Today in History:

386 Series I Volume XXX-II Serial 51 - Chickamauga Part II

Page 386 KY.,SW.VA.,TENN.,MISS.,N.ALA.,AND N.GA. Chapter XLII.

on the very spot we had driven him from, and maintained their position with a dogged tenacity until the Twentieth Tennessee and Thirty-seventh Georgia were put in position behind the barricade and the battalion of sharpshooters drawn in. The artillery of the enemy had ceased to play upon us, except at slow intervals, and a part of their (Tyler's and Jones') commands having already returned, I dispatched Lieutenant Blanchard, of my staff, to ascertain their situation, who reported that he men them returning with the balance of their commands in good order. I placed them in position and awaited orders.

I am unable to give as accurate an account of my left as of my right, for the reason that the right became first engaged, and the commanders of the three right battalions having been wounded the evening previous, devolving the commands on junior officers, I felt that my personal services were most needed there, which prevented my witnessing so as to give in detail the incidents connected with that portion of the field. I found, however, their dead in the breastworks of the enemy, which is the highest evidence that can be afforded of what they did.

In this fight my command lost 30 per cent. killed and wounded, in addition to the heavy loss of the evening before.

After a short respite Major-General Stewart ordered my command (which still held its position in the front line) to the left, where it would be more secure from the artillery missiles of the enemy on my right. Here we remained until about 5 p.m., when I was ordered to form in rear of General Clayton and join him in taking the batteries and breastworks on our right, from which we had suffered so heavily during the day. I changed front forward on my right battalion, and, together with General Clayton's brigade, soon ran over the fortifications, driving the enemy in confusion and capturing a number of prisoners. In this charge Captain Tankesley commanded the Fifteenth and Thirty-seventh Tennessee, Lieutenant-Colonel Frayser having been wounded. The Eufaula Light Artillery, Captain Oliver, had kept close to my infantry, notwithstanding the obstruction of a dense wood, took position inside the fortifications, and opened a rapid and destructive fire upon the retreating foe until the curtain of night closed upon the scene. I claim for this battery the honor of opening on Friday evening and closing on Sunday evening the battle of Chickamauga.

My brigade went into the fight with muskets in the hands of one-third of the men, but after the first charge Saturday evening every man was supplied with effect on their original owners the next day. The dead and wounded of the enemy over which we passed in driving them back on Saturday and Sunday give an earnest of the telling effect produced upon them in both days' fight. Besides arming itself with Enfield rifles, a detail from my command, under supervision of my ordnance officer, James E. Rice, gathered upon the field and conveyed to the ordnance train about 2,000 efficient guns. The pieces captured by Colonel Tyler and those in which Colonel Jones participated in the capture were taken to the rear and turned over to proper officers.

My command entered the fight Friday evening with 1,055 guns and 30 provost guard and a fair complement of officers, out of which number it lost 7 officers and 59 men killed and 541 wounded, 61 of whom were officers; making a total of 607. It is seen that every field officer in the brigade excepting three were wounded.


Page 386 KY.,SW.VA.,TENN.,MISS.,N.ALA.,AND N.GA. Chapter XLII.