The regulars, outflanked after the withdrawal of Brannan’s men, fought like tigers, but were rolled back and over Scribner’s brigade—the right of which being too far advanced, was crumpled up and literally surrounded. At this conjuncture, Johnson’s division of McCook’s corps, and Reynolds’ division of Thomas’s arrived, and were placed in position, connecting with the brigades already engaged.
The storm rolled upon them, and, as the most desperate valor was displayed by both rebels and Unionists, the fortune of the fight wavered, first on one side and then on the other. A tremendous onslaught of the enemy broke Palmer’s lines, and scattered several of his regiments in wild dismay. General Reynolds threw himself among the brave but broken ranks, shouting, “Boys! are you the soldiers of the Sixth Ohio, who fought so gallantly with me at Cheat Mountain in Virginia? You never turned your backs upon traitors—will you do it now?”
“No! no!” they screamed, with frantic enthusiasm. “Lead us back. We will fight it out! Lead us back!”
Back came the scattered fragments of regiments; with magic swiftness ranks were formed, and the order was issued for the entire line to advance—and never was a finer charge made than that which followed. But they were Longstreet’s men who opposed, and they rallied and rallied again, maintaining their reputation desperately; but Thomas, Reynolds, and other heroic leaders inspirited their men with their own ardor; the foe was still driven and Longstreet threatened with annihilation. Attacked both in front and in the flank, the enemy was slaughtered mercilessly; the artillery he had captured was, with the exception of three pieces, recovered; and he was finally compelled to fall back, in confusion, on his reserves, posted in a strong position on the west side of Chickamauga creek.
While the contest was progressing so gloriously on the left, Polk and Cheatham, with a powerful force, fell upon Palmer and Van Cleve, and upon Reynolds’ right. The assault was made with such suddenness and effect that Palmer’s division was staggered, and Van Cleve’s completely shattered. Prisoners and artillery fell into the hands of the exultant foe, and he was driving everything before him, when General Davis’ division came upon him and restored the fortunes of the day. But the chosen legions of the enemy, and all his available forces, were massed in this quarter, and the unparalleled obstinacy of Davis’s men would have proved unequal to the occasion, had not Brannan’s division arrived on the scene just in time to defeat Cheatham’s efforts to turn Reynolds’ right and rear. General Negley had been ordered to afford succor, and responded readily to the summons. The gallant Wilder was however the first to scatter the enemy in terror before him, but they rallied, and forced him slowly back. General Sheridan now joined in the wavering struggle and led Colonel Bradley’s noble brigade into the midst of it. The rebels opened, from some timber near his flank, an enfilading fire, which rained death into his ranks and compelled him to give way. But Wood and Negley, who had been busied hitherto, repelling feigned attacks, came at last to the rescue, and the tide was stayed. The scattered troops reorganized, and lately broken brigades resumed their places. A weltering fire now blazed along the whole Union front, with such terrible effect that the rebels shrank from it. The Union centre was restored to its integrity, and victory, was snatched from the grasp of the foe.
SECOND DAY’S BATTLE.
