THE CONFEDERATE ATTACK UPON THE UNION RIGHT
About 11 o’clock the successive attacks of the Confederate divisions from the left to the right had reached Longstreet’s wing; they were continued with a charge by Stewart upon Reynolds’s position; it involved Hazen or Palmer, who had been transferred to the right of Reynolds and to the left of Brannan. This was the beginning of the general assault on the Union right, which came so near being disastrous to General Rosecrans’s army. This attack of Stewart’s took place at the time when Adams and Stovall of Breckenridge’s division were entering the open Kelly field upon the Confederate right. General Stewart acknowledges, in his report, that his charge was repulsed with great slaughter. The division next to Stewart took up the assault. It was Bushrod R. Johnson’s supported by Law and Kershaw. Just before this attack an aide of General Thomas had come to General Rosecrans to ask again for support on the left. In riding close to the line between General Reynolds’s and General Brannan’s divisions he observed that the latter—Brannan being in echelon with Reynolds—did not make a continuous line, but a broken one. The position of General Brannan was nevertheless just as effective, and perhaps more so, than if he had been in the main line. General Thomas J. Wood’s division, which had just replaced Negley’s division, was next to the right of Brannan but in the main line; it joined, however, its left to Brannan’s right; wherefore the aide reported to General Rosecrans that Reynolds’s right was unprotected. Brannan had been ordered to go to General Thomas’s left, but on account of being threatened with an attack on his front he remained with two of his brigades, and sent Van Derveer’s, his reserve brigade. Rosecrans dictated at once an order to Wood, “to close upon Reynolds as fast as possible and support him.” Thereupon Wood withdrew from the line, and marched to the rear of Brannan, just as the Confederate charge, under B. R. Johnson, reached its old front. Rosecrans issued his order to Wood supposing that Brannan had gone with his whole division to the Kelly field. Brannan reported what action he had taken, and that Reynolds had approved it. Rosecrans gave his approval instantly; but the fatal order had been issued to Wood some minutes before, and consequently his division was moving out, just as the eight brigades made the attack. Longstreet had massed these brigades opposite the Union centre. They were formed in three lines, lapped over the right of Brannan and the left of Davis—whose division was on the right of Wood—and moved close to the gap; they widened the awful space left by Wood; the attack struck Wood’s rear brigade (Buell’s) and shattered it. Brannan who was a very able commander threw back his right, but lost a part of Connell’s brigade in this movement. With great skill and considerable deliberation he re-established his line on the Horse Shoe Ridge, near the Snodgrass house, on a line nearly perpendicular to the one from which he had retreated. Although Wood’s division was subjected to a heavy attack, he—with the aid of General Thomas, who had just come from the left wing—succeeded in establishing his remaining troops in prolongation of Brannan’s new line, and in reaching towards, but not entirely, Reynolds’s right, which retired slightly. Hazen’s brigade of Palmer’s division filled up the gap between Reynolds and Wood, thus making the Union line a nearly continuous one from Snodgrass Hill to the left of Baird, where Barnes’s brigade had taken position. The shape of the line was that of a very flattened crescent, with the convex side towards the enemy; it was greatly shortened, however, by the losses of the 19th, and the cutting off on the right of two whole divisions, Davis’s and Sheridan’s, a part of Wood’s, and some of Van Cleve’s. These were now beyond the Confederate line and were attacked by heavy forces while on the march, driving them from the field. Negley with his remaining brigade was caught in the gap from whence he drifted towards Brannan. General H. V. Boynton said about this affair on this part of the field: “Negley, gathering up much artillery, was ordered by General Thomas to post it on the crest overlooking the field in front of Baird’s left, but instead he took it to Brannan’s right. This was a good position for it and it could have been of great service there later, when the Confederate line made an advance to that point, but he retired with it in haste toward Rossville, ordering all the artillery to follow him, before he was attacked.”
