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command than composed the army
which was blindly, eagerly rushing
upon him, as if intent on a deer-hunt
rather than a life-and-death struggle
with a wary and formidable foe.

Crittenden advanced" to Ring-
gold, throwing forward Wilder's
mounted men to Tunnel hill, where
they had a heavy skirmish, while
Hazen, with Crittenden's rear divis-
ion, closed up on the advance; but,
by this time, Negley's division, of
Thomas's corps, advancing to Dug
gap," had found it decidedly held by
the enemy, who could not be persua-
ded to leave. Baird's division came
up next morning; but both together
were far too light, and wisely fell
back, after a smart skirmish, retreat-
ing down the cove. And now Crit-
tenden, justly alarmed for his com-
munications, made" a rapid flank
march to Gordon's mill-Wilder, cov-
ering his rear, having to fight smartly
at Sill's tan-yard by the way; while

Rosecrans was too fast entirely. Bragg was not fleeing to Rome, and had no idea of going thither at present. On the contrary, he was silently concentrating around Lafayette the most numerous and effective army which had ever yet upheld the Rebel standard westward of the Alleghanies. To render it such, Buckner had been summoned from Knoxville, abandoning East Tennessee to Burnside without a struggle; Johnson had been drawn upon for a strong division under Walker on one hand-matters being now quiescent in and about Mississippi-while Lee, having satis-McCook, having completely flanked fied himself that Richmond was in no danger from Meade, had dispatched Longstreet's heavy corps of veterans from the Rapidan; and every thing in the shape of militia, &c., that could be gleaned from Georgia, had been set to guarding bridges, dépôts, &c., so as to send every good soldier to the front. Rosecrans estimates Bragg's entire force, when he had thus been strengthened, at 92,000— an enormous excess over ours--and there is no reasonable doubt that he had at length more men under his 91 Sept. 11. Sept. 10. Sept. 12. Sept. 13. 35 Pollard sees the matter in a different light; and his view seems worth considering. He says: "During the 9th, it was ascertained that a column of the enemy had crossed Lookout mountain into the cove, by the way of Stevens's and Cooper's gaps. Thrown off his guard by our rapid movement, apparently in retreat, when in

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Bragg's position by a southward ad-
vance nearly to Alpine, far on Bragg's
left, became satisfied that the Rebel
army was not retreating, and that he
was in very deep water: so he com-
menced," by order, a very rapid
movement to connect with Thomas,
away on his left. In doing this, he
was carried down into Lookout valley,
thence up the mountain and down
again; so that he only closed up to
Thomas on the 17th.

Bragg had sprung his trap too
soon." Had he permitted Thomas
reality we had concentrated opposite his center,
others sent into his lines, the enemy pressed on
and deceived by information from deserters and
his columns to intercept us, and thus exposed
himself in detail.

"A splendid opportunity was now presented to Bragg. The detached force in McLamore's cove was Thomas's corps. Being immediately opposite Lafayette, at and near which Gen. Bragg

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BRAGG ADVANCES-ROSECRANS CONCENTRATES.

413

to force his way through Dug gap, | gap in Pigeon mountain into Mcwith barely a decent show of resist- Lamore's cove, crossing the West

ance, he might have crushed this first and our other corps in rapid succession; or he might, disregarding Thomas, have hurled his whole army upon Crittenden at Ringgold, crushed him, and then interposed between Thomas and Chattanooga. But when Negley and Baird were forced back from Dug gap, the game was too plain. Instead of a keen chase after a flying enemy, it was at once comprehended by our Generals that they must concentrate and fight for their lives.

Lafayette lies some 25 miles south by east of Chattanooga, on the main highway leading thence into Georgia, behind Pigeon mountain, in a valley whence Pea Vine creek flows northward into the Chickamauga. Eight or ten miles north of Lafayette, the highway aforesaid passes through a

had all his forces concentrated, it was completely at the mercy of the latter. It was only necessary that Gen. Bragg should fall upon it with such a mass as would have crushed it; then turned down Chattanooga valley, thrown himself in between the town and Crittenden, and crushed him; then passed back between Lookout mountain and the Tennessee river into Wills's valley, and cut off McCook's retreat to Bridgeport; thence moved along the Cumberland range into the rear of Burnside, and disposed

of him.

