personal memoirs-1-第45章

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

latter　having　been　found　in　a　state　of　confusion　behind　the　widow

Glenn's　when　I　was　being　driven　back　behind　the　Dry　Valley　road。



The　head　of　my　column　passed　through　Rossville；　appearing　upon

Thomas's　left　about　6　o'clock　in　the　evening；　penetrated　without　any

opposition　the　right　of　the　enemy's　line；　and　captured　several　of　his

field…hospitals。　　As　soon　as　I　got　on　the　field　I　informed　Thomas　of

the　presence　of　my　command；　and　asked　for　orders。　　He　replied　that

his　lines　were　disorganized；　and　that　it　would　be　futile　to　attack；

that　all　I　could　do　was　to　hold　on；　and　aid　in　covering　his

withdrawal　to　Rossville。



I　accompanied　him　back　to　Rossville；　and　when　we　reached　the　skirt　of

the　little　hamlet　General　Thomas　halted　and　we　dismounted。　　Going

into　one　of　the　angles　of　a　worm　fence　near　by　I　took　a　rail　from　the

top　and　put　it　through　the　lower　rails　at　a　proper　height　from　the

ground　to　make　a　seat；　and　General　Thomas　and　I　sat　down　while；　my

troops　were　moving　by。　　The　General　appeared　very　much　exhausted；

seemed　to　forget　what　he　had　stopped　for；　and　said　little　or　nothing

of　the　incidents　of　the　day。　　This　was　the　second　occasion　on　which　I

had　met　him　in　the　midst　of　misfortune；　for　during　the　fight　in　the

cedars　at　Stone　River；　when　our　prospects　were　most　disheartening；　we

held　a　brief　conversation　respecting　the　line　he　was　then　taking　up

for　the　purpose　of　helping　me。　　At　other　times；　in　periods　of

inactivity；　I　saw　but　little　of　him。　　He　impressed　me；　now　as　he　did

in　the　cedars；　his　quiet；　unobtrusive：　demeanor　communicating　a

gloomy　rather　than　a　hopeful　view　of　the　situation。　　This　apparent

depression　was　due　no　doubt　to　the　severe　trial　through　which　he　had

gone　in　the　last　forty…eight　hours；　which；　strain　had　exhausted　him

very　much　both　physically　and　mentally。　　His　success　in　maintaining

his　ground　was　undoubtedly　largely　influenced　by　the　fact　that　two…

thirds　of　the　National　forces　had　been　sent　to　his　succor；　but　his

firm　purpose　to　save　the　army　was　the　mainstay　on　which　all　relied

after　Rosecrans　left　the　field。　　As　the　command　was　getting　pretty

well　past；　I　rose　to　go　in　order　to　put　my　troops　into　camp。　　This

aroused　the　General；　when；　remarking　that　he　had　a　little　flask　of

brandy　in　his　saddle…holster；　he　added　that　he　had　just　stopped　for

the　purpose　of　offering　me　a　drink；　as　he　knew　I　must　be　very　tired。

He　requested　one　of　his　staff…officers　to　get　the　flask；　and　after

taking　a　sip　himself；　passed　it　to　me。　　Refreshed　by　the　brandy；I

mounted　and　rode　off　to　supervise　the　encamping　of　my　division；　by　no

means　an　easy　task　considering　the　darkness；　and　the　confusion　that

existed　among　the　troops　that　had　preceded　us　into　Rossville。



This　done；　I　lay　down　at　the　foot　of　a　tree；　with　my　saddle　for　a

pillow；　and　saddle…blanket　for　a　cover。　　Some　soldiers　near　me　having

built　a　fire；　were　making　coffee；　and　I　guess　I　must　have　been

looking　on　wistfully；　for　in　a　little　while　they　brought　me　a　tin…

cupful　of　the　coffee　and　a　small　piece　of　hard　bread；　which　I

relished　keenly；　it　being　the　first　food　that　had　passed　my　lips

since　the　night　before。　　I　was　very　tired；　very　hungry；　and　much

discouraged　by　what　had　taken　place　since　morning。　　I　had　been

obliged　to　fight　my　command　under　the　most　disadvantageous

circumstances；　disconnected；　without　supports；　without　even

opportunity　to　form　in　line　of　battle；　and　at　one　time　contending

against　four　divisions　of　the　enemy。　　In　this　battle　of　Chickamauga；

out　of　an　effective　strength　Of　4；000　bayonets；　I　had　lost　1；517

officers　and　men；　including　two　brigade　commanders。　　This　was　not

satisfactory　indeed；　it　was　most　depressingand　then　there　was　much

confusion　prevailing　around　Rossville；　and；　this　condition　of　things

doubtless　increasing　my　gloomy　reflections；　it　did　not　seem　to　me

that　the　outlook　for　the　next　day　was　at　all　auspicious；　unless　the

