
ance one Of the most stubborn in
history. To meet the assault of
Longstreet's wing, the brave Union
general, Bsannan, standing upon this
now historic crest, rallied the rem.
nants of Croxton, Wood, Harker, Be-
atty, Stanley, Van Cleve and Buell.;
but up the long slope the exulting
Confederate ranks moved in majectic
march As they neared the summit
a sheet of tame from Union lilies
and heavy guns blazed into their
faces. Before the blast the charging
Ccnfederates staggered, bent and
broke reforming at the foot of the
slope, these dauntless men in gray
moved again to still more determined
assault upon the no less dauntless
Union lines firmly planted on the
rest. Through the binding fires they
rushed to hand-to-hand conflict,
breaking here, pushing forward there,
in terrible struggle. Through clouds
of smoke around the summit the ban
ners and baycnets of Hindman's Con-
federates were discovered upon the
crest; when Gordon, Granger and
Steedman, with fresh troops, hurried
from the Union left and joining Van
Deryeer, hurled Hindman and his
men from Ills citadel Of strength and
hold it until the final Union retreat.
With bayonets and dubbed mus
kets the resolute Federals pierced
and beat back the charging Confed.
crates. covering the slopes of Snod.
grass Hill with Confederate dead.
roaring like a cyclone through the for
est, the battle storm ragged. Battery
answered battery, deepening the I'M
earthly din and belching from their
heated threats the consuming iron
hail. The woods caught fire from the
flaming shells and scorched the bod
les Of the dead and dying. AT the
close Of the day the Union forces had
been driven from every position Of
the field except Snodgrass Hill, and
as the sun sank behind the cliffs Of
Lookout Mountain, hiding his face
from one Of the bloodiest scenes en-
acted by human hands, this heroic
remnant Of Rosecran's army with
drew to the rear and then to the
works around Chattanooga, leaving
the entire field of Chickamaugl to
the battered but triumphant and shot
ing Confederates."