126 



ARMY OPERATIONS. 



and Sheridan were on the march south of 

 Gen. Negley. Gen. Wilder, with four regiments 

 and a light battery, wa8 posted at the right, 

 near Gordon's Mills. Gen. Gordon Granger's 

 forces were held in reserve some distance back 

 on the Rossville road. Such was the position 

 on Saturday, the 19th. The battle which now 

 ensued opened about ten o'clock. The first 

 attack of the enemy was upon the left wing of 

 Gen. Rosecrans, which the enemy endeavored 

 to turn, so as to occupy the road to Chatta- 

 nooga. But all their efforts for this object 

 failed. The centre was next assailed and tem- 

 porarily driven back, but, being promptly re- 

 enforced, maintained its ground. As night ap- 

 proached, the battle ceased and the combatants 

 rested on their arms. Gen. Bragg now issued 

 an order dividing the forces of his army into 

 two corps or wings. The right was placed un- 

 der the command of Lieut.-Gen. Polk, and the 

 left under Lieut.-Gen. Longstreet. The former 

 was composed of Lieut.-Gen. Hill's corps of two 

 divisions, under Maj.-Gen. Cleburn and Maj.- 

 Gen. Breckinridge ; with the division of Maj.- 

 Gen. Oheatham, of Lieut.-Gen. Folk's corps, 

 and the division of Maj.-Gen. W. H. T. Walker. 

 The left was composed of the divisions of 

 Maj.-Gen. Stewart, and Brig. -Gens. Preston 

 Johnston, of Maj.-Gen. Buckner's corps; with 

 Maj.-Gen. Hindman's, of Lieut.-Gen. Folk's 

 corps, and Gens. Benning's and Lane's and 

 Robertson's brigades of Maj.-Gen. Hood's di- 

 vision, and Gens. Kershaw's and Humphrey's, 

 of Maj.-Gen. McLaws's division. The front line 

 of the right wing consisted of three divisions, 

 Breckinridge's, Cleburn's, and Cheatham's, 

 which were posted from right to left in the 

 order named. Maj.-Gen. Walker was in reserve. 

 The line of the left wing was composed of Stew- 

 art's, Hood's, Hindman's, and Preston's divis- 

 ions, from right to left, in the order named. 

 . Toward morning of the next day the army 

 of Gen. Rosecrans changed its position slightly 

 to the rear, and contracted the extended lines 

 of the previous day. Trains were moving north- 

 ward on all the roads in the rear of Chatta- 

 nooga, and the wounded were taken from the 

 hospitals, which had become exposed by the 

 concentration of the forces to the left. Gen. 

 Thomas still held the left, with the divisions 

 of Gens. Palmer and Johnson attached to his 

 corps and thrown in the centre. Gen. Brannan 

 was retired slightly, with his regiments arrayed 

 in echelon. Gen. Van Cleve was held in re- 

 serve on the west side of the first road in the 

 rear of the line. Gens. Wood, Davis, and 

 Sheridan followed next, the latter being on the 

 extreme left. Gen. Lytle occupied an isolated 

 position at Gordon's Mills. 



Orders were given by Gen. Bragg to Lieut.- 

 Gen. Polk to commence the attack at daylight 

 on the next morning. These orders were im- 

 mediately issued by him ; but prior to giving 

 the order to move forward to the attack in the 

 morning, Gen. Polk discovered that, owing to 

 a want of precaution, a portion of the left wing, 



amounting to a whole division, had been form- 

 ed in front of his line, and that if the order to 

 make the attack at daylight was obeyed, this 

 division must inevitably be slaughtered. The 

 battle was finally opened about half past nine 

 A. M., by a forward movement of Gen. Breckin- 

 ridge, accompanied by Gen. Cleburn, against 

 the left and centre of Gen. Rosecrans. Division 

 after division was pushed forward to assist the 

 attacking masses of the enemy, but without suc- 

 cess. The ground was held by Gen. Thomas 

 for more than two hours. Meantime, as Gen. 

 Reynolds was sorely pressed, Gen. Wood was 

 ordered, as he supposed, to march instantly 

 by the left flank, pass Gen. Brannan, and 

 go to the relief of Gen. Reynolds, and that 

 Gens. Davis and Sheridan were to shift over 

 to the left, and close up the line. Gen. Rose- 

 crans reports that the order was to close up on 

 Gen. Reynolds. Gen. Wood says that Gen. 

 Brannan was in line between his and Gen. 

 Reynolds's division. 



A gap was thus formed in the line of battle, 

 of which the enemy took advantage, and, strik- 

 ing Gen. Davis in his flank and rear, threw 

 his whole division into confusion. Passing 

 through this break in Gen. Rosecrans's line, 

 the enemy cut off his right and centre, and at- 

 tacked Gen. Sheridan's division, which was ad- 

 vancing to the support of the left. After a 

 brave but fruitless effort against this torrent 

 of the enemy, he was compelled to give way, 

 but afterward rallied a considerable portion 

 _of his force, and by a circuitous route joined 

 "Gen. Thomas, who had now to breast the 

 tide of battle against the whole army of the 

 enemy. The right and part of the centre had 

 been completely broken, and fled in confusion 

 from the field, carrying with them to Chatta- 

 nooga their commanders, Gens. McCook and 

 Crittenden, and also Gen. Rosecrans, who was 

 on that part of the line. Gen. Garfield, his 

 chief of staff, however, made his way to the 

 left and joined Gen. Thomas, who still retained 

 his position. His ranks had now assumed a 

 crescent form, with his flanks supported by the 

 lower spurs of the mountain, and here, " like a 

 lion at bay, he repulsed the terrible assaults 

 of the enemy." 



About half past three p. M., the enemy dis- 

 covered a gap in the hills, in the rear of the 

 right flank of Gen. Thomas, and Gen. Long- 

 street commenced pressing his columns through 

 the passage. At this time, Maj.-Gen. Granger, 

 who had been posted with his reserves to cover 

 the left and rear, arrived on the field. He in- 

 stantly attacked the forces of Gen. Longstreet, 

 with Gen. Steadman's brigade of cavalry. The 

 conflict at this point is thus described by Gen. 

 Halleck : "In the words of Gen. Rosecrans's 

 report, ' swift was the charge, and terrible the 

 conflict ; but the enemy was broken.' A thou- 

 sand of our bravo men killed and wounded 

 paid for its possession ; but we held the gap. 

 Two divisions of Longstreet's corps confronted 

 the position. Determined to take it, they sue- 



