Today in History:

794 Series I Volume XXX-I Serial 50 - Chickamauga Part I

Page 794 KY., SW., VA., TENN.,MISS., N. ALA.,AND N. GA. Chapter XLII.

attack on our front and left. We lay flat on the ground, the bullets flying over us in all directions. The regiment at the breastworks did well, and successfully repulsed the enemy.

After about three-quarters of an hour we were ordered up to the works. I had 3 men wounded while we were lying down. The men knelt down behind the breastworks, and volley after volley did we pour into the enemy's ranks, one regiment always reserving it fire until the other had loaded. The whole left of our army was turned at one time it the morning, but so well did this brigade do its duty behind the line of breastworks the general had erected, that I have no doubt they saved a portion of the army from premature rout. We remained in this position until about 4 p.m., successfully repulsing every attack made on us. We were now ordered to change front to the right. After being in this position half an hour we were ordered back to the breastworks. The storm of battle had now ceased on our left and front, but off to the right it was renewed with increased vigor. There was now considerable changing round of troops. General Hazen, with his entire brigade, moved off in the direction of the enemy's left to attack them, leaving orders with me to hold the breastworks at all hazards. We were now joined by the Seventy-fifth Indiana. At this time there was no firing where we were, only by the sharpshooters of the enemy. The battle on our right now waxed warmer and warmer. At times it would seem as if it would recede from us, and then again it would come up nearly to where we lay. By this time it was plain that the tide of battle was going against us. The Seventy-fifth Indiana had been moved away to another part of the field, and our little regiment was all that was left in the breastworks, where a whole brigade of five regiments had done battle in the morning.

After receiving my orders from General Hazen, General Palmer rode along and told us about the same thing, adding that we were no to leave there until he gave the order. Soon we could see our men, line after line, give way on the right. At length the whole line to my right appeared to be falling back fast. The battery that was with us at this instant hitched up and drove off. I looked toward the left. General Cruft was slowly retiring his brigade.

Major G. W. Northup now came up to me with an order from Colonel Grose to follow the battery that had just left. I proceeded to move off by the right flank by file right. I soon saw there was great danger of being thrown into confusion in marching by the flank. I then formed into columns of companies as we marched, and proceeded across the field. I could see no organized body of troops but our regiment and General Cruft with his brigade, who were retiring in excellent order on our then right. I approached the general and asked him what was best to be done. He told me he intended to halt as soon as he reached the woods, and try and rally some of the broken regiments that were leaving the field in disorder. I told him then that I would report to him with my regiment for duty. As soon as we reached the edge of the woods we halted. The general finding this was too close to the enemy's fire to rally any of the scattered men, he moved on with his brigade to the top of a high hill about 1 1/2 miles from the battle-field, where he halted for the space of one or two hours, collecting the remains of different regiments together. We now proceeded down hill. At the foot of the hill I saw Colonel Grose, and then joined our brigade and proceeded to the vicinity of Rossville, near Chattanooga, where we bivouacked for the night.


Page 794 KY., SW., VA., TENN.,MISS., N. ALA.,AND N. GA. Chapter XLII.