Year: 1879

NEW CUMBERLAND lUsCARAwAs Co, OHIO


September g 1879


Mr. EDITOR: In order that your readers may have a
perfect understanding of the surroundings will
make brief statement with regard to the forces engaged
and the disposition of the several commands Maj Gen
Geo II Thomas corps occupied the left of the ne Maj
Gen. Crttendens joining him the right, Maj Gen. Nc
Cook Joining him, forming the extreme right of lne
while detached four miles to the northeast lay the
corps commanded by Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger The
early forenoon of Saturday. September 49, generally known
the first day of the battle of Chickamaug passed with
out orewarnng of the approaching conflict but shortly
before II oclock the storm that had been brewing all the
morning the rebel side burst forth At that time large
mass advancing upon Brannans division, the
extreme left First came upon the second Brigade Col
Croxton commanding aud soon forced back despite its
determined resistance The other two brgades of the di
vision to it's assistance and succeeded in
checking the progress of the rebels and driving them back
but their column being in strongly reinforced they
forward again with wild yells. So powerful the
momentum of the assault that it pushed Brannan back
and beyond his position in the line thus uncovering the
left of Bairds division which at became ercey
gagged The storm rolling from left to right fell next upon
Johnson, and almost simultaneously upon Reynolds who,
wavering at times but again securing their rmness gave
back little but again advanced until the troops of Bran
aud Baird rallied by their leaders up
the work. Then the order issued for the entire
line forward and nothing in military history exceeds in
grandeur the charge of that powerful corps Longsteets
the Potomac directly opposed by the troops
of General Thomas and although they fought with stub
born determination, they could not for moment check
the steady march of those veteran bataons They had
already pushed the enemy before them for
of me recovering all the lost ground and most of the
material of war lost in the morning and Longsreet
threatened with anplhiatlon, when danger caused
Thomas to halt.


While LETT driving Longstreets corps Polk and
Hill threw themselves impetuousy upon Palmer and Van
Ceve of Crittendens corps who, failing advance left
gap between himself aud Thomas These divisions were
speedily broken in pieces and their complete
imminent, when Davis division to their support,
and for time restored the fortunes of the day But the
enemy, knowing that all depended upon his making di
version of the defeated Longstreet massed nearly
the whole of his available force and hurled against Van
Ceve and Davis driving the former right and the latter
the left and entered boldly the opening thus made In
!
Wood and Negey and threw them into the gap. After
brief contest the rebels found themselves matched and
advance ordered and by the original posi-
ton of the morning gained The second day of the
battle the blessed Sabbath the day appointed for est
but there for that weary army that
day, for at nine clock in the morning its Stiffness
broken by the enemy repeating the tactics of the previous
day For two hours the contest ragged, when through
msmanagem there a gap left in line cf
which the enemy took advantage, routing nearly nehaf
of whole force Thomas corps all that left
to contend with the rebel hordes already eated with
1t certain that unless assistance should speedily
from quarter it must at length succumb, for
the enemy gathering his hosts to hun them in last
mighty effort


AT this crisis General Thomas attention attracted
or the whole command devolved upon him) by long
line of dust rising above the tree tops his He
prayed for Granger, like Wellington at Waterloo
prayed for Blucher o. what have been the feelings
of Pap Thomas Fifteen minutes without relief and the
Army of the Cumberland is lostl Hark What those
cheers after cheers rising above the of battle? They
from Changers The corps rushes madiy into
the fight. They have doublequcked four miles without
orders The fight ragged with redoubled fury; to
left Brigade and in their front the brave Longstreet
hurting his legions of picked Virginans Forward
and backward that thin and constantly thinning line
of brave boys when suddenly appeared man. mounted
upon steed riding down the line. train of the most
stirring of my life at the of Stead
man. for il is indebly associated with sight such
is privileged to look upon but in lifetime. At
this most critical moment of the battle of Chickamauga,
when every i'll the line, and it swaying back
ward and forward and would inevitably give way if
something extraordinary did speedily take place. Stead
turned his horse and snatchng the coors from the
coor-bearer of regiment rushed his horse towards the
rebel line. saw him go onethrd of the to the rebel
ne waving the Stars and Stripes his horses head
This act bravery-athough think was not called
forI believe saved the Army of the Cumberland from
destruction


GEORGE c. MAGEE,


Go. III, 9SM o. " T.