"No time was to be lost in taking advantage of a blunder of the enemy, into which he had fallen in his stupid conceit that the Confederates were retreating. Instant orders were given to Maj.-Gen. Hindman to prepare his division to move against Thomas; and he was informed that another division from Lt.-Gen. D. H. Hill's command, at Lafayette, would move up to him and cooperate in the attack.

"Gen. Hill received his orders on the night of the 9th. He replied that he could not undertake the movement; that the orders were impracticable; that Cleburne, who commanded one of his divisions, was sick; and that both the gaps, Dug and Catlett's, through which they were required to move, were impassable, having been blocked by felle i timber.

"Early the next morning, Hindman was promp ly in position to execute his part of the critical movement. Disappointed at Hill's refusal to move, Gen. Bragg, with desperate haste,

Chickamauga at Gordon's mill. As Bragg was well aware that Thomas was in the upper part of that cove or valley, he moved down this road by his right, with intent to flank the left of our army-or so much of it as he might find in the cove-meaning thus to interpose between it and Chattanooga, and, if possible, between Thomas's corps and Crittenden's. But Crittenden, as we have seen, had seasonably taken the alarm, and moved hastily across from Ringgold to the Chickamauga; while McCook, zigzagging down and up Mission ridge, had likewise made his way into the cove, and was in position, with most of our army, along the Lafayette and Chattanooga road, from above Gordon's mill on our right a full third of the distance to Rossville, a small hamlet situated in a gap of

dispatched an order to Maj.-Gen. Buckner to move from his present position at Anderson, and execute, without delay, the orders issued to Hill.

"It was not until the afternoon of the 10th, that Buckner joined Hindman; the two commands being united near Davis's cross-roads in the cove. The enemy was stil lin flagrant error: moving his three columns with an apparent disposition to form a junction at or near Lafayette. To strike in detail these isolated commands, and to fall upon Thomas, who had got the enemy's center into McLamore's cove, such rapidity was necessary as to surprise the enemy before he discovered his mistake.

"Lt.-Gen. Polk was ordered to Anderson's, to cover Hindman's rear; who, at midnight of the 10th, again received orders at all hazards to crush the enemy's center, and cut his way through to Lafayette. The indomitable Cleburne, despite the obstructions in the road, had moved up to Dug gap; was in position at daylight, and only waited the sound of Hindman's guns to move on the enemy's flank and rear.

"Courier after courier sped from Dug gap to urge Hindman on. But it was too late. The enemy had discovered the mistake that had wellnigh proved his ruin. IIe had, taking advantage of our delay, retreated to the mountain passes; and so the movement upon Thomas, which promised such brilliant results, was lost by an anachronism by which the best-laid military schemes are so frequently defeated."

the left, after our concentration, being thrown across the Lafayette road, he was here attacked" in force, and compelled to give ground; showing that Bragg was massing heavily on his right, and crossing the Chickamauga below (north of) Gordon's mill.

Mission ridge, four miles south of Chattanooga and six or eight north of Gordon's mill. But Negley's division watched Owen's ford, a mile or so to our right, where another and inferior road over Pigeon mountain crossed the creek near Crawfish spring; while Sherman's and Jeff. C. Davis's divisions of McCook's corps were posted intermediately on the right of, but far nearer, our main line, holding the road which, striking off from the main Lafayette road a little north of Gordon's mill, keeps straight up the cove on the west side of the Chickamauga. Gordon Gran-resistance to such a demonstration. ger, with his reserved corps, was posted two or three miles in the rear of our left, covering all the roads leading from the east and south-east into Rossville, and thus to Chattanooga.

