Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1913-09-25

tOk4AS 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 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 1t should
be decided there. and Gettysburg is 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 on the banks of Chickamauga
creek, in the northwest corner of the state of
Georgia, ten miles south of the city of Chatta-
nooga, Tenn, and the battlefield of Chicka-
manga is mournful but glorious testimonial
to American valor for all time to come.
Like the conflict of Gettysburg, the slaugh.
ter OF Chckamauga was due largely, If not who'll
ly, to chance and accident. Neither General
Rosecrans General Bragg, commanding the
Union and Confederate forces, respectively I'M
derstood expected that a battle would be
fought on that wooded plain.
After the Tullahoma campaign of the Union
army in middle Tennessee, which ended July 4,
1863, General Bragg moved the army of Tennes-
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.
rectng these military operations against Chatta-
nooga. His left corps, under Crittenden, was at
McMinnvile, about fifty miles north of Winches-
ter, but the distance from the western
base of the Cumberlands. The center of his line
was at Decherd under Gen. George H. Thomas,
Whn IN o1n fy hfc Mt
grass Hill McCook, commanding the goth corps,
at Winchester with Rosecrans. Minty's
cavalry was to the left Of Crittenden. E. M. Nc
Cooks division of Mtchells cavalry corps was on
the right of the Goth corps General Sheridan's
division early in the month of August 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
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. not to be
caught in such trap. On the night of Septem-
Der 7 and morning OF September 8 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. Cen
eral Bragg opportunity to engage the
Union corps in detail and destroy them. Long
street was coming over from Ringgod, Ga. with
heavy reinforcements, having Just reached that
point from Gettysburg 1t was the golden oppor-
tuntty for the Confederates. but slipped through
Braggs hands by failure on the part OF corps
commanders to carry out his orders
General Crittenden discovered that Bragg had
evacuated Chattanooga on the morning of Sep
TENDER 8, 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. Crttenden's corps, with the exception of
a garrison force, was sent after Bragg. They
found him at Lee & Gordon's mill Chicka-
manga creek, preparing for battle. with the
forces of Thomas and McCook
There was now no lingering doubt that great
battle was to be fought the banks of the
Chickamauga on the morrow. On September 49,
which was 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 number of bridges and fords. Late on the
evening of the 18th sharp engagement occurred
at Alexanders bridge.
The battlefield of Chickamauga was a densely
wooded plain with an occasional elevation from
which the thunderbolts of war could be hurled
from heavy artillery.
The visitor today to the field of Chickamauga
s wheeled along the Lafayette road. an old high
way now well improved by the government, that
lid service before the war for the country folk