CHICKAMAUGA—THE GREAT BATTLE OF THE IVEST.
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trained pugilist. From daylight on the 19th until after midday, there was agap of two miles between Crittenden and Thomas, info which the Confederatescould have poured, turning to right or left, and attacking in flank whichevercommander was least prepared for the assault. As Cheatham was falling back,A. P. Stewart’s division of Buckner’s corps, 3400 strong, attacked Palmer’sdivision of Crittenden’s corps, which was flanking Cheatham, drove it back,and marching forward met Yan Cleve’s division of the same corps hasteningto the assistance of Thomas, and hurled it back also. Hood, with his owndivision and Bushrod Johnson’s, moved at 2 :30 p. m., and gained for a time amost brilliant success, crushing the right center of the Federal army, capturingartillery, and seizing the Chattanooga road. The three Confederate divisions,after their first triumphs, had to encounter the four fresh divisions of Wood,Davis, Sheridan, and Negley, and were in turn driven back to the east of theroad.
Stewart had recaptured the battery lost by Cheatham’s division, twelvepieces of Federal artillery, over two hundred prisoners, and several hundredrifles. Hood and Bushrod Johnson had met with a similar success at first,but, of course, three divisions could not stand the combined attack of six.
On our extreme left a good deal of demonstrating had been done by theFederals on the 17th and 18th; infantry had been crossed over at Owen’sFord, and threats made at Glass’s Mill. On the 19th I ordered an attack atthe latter place. Slocomb’s battery had a bloody artillery duel with one onthe west of the river, and, under cover of the artillery fire, Helm’s brigade ofBreckinridge’s division was crossed over, and attacked Negley’s infantry anddrove it off. Riding over the ground with Breckinridge, I counted elevendead horses at the Federal battery, and a number of dead infantrymen thathad not been removed. The clouds of dust rolling down the valley revealedthe precipitate retirement of the foe, not on account of our pressure uponhim, but on account of the urgency of the order to hurry to their left. Thiswas the time to have relieved the strain upon our right by attacking theFederal right at Lee and Gordon’s. My veteran corps, under its heroicdivision commanders, Breckinridge and Cleburne, would have flanked theenemy out of his fortifications at this point, and would by their brilliantonset have confounded Rosecrans in his purpose of massing upon his left;but Bragg had other plans. J
At 3 p. m. I received an order to report to the commander-in-chief at Ted-ford’s Ford, to set Cleburne’s division in motion to the same point, and torelieve Hindman at Gordon’s with Breckinridge’s division. Cleburne had sixmiles to march over a road much obstructed with wagons, artillery, anddetails of soldiers. He got into position on the extreme right after sun-down. Thomas had, in the meanwhile, moved Brannan from his left to hisright, and was retiring Baird and R. W. Johnson to a better position, when
J The great commander is he who makes his assumes that he is superior to his enemy, eitherantagonist keep step with him. Thomas, like the in numbers or in courage, and therefore carriesgrand soldier he was, by attacking first, made Bragg with him to the assault all the moral advantage ofkeep step with him. He who begins the attack his assumed superiority.— D. H. H.