Rosecrans was by this time aware that the matter threatened to be serious. The stubborn attack on Minty evinced a disposition to turn his left and cut him off from Rossville, Chattanooga, and any practicable line of retreat. The bulk of his army was too far up the valley for effective

The next day," therefore, was devoted by him to concentrating his force more compactly, and farther to the left; Bragg (whose rëenforcements from Virginia were just coming up from Dalton, where they had debarked from the cars), contenting himself with a fresh attack by Walker's division on Minty's and on Wild

Rosecrans had been deceived, and was taken at disadvantage, as many a good General had been before him. Instead of being warned, as he shoulder's horsemen at Alexander's bridge, have been, by Meade and Halleck, had their spies been worth a rush, that a heavy corps had been detached from Lee's army and probably sent against him, he had very recently received advices of an opposite tenor." Minty, commanding our cavalry on the left, had been scouting nearly to Dalton, and had had several smart skirmishes" with the enemy's horse near that place, Ringgold, Lett's, and Rockspring church. As he still held

36 He had been favored, just before, with the following dispatch; which clearly proves that his rash pursuit of Bragg was dictated from, or at least expected at, Washington:

"WASHINGTON, Sept. 11, 1863. "Burnside telegraphs from Cumberland gap that he holds all East Tennessee above Loudon, and also the gap of the North Carolina mountains. A cavalry force is moving toward Athens to connect with you. After holding the moun

which was carried, but burned; our left being now fairly driven in to the Rossville and Lafayette road: though heavy clouds of dust were raised in front of our right also. All the fords for miles below Gordon's mill were now in the hands of the enemy, who were firmly established across the creek. By night, Bragg was ready for the onset-a division of Longstreet's men, under Hood, being in position on his extreme right; though tain passes on the west, and Dalton, or some other point on the railroad, to prevent the return of Bragg's army, it will be decided whether your army shall move farther south into Georgia and Alabama. It is reported here by deserters that a part of Bragg's army is reenforcing Lee. It is important that the truth of this should be ascertained as early as possible.

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"H. W. HALLECK, Commander-in-Chief."

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OPENING OF THE BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA.

Longstreet himself did not come up till next morning."

Our army, now concentrated, was about 55,000 strong-seven divisions, under Wood, Van Cleve, Palmer, J. J. Reynolds, Johnson (R. W.), Baird, and Brannan, forming our main line -perhaps 30,000 strong, ranging from right to left from Gordon's mill northward; the residue posted on the right and in reserve, as has already been stated. Bragg's general plan of battle was the same as at Stone river, save that he now attempted to turn and crush our left as he then did our right. The Virginians, under B. Johnson, were on his extreme right, already across the creek, and were to flank and turn our left; while Walker was to cross at Alexander's (burned) bridge, just above, supported by Buckner (recently arrived with eight brigades from East Tennessee); the whole advancing upon and crushing our left by a left-wheel movement, while Polk was to press our front at Gordon's mill, fighting his way straight across, if possible; if not, then to veer to the right and cross at Tedford's or Dalton's ford, lower down; while Hill (D. H.) should cover his left flank, and assail in flank any force that should attempt to move down from the isolated divisions on our right to the support of our front and left. Wheeler's cavalry was assigned the easy task of holding the gaps in Pigeon mountain, covering the Rebel left and rear, and gathering up all stragglers from the front. From favorable points on Pigeon mountain, Bragg's scoutsin fact, whole brigades of his men -had looked down on our army as it moved generally northward in the Sept. 19.

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| act of concentration, noting its positions and the strength of each corps and division-theirs being all the time concealed from us. The advantage thus secured was a very great one, and explains, otherwise than by superior generalship, the fact that their troops were so disposed for and handled in action as to be more effective in proportion to their numbers than ours were. And thus, when night fell," two-thirds of Bragg's army was across the creek, holding firmly all the fords they cared for, save those directly at Gordon's mill, and had inflicted quite as much damage as they had suffered. True, the stream was often, if not generally, fordable; but its banks were in good part steep and rocky; so that, had they been skilfully defended and firmly held, they could not have been carried without heavy loss.

Polk was in chief command on the Rebel right, as was Hood on the left; and the former was proceeding" to execute Bragg's order aforesaid for a general flanking movement; but Thomas, who held our left, confronting him, chose to strike first. He had only reached at daylight that morning the new position assigned him by Rosecrans, facing Reid's and Alexander's bridges or fords, when Col. Dan. McCook, commanding a brigade of the reserve corps, reported that he had been holding the front here during the night, and had discovered a Rebel brigade this side of the Chickamauga, apparently isolated, and which he thought might be cut off, as he (McCook) had destroyed. Reid's bridge directly behind it. Hereupon, Thomas ordered Brannan "Friday, Sept. 18. Sept. 19.

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