Jefferson C. Davis was a fine and brave officer. He had only two brigades, Carlin’s and Heg’s; the latter was commanded by Martin, for Colonel Heg had been mortally wounded the day before. These brigades had done some wonderful fighting on the day before, when they were greatly reduced. After the break they could not stand against the Confederate charge, wherefore they drifted towards Rossville. Davis and Sheridan were both on the move by the left flank closing up toward the left, when the Confederate charge struck them. Van Cleve with his remaining brigades in motion—Barnes had gone to the left—was thrown into disorder by the rapid dash of some artillery through the ranks, while a portion of them rallied with Wood. General Lytle of the Sheridan brigade was killed while trying to rally his troops. These divisions and brigades went back, together with Wilder’s mounted brigade, carrying with them Generals Rosecrans, McCook, and Crittenden, who at that time were to the right of the break. The line of their retreat was through McFarland’s Gap in Missionary Ridge, south of Rossville. These troops did not go further back than to Rossville, but Rosecrans, McCook, and Crittenden kept on to Chattanooga. Boynton says, that Sheridan’s division was in good order when it arrived at Rossville. Davis tried his best to reform his troops near to McFarland’s Gap; he did march them back to the field, but reached it too late in the evening. In the neighborhood of the two gaps, McFarland’s and Rossville, were some ten thousand fugitive troops; the way was open for them to have been led either to the right or to the left of the Union line. But who was there who had rank and authority enough to lead them, while their army and corps commanders were still further to the rear? James A. Garfield, Gates P. Thruston, chief of McCook’s staff, Surgeons Gross and Perkins, medical directors of the Fourteenth and Twentieth corps, rode back and joined General Thomas. Sheridan was requested by Thruston, the adjutant-general and chief of staff to General McCook, at McFarland’s Gap—by a message from General Thomas—to march to the latter’s relief, but he insisted on marching back to Rossville and from there taking the Lafayette road to the left flank of the army.[23] This was a most out of the way road to the battlefield. Sheridan wanted to report quickly to General Thomas when the break occurred and was doing that by way of Rossville. It was dark before he arrived near to the left; the Union troops had then begun the backwood movement.
After the second attack on the left by Walker’s and Hill’s corps, Breckenridge again came in behind Baird, but was repulsed by Van Derveer, Grose, and Willich. All was quiet on the left, while heavy firing continued on the right, when General Thomas rode over to the right to look at matters there. This occurred during the adjustment after the break, and he placed what remained of Wood’s on the left of Brannan, the latter having taken his position prior to that on Horse Shoe Ridge. General Thomas did not return to the left until about 5:30 p. m.
There had been no intimation to the four commanders on the left—Baird, Johnson, Palmer, and Reynolds—that everything had not gone well with the right. They could get no message from Thomas for two or three hours. At this juncture, fearing another assault by the Confederate lines, and supposing that Thomas had been cut off from them, Palmer, Johnson, and Reynolds consulted with Baird and proposed that General Palmer, as the senior and ranking officer, be placed in command of their four divisions and march them off the field. General Baird refusing to join them, prevented this calamity. Had this been done, the Confederate right wing, confronting them, could have advanced unimpeded in the rear of the Union troops on Snodgrass Hill, about three-quarters of a mile directly in the rear of the Union left. In view of what happened later in the evening with regard to the successful falling back, it is not necessary to state what a probable disaster General Baird prevented.
The Fatal Order to Wood, at Chickamauga
Adapted from Fiske’s The Mississippi Valley in the Civil War, p. 270
Longstreet followed the drawing back of the Union right, by a right wheel of his divisions, while keeping Preston’s division in reserve, probably in order to be ready to repel quickly any attack upon his left and rear by Davis, Sheridan, Wilder, or R. B. Mitchell. There was no need to be alarmed, for no troops approached from that quarter. He largely outflanked and outnumbered the right wing of Rosecrans. General Garfield had brought an order to Thomas from Rosecrans to take command of the army, which was left on the field, and to fall back to Rossville, to form a new line, and to hold back the enemy from Chattanooga. Thomas made his headquarters near the Snodgrass house and directed all the movements of the Union forces for the rest of the day. He determined to hold the present line at least until night, when the retreat could be made with less danger. To meet the six triumphant divisions of Longstreet, the available troops in line were Croxton’s and part only of Connell’s brigades of Brannan’s division; Wood, with only Harker’s brigade, and one regiment of Buell’s; his other regiments seemed to have faded away, or been cut off in the break. With Wood’s line were a part of John Beatty’s brigade, a part of Stanley’s, and the Twenty-first Ohio of Sirwell’s: these were of Negley’s division, but Negley was not with them. There were parts of the Ninth and Seventeenth Kentucky, Forty-fourth Indiana, and Thirteenth Ohio of Van Cleve’s division, but no division commander with them.
