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.