personal memoirs-1-第44章

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Chickamauga　Creek　about　a　mile　and　a　half　north　of　Lee　and　Gordon's

Mills。　　By　the　time　I　had　joined　Crittenden　with　my　two　brigades；

Davis　had　been　worsted　in　an　attack　Rosecrans　had　ordered　him　to　make

on　the　left　of　that　portion　of　the　enemy's　line　which　was　located

along　the　west　bank　of　the　Chickamauga；　the　repulse　being　so　severe

that　one　of　Davis's　batteries　had　to　be　abandoned。　　Bradley's　brigade

arrived　on　the　ground　first　and　was　hastily　formed　and　thrown　into

the　fight；　which　up　to　this　moment　had　been　very　doubtful；　fortune

inclining　first　to　one　side；　then　to　the　other。　　Bradley's　brigade

went　in　with　steadiness；　and　charging　across　an　open　corn…field　that

lay　in　front　of　the　Lafayette　road；　recovered　Davis's　guns　and　forced

the　enemy　to　retire。　　Meanwhile　Laiboldt's　brigade　had　come　on　the

scene；　and　forming　it　on　Bradley's　right；　I　found　myself　at　the　end

of　the　contest　holding　the　ground　which　was　Davis's　original

position。　　It　was　an　ugly　fight　and　my　loss　was　heavy；　including

Bradley　wounded。　　The　temporary　success　was　cheering；　and　when

Lytle's　brigade　joined　me　a　little　later　I　suggested　to　Crittenden

that　we　attack；　but　investigation　showed　that　his　troops；　having　been

engaged　all　day；　were　not　in　condition；　so　the　suggestion　could　not

be　carried　out。



The　events　of　the　day　had　indicated　that　Bragg's　main　object　was　to

turn　Rosecrans's　left；　it　was　therefore　still　deemed　necessary　that

the　army　should　continue　its　flank　movement　to　the　left；　so　orders

came　to　draw　my　troops　in　toward　the　widow　Glenn's　house。　　By

strengthening　the　skirmish　line　and　shifting　my　brigades　in

succession　from　right　to　left　until　the　point　designated　was　reached；

I　was　able　to　effect　the　withdrawal　without　much　difficulty；　calling

in　my　skirmish　line　after　the　main　force　had　retired。



My　command　having　settled　down　for　the　night　in　this　new　line　I　rode

to　army　headquarters；　to　learn　if　possible　the　expectations　for　the

morrow　and　hear　the　result　of　the　battle　in　General　Thomas's　front。

Nearly　all　the　superior　officers　of　the　army　were　at　headquarters；

and　it　struck　me　that　much　depression　prevailed；　notwithstanding　the

fact　that　the　enemy's　attempts　during　the　day　to　turn　our　left　flank

and　also　envelop　our　right　had　been　unsuccessful。　　It　was　now

positively　known；　through　prisoners　and　otherwise；　that　Bragg　had

been　reinforced　to　such　an　extent　as　to　make　him　materially　outnumber

us；　consequently　there　was　much　apprehension　for　the　future。



The　necessity　of　protecting　our　left　was　most　apparent；　and　the　next

day　the　drifting　in　that　direction　was　to　be　continued。　　This

movement　in　the　presence　of　the　enemy；　who　at　all　points　was　actively

seeking　an　opportunity　to　penetrate　our　line　and　interpose　a　column

between　its　right　and　left；　was　most　dangerous。　　But　the　necessity

for　shifting　the　army　to　the　left　was　obvious；　hence　only　the　method

by　which　it　was　undertaken　is　open　to　question。　　The　move　was　made　by

the　flank　in　the　face　of　an　exultant　foe　superior　in　numbers；　and　was

a　violation　of　a　simple　and　fundamental　military　principle。　　Under

such　circumstauces　columns　naturally　stretch　out　into　attenuated

lines；　organizations　become　separated；　and　intervals　occur；　all　of

which　we　experienced；　and　had　the　orders　for　the　movement　been

construed　properly　I　doubt　if　it　could　have　been　executed　without

serious　danger。　　Necessity　knows　no　law；　however；　and　when　all　the

circumstances　of　this　battle　are　fully　considered　it　is　possible　that

justification　may　be　found　for　the　manoeuvres　by　which　the　army　was

thus　drifted　to　the　left。　　We　were　in　a　bad　strait　unquestionably；

and　under　such　conditions　possibly　the　exception　had　to　be　applied

rather　than　the　rule。



At　daylight　on　the　morning　of　the　20th　a　dense　fog　obscured

everything；　consequently　both　armies　were　passive　so　far　as　fighting

was　concerned。　　Rosecrans　took　advantage　of　the　inaction　to　rearrange