The Forty-fourth Indiana of Dick’s brigade, and the Seventeenth Kentucky of Beatty’s brigade, and both of Van Cleve’s—Barnes’s brigade being still on the left—were the only regiments which deflected from the fugitives, and fell in with Wood’s and Brannan’s line.
Chickamauga, evening of September 20, 1863
Adapted from Fiske’s The Mississippi Valley in the Civil War, p. 274
Longstreet’s troops attacked these fragments repeatedly with tremendous force, but were repulsed with great loss. Finally one of Hindman’s brigades gained a position on Brannan’s right and rear, without opposition, for no troops were there to oppose them. Negley had held that point earlier with ample artillery and infantry supports, but he was then in Rossville. Just at this time, when disaster again seemed inevitable, General Gordon Granger reported to General Thomas; having marched his troops with the true instincts of a soldier from McAffee’s church, in front of Rossville Gap facing Ringgold, to the sound of the battle. Thomas ordered him to the right of Brannan. Two large brigades, Whittaker’s and John G. Mitchell’s, were commanded by the gallant General James B. Steedman; these formed in line, charged up the hill against that brigade which had gained the flank of Croxton, and drove it pell-mell back down the hill with great slaughter. At this time, Van Derveer’s brigade came from the Kelly field, where it had done such fine service. This brigade formed on Steedman’s left and joined in the attack. When this combined force struck the enemy the musketry firing was heavier than any before delivered. It lasted perhaps twenty minutes. It was immediately in the rear of Baird’s division, on the left, about three-fourths of a mile away; could not be seen on account of the woods, but was heard, and it was terrific. Twice Hindman reformed at a safe distance, and tried to recapture the hill, but being overwhelmed, abandoned any future efforts; these brigades formed in prolongation of Brannan’s right and fought until dark. While Sheridan was marching on the west side of Missionary Ridge towards Rossville, Granger was marching on the east side of it towards the battle, without other orders than a general one, given days before to support the army. They both must have heard the firing, and should have marched to it; if these fugitive troops could have been brought on the field with a competent commander, what would the result have been? How could they keep away? Would not the Confederate Army—which was so nearly used up—have been glad to fall back to Rome?
Hindman, in his report[24] speaks in the following words of this desperate contest on the Union right lasting over four hours, viz.: “I have never known Federal troops to fight so well.” General Daniel H. Hill, who commanded a Confederate corps on the army’s right, says in an article on the battle of Chickamauga, that he never saw the dead so thick anywhere as he did on the slopes of Snodgrass Hill after the attacks by Longstreet’s several divisions.[25]
General Garfield after returning from Rossville to the field, rode long the lines of his old brigade, now Harker’s of Wood’s division, cheered the men with muskets and gave by his presence the evidence that others who did not come back from the rear could have done so. Longstreet’s report states: “Hood’s column broke the enemy’s line near the Brotherton house, and made it wheel to the right. In making this movement Major-General Hood fell severely and it was feared mortally wounded by a minie ball breaking his thigh.” Law succeeded Hood in command. Longstreet continues as follows: “About three o’clock in the afternoon I asked the commanding general for some of the troops of the Right Wing, but was informed by him that they had been beaten back so badly that they could be of no service to me.”[26] The figures of losses on the two wings given later on will show that Bragg was right.
The forces to resist the whole Confederate Army were but five divisions in line. The rank and file of these divisions did not know of the condition on the right, which was very fortunate; they stood and fought therefore defensively, and with great confidence and bravery.
