Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1913-09-11

conflicts of Gettysburg and C~hickamauga.
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 acct
dent, otherwise Fate, decreed that 1T should
be decided there. and Gettysburg is a glorious
heritage in which all Americans are common
heirs.
Seventy-1ve 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 C~hickamauga
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 a mournful but glorious testimonial
to American Valor for all time to come.
Like the conflict of Gettysburg, the slaugh-
ter of C~hickamauga was due largely, If not Who'll
ly, to chance and accident. Neither General
Rosecranss nor General Bragg, commanding the
Union and Confederate forces, respectively, I'M
derstood or 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 A,
1858, 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 RosecransFhad established headquar-
ters at Winchester, Tenn, for the purpose of d.
recting these military operations against Chatta-
nooga- His left corps, under Crittenden, was at
McMinnville. 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. Mfnty's
cavairv3 WacWt o% tbaa loft of Hrfftnpdap n NJ Mo-
Cooks division of Mitchell's cavalry corps was on
the right of the goth corps. General Sheridan's
division early IN the month of August was adj
vanced to Bridgeport and Stevenson, Ala, on 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 was dispatched to the vi
entity 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 5 he quietly
evacuated Chattanooga, marching south to in
tercept Thomas and McCook, as they came down
from the mountains into the valley south of
fckamauga. The Confederate plan of cam
paign is clearly revealed in this movement. Cen
eral Bragg saw an opportunity to engage the
x StiiOh ~ IL oSNGi AIM Slh ~ <OlS
street was coming over from Ringgold, Ga, with
heavy reinforcennents, having Just reached that
point from Gettysburg. 1t was the golden oppor-
tunity for the Confederates, but slipped through
Bragg's 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 O.. and Immediately occupied the city.
Through the most unreliable Information, Gen-
,eral Rosecrans believed that Bragg was In full
retreat on Rome,sGa. Acting upon this informa-
ton he ordered pursuit through the Pigeon noun
tains, Crittenden's corps, with the exception of
"a garrison force, was sent after Bragg. They
found him at Lee & Gordon's mill, on Chicka-
manga creek. preparing for battle. with the
forces of Thomas and McCook,
There was now no lingering doubt that a great
battle was to be fought on the banks of the
Chtcaamauga on the morrow. On September Is,
which was Friday. General Braxton Bragg, realiz-
ing that his plan to engage his antagonists In de-
tail had miscarried, ordered q movement OF his
army down the Chickamauga to effect crossings
at d number Of bridges and fords. Late on the
evening OF the 18th q sharp engagement occurred
ut Alexander's BRIDGE
Theshattlefeld of Chickamauga was 4 densely
wooded plain sssss.4h an occasional elevation from
which the thunderbolts Of war could be hurled
from heavy artillery.
The visitor today to the Held OF Chickanauga
Is wheeled along the Lafayette read, an old high
way. now well improved BY the government, that
did servics before the war for the country folk
-..-WA $500 ..-.@a&34&$