Sunday, the twentieth of September, proved an eventful day to the Army of the Cumberland. The sun rose bright and clear, but an impenetrable mist hung over the field between the two hostile armies. General Rosecrans was anxious and alarmed, from the fact that, at the close of the preceding day, there were only two of his brigades which had not been brought opportunely and squarely into the action. This convinced him that he was greatly outnumbered, and he must now fight, not only for the position of Chattanooga, but for the very existence of his army. The corps commanders met at headquarters, at Widow Glen’s house, and, after participating in long and grave consultation, received orders for the disposition of the troops for the following day. General Thomas, with his reinforcements, was to maintain the line he had assumed, with Brennan in reserve; General McCook, when his pickets were driven in, was to close on Thomas, and enclose the position at Widow Glen’s house. Crittenden with two divisions in reserve, near the junction of Thomas’s and McCook’s lines, was to place himself in position to succor either. But McCook stationed his troops too far on the crest, and the reserve under General Davis was removed to a wooded hill side, west of the Dry Valley road, instead of being placed in close column in a sheltered position more to the left. General Crittenden was in the valley close by, too far to the right, and the indispensable necessity of keeping near to the left where the enemy’s first assault might be expected, was not sufficiently regarded. General Negley withdrew his reserve brigade from the line and joined General Thomas, but General Crittenden failed to relieve him. Wood’s troops were, however, finally moved into the position vacated by Negley’s reserves; but the delay proved of serious consequence, for the battle had already begun, at half past eight A. M., on the extreme left, as was expected. General Thomas sent for Negley’s remaining brigades, and as he continued to be hard pressed. Van Cleve was sent to his assistance. General Reynolds’s right was now found to be exposed, by an opening in the line, to the enemy. General Wood was ordered to close up on Reynolds, and General Davis on General Wood, and General McCook to concentrate his whole command to the left. General Wood, however, withdrew from the line and passed to the west of General Brannan, who was in echelon, thus opening in the line of battle
“A gap for ruin’s wasteful entrance,”
into which the enemy poured like an avalanche. The keen eyes of the rebel Generals Longstreet and Buckner had seen it. They opened on Wood, Davis, and Brannan with a terrific fire of grape, canister and shrapnel, shivering the woods behind which the timid attempted to take shelter; and Stewart’s division fell furiously upon the left flank of Davis, and sent it to the right in utter disorder. The first rebel torrent, on the other side, struck Van Cleve, and what remained of Palmer’s command, and shivered them as if by a thunderbolt. Rosecrans, sword in hand, expostulating, shouting, and exposing himself and staff to the pelting storm of the missiles of death, strove in vain to check the rout. After this fatal break the line of battle was not again reformed that day. The army was cut in two. Rosecrans attempted to rejoin Thomas, by passing to the rear of the broken portion of his line, but could not make his way through the broken throngs pressing to the left; and the enemy advancing, compelled him to retire to Chattanooga. Davis’s two brigades, one of Van Cleve’s, and Sheridan’s entire division were driven from the field, and the remainder, consisting of the divisions of Baird, Johnson, Reynolds, Palmer, Brannan and Wood, two of Negley’s and one of Van Cleve’s, were left to sustain the conflict against the whole power of the rebel army. Davis’s and Sheridan’s divisions were forced off toward the right, in their retreat, and were fearfully cut up. Men, animals, and vehicles became a mass of struggling, cursing, shouting, frightened life. Everything and everybody appeared to dash headlong through the narrow gaps, and men, horses, mules, ambulances, luggage wagons, ammunition wagons, artillery carriages, and caissons were rolled and tumbled together in a confused, inextricable, and finally motionless mass, completely blocking up the mouth of the gaps. Nearly all this booty subsequently fell into the hands of the enemy. The exultant rebels boasted of the capture of forty-nine pieces of cannon, prisoners amounting to over eight thousand, thirty thousand stand of arms, and forty stands of regimental colors. The boast was an exaggeration, but no doubt General Bragg and his army were elated beyond measure, and their delight and exultation would doubtless have been justified by the event, had not their victorious army encountered a lion, or rather a rock of adamant, in the corps of the invincible General Thomas.
During the night, General Thomas’s troops had thrown up temporary breastworks of logs; and he had with the prescience which distinguishes genius in whatever art or science it engages, made every disposition for the impending struggle. General Negley, sent for and promised, did not come in time, for the enemy held him in check; but General Beatty’s brigade arrived and assisted in stemming the furious assault which the enemy were making on Baird’s left. But Beatty was not strong enough for the work, and was obliged to recede before an overwhelming force. Johnson’s reserve was sent to strengthen him, and with a helping hand from Vandeveer’s brigade of Brannan’s division, a portion of Stanley’s and Wood’s forces, drove the foe from Baird’s rear, where he had thrust himself, entirely away from his left. Thomas now directed the massing of artillery on Missionary Ridge, so as to sweep the ground to the left and rear of Baird’s position. Similar assaults to that above described were simultaneously made upon Johnson, Palmer and Reynolds, and renewed again and again with fresh troops, but were met with Roman coolness and deliberation.