The Union line, as now formed, consisted of Thomas’s original five divisions and such troops as Wood’s one brigade (Harker’s), a fraction of another (Buell’s) and fractions of regiments which had drifted in, together with Steedman’s two brigades. It stood off the Confederate Army until dark. An attack on General Thomas’s left—organized about three o’clock—must be mentioned, however. It is supposed that this was made in order to prevent any of the Union troops at that point from being sent to the right. The attack was a general one and was easily repulsed. The divisions of Breckenridge, Liddell, Armstrong’s dismounted cavalry, and Forrest’s artillery across the Lafayette road, were active. Willich made the fourth charge along the length of Kelly’s field against these troops across the Lafayette road. At half after five o’clock all was quiet on the Union left, and confidence filled the hearts of the troops; but the attacks by Longstreet on the Union right lasted another hour.
Thomas had orders from Rosecrans to draw back to Rossville; Granger wanted him to ignore the orders and hold the field; but Thomas would not accede to such a request, and began the movement at half past five. His line was solid and confident, but had very little ammunition, and no rations. He was largely outnumbered and outflanked at both right and left; by falling back to Rossville he would gain the fugitive troops, whom he had been unable to induce to march back to this position; he would also gain a stronger defensive line, which would better cover the approaches to the city. He intended to start the movement so early in the evening that he could get the troops in the proper roads and directions before night, when darkness would protect them from danger of attack during the march. Boynton says: “It was in no sense a military retreat,” it was done “because Chattanooga, and not the Chickamauga woods, was the objective of the campaign.” Still, it may also be said, that the Confederate Army was the objective, and that its destruction was of more importance than the occupation of the city. It is quite certain that General Thomas would gladly have remained on the field, if he had been confident that he could have destroyed Bragg’s army the next day. He did not know at that time that it was badly used up as later events proved and the movement backwards in the face of a very vigilant foe, who was constantly advancing in almost full force, would have been dangerous.
The dispositions made by General George H. Thomas—before and after he discovered the break in the Union right—were of the highest military character; his plan of withdrawal to Rossville was equally scientific. In his report he says, that after the arrival of Granger’s forces and their effective attack on the enemy’s troops on the right of Brannan, every assault of the enemy until nightfall was repulsed in the most gallant style by the whole line. This was the result of his skillful placing of troops, his constant watchfulness with regard to the movements of the enemy, and the excellent counter movements by the Union forces. But the real cause of the preservation of the army was the masterful formation of the five divisions remaining under General Thomas’s command on the morning of the 20th; they were formed in compact, double lines, protected by log breastworks and had three or four brigades in reserve; these lines required no re-adjustment and were not penetrated. His watchfulness of the troops—of which many formed under his own direction on Snodgrass Hill after the break on the right—enabled him to point out instantly where they should go, when Granger and Steedman appeared. Let it be remembered that he was at that time unaware of the extent of the disaster on the right. In his report he states, “General Garfield, chief of staff of General Rosecrans, reached this position about 4 p. m., in company with Lieutenant-Colonel Thruston, of McCook’s staff, and Captains Gaw and Barker, of my staff, who had been sent to the rear to bring back the ammunition, if possible. General Garfield gave me the first reliable information that the right and centre of our army had been driven, and of its condition at that time. I soon after received a dispatch from General Rosecrans, directing me to assume command of all the forces, and, with Crittenden and McCook, take a strong position, and assume a threatening attitude at Rossville, sending the unorganized forces to Chattanooga for reorganization, stating that he would examine the ground at Chattanooga, and then join me; also that he had sent out rations and ammunition to me at Rossville.”[27]
