Today in History:

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

Page 988 KY.,SW.VA.,TENN.,MISS.,N.ALA., AND. N.GA. Chapter XLII.

at the same moment rode himself to department headquarters, then distant about three-fourths of a mile. He returned two or three minutes after the arrival of General Wood, who arrived at a moment when General Davis was heavily pressed, and who had a moment before been to me and asked for a brigade to sustain him. Colonel Starling offered a brigade, and rode off and moved up Colonel Harker's brigade, of Wood's division.

Question. Were not General Wood's troops engaged almost from the moment of their arrival on the field, and were they not continuously on conflict with the enemy until night?

Answer. They were. When they arrive the enemy was plainly in sight in a line of woods. Davis' battery was firing at these troops across an open field, and General Wood had scarcely his last regiment in position before the enemy came out from woods, driving General Wood's brigade last arriving back.

Question. Were not all the divisions of General Crittenden's command severely engaged on the 19th?

Answer. They were. His entire First Division, however, was not present, one brigade of it having been left at Chattanooga.

Question. What was General Crittenden's command on the 20th? State how it happened that General Crittenden's command was broken on the 20th, and the circumstances under which he left the field.

Answer. It consisted of General Wood's division, two brigades, and General Van Cleve's three brigades, less on regiment left at Whiteside's. These two divisions were put in reserve on the eastern slope of Mission Ridge, by order of General Rosecrans, at midnight 19th, and 20th. About 9 a.m. 20th, General Crittenden, having ridden to his two divisions, established his own temporary headquarters near them. General Rosecrans sent for him to ride the lines with him. I did not accompany him but about 10 a.m., hearing some cannonading on the left, I rode to the front; found General Crittenden and General Rosecrans in company. General Van Cleve's division in an advanced position near the crest of the hill, and General Wood's division had been moved out of sight when I had arrived. General Rosecrans then instructed General Crittenden to move Van Cleve's division forward, in the direction of some smoke which we all saw rising in the front and little to our left. General Crittenden remarked to General Rosecrans, "As this is the last of my command, I shall accompany it," and did so. While moving in the direction indicated, a staff officer from General Thomas spoke to General Crittenden asking for General Rosecrans, and stating that General Thomas was heavily pressed on his left. General Crittenden soon after received orders from General Rosecrans to move General Van Cleve with his two brigades to General Thomas' left, or to occupy any gap or interval he might find in the lines. From the direction of the firing, General Crittenden and myself both thought it was General Thomas' right that was being pressed, and dispatched me to General Rosecrans to convey the impression, and also to state that the movement of Van Cleve, as ordered, was going on. As I rode to General Rosecrans, I met General Thomas' staff officer returning, and questioned him as to its being the left or right at which General Thomas needed support. He them stated it was his right and not his left, and I so reported to General Rosecrans. I reported the same to General Crittenden on my return, with the additional information that General Rosecrans had ordered General Wood to leave his position and move Thomas' assistance as soon as he was relieved by General McCook. Van Cleve was to continue with his movement, which he was making by the left oblique. Van Cleve had scarcely got well into the woods before stragglers were seen breaking through his ranks. General Crittenden and his staff were about 100 yards to his rear. The stragglers increased rapidly, and General Crittenden, fearing a disaster, rode rapidly


Page 988 KY.,SW.VA.,TENN.,MISS.,N.ALA., AND. N.GA. Chapter XLII.