his　right；　and　I　was　pulled　back　closer　to　the　widow　Glenn's　house　to

a　strong　position；　where　I　threw　together　some　rails　and　logs　as

barricades；　but　I　was　disconnected　from　the　troops　on　my　left　by　a

considerable　interval。　　Here　I　awaited　the　approach　of　the　enemy；　but

he　did　not　disturb　me；　although　about　9　o'clock　in　the　forenoon　he

had　opened　on　our　extreme　left　with　musketry　fire　and　a　heavy

cannonade。　　Two　hours　later　it　was　discovered　by　McCook　that　the

interval　between　the　main　army　and　me　was　widening；　and　he　ordered　me

to　send　Laiboldt's　brigade　to　occupy　a　portion　of　the　front　that　had

been　covered　by　Negley's　division。　　Before　getting　this　brigade　into

place；　however；　two　small　brigades　of　Davis's　division　occupied　the

ground；　and　I　directed　Laiboldt　to　form　in　column　of　regiments　on　the

crest　of　a　low　ridge　in　rear　of　Carlin's　brigade；　so　as　to　prevent

Davis's　right　flank　from　being　turned。　　The　enemy　was　now　feeling

Davis　strongly；　and　I　was　about　sending　for　Lytle's　and　Bradley's

brigades　when　I　received　an　order　to　move　these　rapidly　to　the；

extreme　left　of　the　army　to　the　assistance　of　General　Thomas。　　I　rode

hastily　back　toward　their　position；　but　in　the　meanwhile；　they　had

been　notified　by　direct　orders　from　McCook；　and　were　moving　out　at　a

double…quick　toward　the　Lafayette　road。　　By　this　time　the　enemy　had

assaulted　Davis　furiously　in　front　and　flank；　and　driven　him　from　his

line；　and　as　the　confused　mass　came　back；　McCook　ordered　Laiboldt　to

charge　by　deploying　to　the　front。　　This　he　did　through　Davis's　broken

ranks；　but　failed　to　check　the　enemy's　heavy　lines；　and　finally

Laiboldt's　brigade　broke　also　and　fell　to　the　rear。　　My　remaining

troops；　headed　by　Lytle；　were　now　passing　along　the　rear　of　the

ground　where　this　disaster　took　placein　column　on　the　roaden

route　to　Thomas；　and　as　the　hundreds　of　fugitives　rushed　back；　McCook

directed　me　to　throw　in　Lytle's　and　Bradley's　brigades。　　This　was

hastily　done；　they　being　formed　to　the　front　under　a　terrible　fire。

Scarcely　were　they　aligned　when　the　same　horde　of　Confederates　that

had　overwhelmed　Davis　and　Laiboldt　poured　in　upon　them　a　deadly　fire

and　shivered　the　two　brigades　to　pieces。　　We　succeeded　in　rallying

them；　however；　and　by　a　counter　attack　regained　the　ridge　that

Laiboldt　had　been　driven　from；　where　we　captured　the　colors　of　the

Twenty…fourth　Alabama。　　We　could　not　hold　the　ridge；　though；　and　my

troops　were　driven　back　with　heavy　loss；　including　General　Lytle

killed；　past　the　widow　Glenn's　house；　and　till　I　managed　to　establish

them　in　line　of　battle　on　a　range　of　low　hills　behind　the　Dry　Valley

road。



During　these　occurrences　General　Rosecrans　passed　down　the　road

behind　my　line；　and　sent　word　that　he　wished　to　see　me；　but　affairs

were　too　critical　to　admit　of　my　going　to　him　at　once；　and　he　rode　on

to　Chattanooga。　　It　is　to　be　regretted　that　he　did　not　wait　till　I

could　join　him；　for　the　delay　would　have　permitted　him　to　see　that

matters　were　not　in　quite　such　bad　shape　as　he　supposed；　still；　there

is　no　disguising　the　fact　that　at　this　juncture　his　army　was　badly

crippled。



Shortly　after　my　division　had　rallied　on　the　low　hills　already

described；　I　discovered　that　the　enemy；　instead　of　attacking　me　in

front；　was　wedging　in　between　my　division　and　the　balance　of　the

army；　in　short；　endeavoring　to　cut　me　off　from　Chattanooga。　　This

necessitated　another　retrograde　movement；　which　brought　me　back　to

the　southern　face　of　Missionary　Ridge；　where　I　was　joined　by　Carlin's

brigade　of　Davis's　division。　　Still　thinking　I　could　join　General

Thomas；　I　rode　some　distance　to　the　left　of　my　line　to　look　for　a　way

out；　but　found　that　the　enemy　had　intervened　so　far　as　to　isolate　me

effectually。　　I　then　determined　to　march　directly　to　Rossville；　and

from　there　effect　a　junction　with　Thomas　by　the　Lafayette　road。　　I

reached　Rossville　about　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　bringing　with　me

eight　guns；　forty…six　caissons；　and　a　long　ammunition　train；　the

latter　h