General Thomas, of course, knew before Garfield reached him that disaster of some kind had occurred on the right; but he did not know its extent, neither did he know of the departure of the many troops and high officers from the field. When he received this dispatch from General Rosecrans he determined to fall back and immediately formulated his plans. To enable the troops in line to hold the positions they occupied until the proper time to fall back, he sent two aides to distribute some ammunition—ten rounds to the man—which Granger had brought with him. As soon as this was done he sent Captain Willard, an aide, to direct the division commanders to be prepared to withdraw their commands as soon as they received orders. At 5:30 p. m. Captain Barker carried the order to Reynolds to commence the movement. Thomas does not indicate in his report why he wanted Reynolds to commence the movement, but it has been shown that his division was the one best located for the work. A brigade of Confederate troops of Liddell’s division occupied at that time the woods on the west of the Lafayette road, between the Union right on Snodgrass Hill and the left around the Kelly field. It was in the rear of both Union wings. Reynolds’s position was at the head of these woods, and his troops could fire into the Confederate lines without danger to the backs of the Union soldiers. Under Thomas’s direction, Turchin’s brigade moved down the Lafayette road, and filed to the left; when his rear had cleared the road and faced to the right on the march, he threw his brigade upon the Confederate forces and drove them in utter defeat entirely beyond Baird’s left. This was the fifth charge made during the day in the same direction along this road, in and adjacent to the Kelly field. General Thomas posted Reynolds’s two brigades, Turchin’s and Robinson’s—formerly King’s—together with Johnson’s reserve brigade and General Willich’s on the ridge road west of the Lafayette road, near the Mullis farm, in order to cover McFarland’s Gap. Thomas’s report describes best what followed: “These dispositions being made, I sent orders to Generals Wood, Brannan, and Granger to withdraw from their positions. Johnson’s and Baird’s division were attacked at the moment of retiring, but, by being prepared, retired without confusion or any serious losses. General Palmer was attacked while retiring. * * * I then proceeded to Rossville, accompanied by Generals Garfield and Gordon Granger, and immediately prepared to place the troops in position at that point.”[28]
During Baird’s withdrawal he was heavily attacked by the enemy, and lost a great many who were taken prisoners; some of these remained too long behind the breastworks, others took a wrong direction in falling back. The troops which had retreated to Rossville Gap during the day were reorganized by their officers prior to the falling back of the main army. Negley’s division was placed directly across the gap, and the next morning Baird’s was placed behind it; the other divisions on the right and left (on the crest of the ridge) were stationed with Minty’s cavalry in front of the gap, about one mile and a half on the Ringgold road. General R. B. Mitchell’s cavalry was on the Union right covering McFarland’s Gap, and extending his right to the Chattanooga Creek. McCook’s Corps was in line about a mile behind him.
On September 21, General N. B. Forrest advanced at Rossville some Confederate cavalry close enough to throw a shell or two into a Union wagon train and Minty’s advance Union cavalry on the Ringgold road had a little skirmish. But the Confederate Army was not advancing; apparently it did not intend to attack the position at this point. In fact, General Bragg did not know of the retirement of the Union Army until the 21st, and he did not order an advance. The Confederate Army lay still on the field during the 21st, and most of the 22nd. Therefore General Thomas advised General Rosecrans to concentrate the troops at Chattanooga, and this was done on the night of September 21, in a most admirable manner under Thomas’s direction. Brannan’s division—in order to cover and protect the movement—was posted half way between Rossville and Chattanooga. Nearly all the infantry and artillery were in or around the city by 7 a. m. of the 22nd. The different organizations were marched directly to positions previously assigned them.
Baird’s division (now Rousseau’s), with Minty’s cavalry still in rear of it, brought up the rear, and did not arrive in the entrenchments around the city until late in the evening of the 22nd. General Rousseau, who was absent from early in August, joined the army again at Rossville on September 21, and assumed command of his old division. General Baird was later assigned to another division at Chattanooga.
In the forenoon of the 22nd, Cheatham’s Confederate division marched to the neighborhood of Chickamauga station, and took a road leading thence to the top of Missionary Ridge; it was followed by the rest of Polk’s Corps on the 23rd. On the same day, Hill’s and Longstreet’s corps followed on different roads and slowly formed their line on top of the ridge. Longstreet’s and Hill’s was thrown across the valley to the foot of Lookout; their left was on the top of Lookout Mountain and their right on the northeast nose of Missionary Ridge, abutting on the Tennessee River, but the main line did not reach to the river. Their camps were principally located in the Chickamauga Valley on the east side of the ridge, where they were protected from observation by the Union forces.