Today in History:

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

Page 824 KY.,SW.VA.,TENN.,MISS.,N.ALA.,AND N.GA. Chapter XLII.

Sunday, the 20th, early in the morning, I was ordered to form in column in rear of the First Brigade as reserve on the side of a ridge on the west side of the road, and one-half mile farther south than the position of last night. Here I supplied my command with rations and rested until 9 a.m. I was now ordered to form in close column of division in two lines and move with General Beatty-on his left. The division then moved back to the barricade on the first ridge east of the Crawfish Spring road, and advanced through an open field down the eastern slope of the ridge. After marching thus about 500 yards, and on entering a wood, I was ordered to move by the left flank in order to get in supporting distance of General Thomas' right. In accordance with an order from General Van Cleve, I then deployed my column and formed in two lines, with the Fifty-ninth Ohio Volunteers and the Forty-fourth Indiana in the first line, and the Thirteenth Ohio and Eighty-sixth [Indiana] in the second line, and moved forward until my first line came up with General Brannan's second line.

I was then ordered to move on double-quick by the left flank to the support of some artillery said to be in position in the woods. I moved thus on double-quick 500 or 600 yards, when, seeing no artillery and receiving no further orders from General Van Cleve, I halted in rear of, and forming a second line to, and supporting Colonel Van Derveer. Colonel Stanley's brigade on the left of Colonel Van Derveer being soon hard pressed, I went to his support, but after firing a short time his line gave way in confusion, and retreated in disorder over my command lying on the ground. This uncovered my line and caused it to become somewhat confused, but having partially recovered, I gave the enemy a galling fire for more than fifteen minutes. I was soon overwhelmed by a far greater force of the enemy; and the troops on my right having been withdrawn, I fell back in some disorder. Here the worthy Captain Gunsenhouser, of the Forty-fourth Indiana, was killed instantly while fearlessly keeping his company together under the most severe fire. Here Brigadier-General Adams, of Texas [Louisiana], was wounded and captured.

Again I rallied a portion of my command on the brow of a hill 500 yards to the rear, while Lieutenant-Colonel Aldrich, of the Forty-fourth Indiana, rallied the remainder in another part of the field. He immediately went to the support of General Wood, which I understand he did with much skill and gallantry, doing much credit to himself and good service to his country. With my portion of the brigade, I remained in support of a battery in position on the hill for an hour, when I marched farther to the left, in order to reform and get my command in better organization. This occupied but little time, when I went to the support of General Brannan, who was hard pressed on a ridge between the two roads and fronting toward the south, being on the extreme right of our whole line. Here I held the enemy in check until he succeeded in planting a battery still farther to my right on a ridge commanding my position, with which he raked my line with an enfilading fire, while he again threw a fresh line of infantry upon my exposed flank, which compelled me to again fall back. I now found the greater part of our army falling back, and I myself fell back through the woods, gathering as many stragglers from the Twenty-first Army Corps as possible. Having gone nearly 1 mile, I struck the Chattanooga road, where my disordered troops were again attacked by the enemy's cavalry. I then


Page 824 KY.,SW.VA.,TENN.,MISS.,N.ALA.,AND N.GA. Chapter XLII.