The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1913-09-26
The Rock of Chickamauga.

One of the greatest battles of his
tory will be brought wildly 10 mind
thsi month by the fiftieth anniversary
of the two days struggle, September
10 and 20. There were over 10000
men on the fighting line of whom
more than a fourth were killed or
wounded. They were veterans, te-
nacious in the highest degree, and
both sides were in line with their
colors when the fighting ceased. The
'Confederates finally gained the field,
but the Union withdrawal was but
few miles, to Chattanooga, the prop
er objective of the Union campaign.
1t was held in the face of starS alton,
for several weeks passed before large
re-enforcements relieved the Confed-
crate grip on the railway line OF
supl'ie from the north. 1t was so
much of a drawn battle, falling so
far short of satisfactory results to
the two war departments, that both
leading generals, at the battle we're
speedily relieved, and were thereafter
inconspicuous in army operations.
BY coincidence Gen. George II.
Thomas, whose memorable defense
saved the Union Army, though he
q mmanded but one of the theer
corps, was lieutenant in Bragg's Bat
terry in the Mexican war. "A little
more grape, Capt. Bragg" is Gen.
Taylor's most famous remark at
Buena Vista. Lieut.. Thomas was des-
tined to BATTLE Capt. Bragg at the
tremendous battle of Chickamauga
sixteen years later. BY another CO.
incidence both Thomas and Bragg
were born in the South, Thomas in
Virginia, Bragg i'm North Carolina,
and less than year apart.
No adequate life of Gen. Thomas
has been written, though he was one
of the most uniformly successful SOL
diers that ever lived. He never lost
any engagement that he directed, and
more than once he saved an army in
desperate conflict, though not a COM
mander in chief. From motives of
ddlicacy he declined to take this po-
sition until the battle of Nashville,
and that is referred to in the mill
tary textbooks of today as a model
in handling an army in action. Gen.
Thomas died comparatively young. at
the age of SO, one of the most pro-
foundry beloved generals of the civil
war and one whose career in civil
life was likely to be brilliant in spite
advancement. His nickname among
the privates was pap" and his in
fluence on an army inspired it to
take every situation cod'ly /and hold
on to the limit OF possibility. He was
never driven in confusion from any
position. At Chickamauga the rem
nants of the army that stayed with
him fell back in good order to new
line nearer Chattanooga. The COM
general and other two corps
had left the field under
the impression that the army was
defeated. Thomas held on.
The next day the Union forces were
in line ready to receive another at
tack. 1t never came. Chickamauga had
ended. What followed was a delusive
siege of Chattanooga. and Bragg was
shortly relieved. But SO was Rose
Grams. Thomas was at the head Of
the army at Chattanooga during the
period, and then turned over
the command to Grant when his
forces began to arrive from the scene
Of surrender at Vicksburg.
Several Of the generals prominent
at Chickamauga wrote their military
memoirs and give to this great bat
tie many pages of description and
analysis. Sherdian's treatment of the
battle is hardly up to his mark. On
the Confederate side Longstreet's
book is especially valuable in its
chapters. Gen. Oracle,
another Confederate, made a later
and specially close study of the vast
collision. 1t was Longstreet's divis-
Ons. suddenly trac cported from Vir-
sinia. that broke the Union right at
Jhickamauga, but it fell back in the
direction that best served the Union
defensive retreat. Bragg himself put
he right wing and center in action,
snd Thomas fought to a standstlil.
No offensive power was left in it
when Lopgstreet gained ground on
he other wing. The Union Army |
would have been sacrificed but for |
Thomas. who took the critical place |
n the line, the left wing. But for his
irm resistance Bragg wouId have
onced his way back into Chattanoo- /,
"a and pushed what remained OF the |
Union Army into the mountains sout
II the Tennessee River. II Thomas
lad lived he would probably have
'een nominated for president in 1875.
lnless he had absolutely declined. 1t |