enemy　was　slow　to　improve　his　present　advantage。　　Exhaustion　soon

quieted　all　forebodings；　though；　and　I　fell　into　a　sound　sleep；　from

which　I　was　not　aroused　till　daylight。



On　the　morning　of　the　21st　the　enemy　failed　to　advance；　and　his

inaction　gave　us　the　opportunity　for　getting　the　broken　and

disorganized　army　into　shape。　　It　took　a　large　part　of　the　day　to

accomplish　this；　and　the　chances　of　complete　victory　would　have　been

greatly　in　Bragg's　favor　if　he　could　have　attacked　us　vigorously　at

this　time。　　But　he　had　been　badly　hurt　in　the　two　days'　conflict；　and

his　inactivity　on　the　21st　showed　that　he　too　had　to　go　through　the

process　of　reorganization。　　Indeed；　his　crippled　condition　began　to

show　itself　the　preceding　evening；　and　I　have　always　thought　that；

had　General　Thomas　held　on　and　attacked　the　Confederate　right　and

rear　from　where　I　made　the　junction　with　him　on　the　Lafayette　road；

the　field　of　Chickamauga　would　have　been　relinquished　to　us；　but　it

was　fated　to　be　otherwise。



Rosecrans；　McCook；　and　Crittenden　passed　out　of　the　battle　when　they

went　back　to　Chattanooga；　and　their　absence　was　discouraging　to　all

aware　of　it。　　Doubtless　this　had　much　to　do　with　Thomas's　final

withdrawal；　thus　leaving　the　field　to　the　enemy；　though　at　an　immense

cost　in　killed　and　wounded。　　The　night　of　the　21st　the　army　moved

back　from　Rossville；　and　my　division；　as　the　rearguard　of　the

Twentieth　Corps；　got　within　our　lines　at　Chattanooga　about　8　o'clock

the　morning　of　the　22d。　　Our　unmolested　retirement　from　Rossville

lent　additional　force　to　the　belief　that　the　enemy　had　been　badly

injured；　and　further　impressed　me　with　the　conviction　that　we　might

have　held　on。　　Indeed；　the　battle　of　Chickamauga　was　somewhat　like

that　of　Stone　River；　victory　resting　with　the　side　that　had　the　grit

to　defer　longest　its　relinquishment　of　the　field。



The　manoeuvres　by　which　Rosecrans　had　carried　his　army　over　the

Cumberland　Mountains；　crossed　the　Tennessee　River；　and　possessed

himself　of　Chattanooga；　merit　the　highest　commendation　up　to　the

abandonment　of　this　town　by　Bragg　on　the　8th　of　September；　but　I　have

always　fancied　that　that　evacuation　made　Rosecrans　over…confident；

and　led　him　to　think　that　he　could　force　Bragg　south　as　far　as　Rome。

After　the　Union　army　passed　the　river　and　Chattanooga　fell　into　our

hands；　we　still　kept　pressing　the　enemy's　communications；　and　the

configuration　of　the　country　necessitated　more　or　less　isolation　of

the　different　corps。　　McCook's　corps　of　three　divisions　had　crossed

two　difficult　ridgesSand　and　Lookout　mountainsto　Alpine　in

Broomtown　Valley　with　intentions　against　Summerville。　　Thomas's　corps

had　marched　by　the　way　of　Stevens's　Gap　toward　Lafayette；　which　he

expected　to　occupy。　　Crittenden　had　passed　through　Chattanooga；　at

first　directing　his　march　an　Ringgold。　　Thus　the　corps　of　the　army

were　not　in　conjunction；　and　between　McCook　and　Thomas　there

intervened　a　positive　and　aggressive　obstacle　in　the　shape　of　Bragg's

army　concentrating　and　awaiting　reinforcement　at　Lafayette。　　Under

these　circumstances　Bragg　could　have　taken　the　different　corps　in

detail；　and　it　is　strange　that　he　did　not；　even　before　receiving　his

reinforcements；　turn　on　McCook　in　Broomtown　Valley　and　destroy　him。



Intelligence　that　Bragg　would　give　battle　began　to　come　to　us　from

various　sources　as　early　as　the　l0th　of　September；　and　on　the　11th

McCook　found　that　he　could　not　communicate　with　Thomas　by　the　direct

road　through　Broomtown　Valley；　but　we　did　not　begin　closing　in　toward

Chattanooga　till　the　13th；　and　even　then　the　Twentieth　Corps　had

before　it　the　certainty　of　many　delays　that　must　necessarily　result

from　the　circuitous　and　difficult　mountain　roads　which　we　would　be

obliged　to　follow。　　Had　the　different　corps；　beginning　with　McCook's；

been　drawn　in　toward　Chattanooga　between　the　8th　and　12th　of

September；　the　objective　point　of　the　campaign　would　have　remained　in

our　hands　withou