order reached him at midnight of the 13th. He could not march by the shortest road, for it was held by the Confederates, but must recross Lookout Mountain into Lookout Valley, and then reclimb the mountain to Stevens's Gap before he could join Thomas. Not till McCook was well on his way did Rosecrans dare to give orders for Thomas's corps to move towards Crittenden.

It seems very strange that Bragg, with his army concentrated at Lafayette, should have waited so long, with Crittenden isolated and alone so near him. Possibly it was for the arrival of Longstreet's corps, which was on its roundabout way through Georgia, but which was belated because the railroads were so badly worn. Possibly there was another reason why he waited. He not only had a violent temper, but was very firmly set in his opinions. Lieutenant Baylor reported on the evening of the 12th to General Hill that McCook's corps was at Alpine. Hill, the next day, repeated it to Bragg. "Lieutenant Baylor lies; there is not a Union infantry soldier south of us," said the Confederate commander.() But he changed his mind the next morning, and said that the Union troops were there, when at that moment McCook was marching as hard as he could to join Thomas. It is plain that Bragg did not comprehend Rosecrans's

movements.

On the morning of the 13th Thomas was in McLemore's Cove, thirteen miles from the three divisions of Crittenden. On the 12th, in the evening, McCook had received Rosecrans's order recalling him from his perilous position, but it took him till the 17th to reach McLemore's Cove. All the while Bragg was concentrating his troops to move north, cross the Chickamauga, and gain the Rossville road.

They were anxious hours to Rosecrans, but a timely reinforcement arrived at Chattanooga the troops of General Gordon Granger, which had been guarding the railroad to Nashville. New regiments had been sent from the North to do that work, relieving Granger, who came out from Chattanooga on the evening of the 13th, and encamped at Rossville.

On the same evening Hood's Confederate division of Longstreet's corps arrived from Virginia, followed by Gregg's and McNair's brigades from Atlanta, and which were united to Johnson's brigade, forming a division; and yet with these fresh troops, with the several corps of the Union army still widely separated, Bragg did not make any movement. What he was waiting for, what his plans were, whether he had any definite plan, does not appear in his report. Had he fallen upon Crittenden as he might have done on the 14th, Rosecrans would have been in danger of

being cut up in detail. Not till the evening of the 17th did he issue orders for the flanking movement which he hoped would cut off Rosecrans from Chattanooga by crossing the Chickamauga below Lee & Gordon's mill. The stream at that season of the year, with the earth dry and parched, could be forded almost anywhere.

The army of Bragg, on the 18th of September, comprised, as nearly as can be ascertained, fifty-eight thousand infantry and artillery, eight thousand four hundred cavalry, and about two hundred cannon-a total of nearly sixty-seven thousand troops.

The Union army comprised fifty-seven thousand infantry and artillery, seven thousand five hundred mounted troops, and one hundred and seventy pieces of artillery-in all, sixty-four thousand five hundred

men.

On the morning of the 18th the Confederate movement began, the brigades marching north and reaching Chickamauga Creek to find Union cavalry, supported by detachments of infantry, ready to dispute their crossing. There was skirmishing through the day, but the battle which Bragg intended should begin on the 18th was contests between the skirmishers or advanced brigades, and the sun went down with only six Confederate brigades across the Chickamauga. Not till in the evening when General Steedman, of Granger's corps, and Minty and Wilder of the cavalry, and Wood at Gordon's mill, informed Rosecrans of the appearance of Confederate troops at all the fords, did the Union commander comprehend just what Bragg was intending to do. It was eleven o'clock at night when Thomas, with three divisions, began his march northward from Crawfish Spring. He passed in rear of Crittenden to gain the roads leading from Rossville southward to the Chickamauga, reaching a position in the morning on the farm of Mr. Kelley, east of the road leading from Rossville to Lee & Gordon's mill. Orders were sent at midnight to McCook to hasten northward, but the trains of Thomas's corps blocked the way. The road cleared at last, McCook hastened on, closing upon Crittenden. So on the morning of September 19th McCook was on the right, Crittenden in the centre, Thomas on the left, forming a line of battle upon ground which Rosecrans had never seen till that morning, of which he knew nothing except that he could see there were farm clearings, patches of woodland, creeks whose beds were dry, knolls covered with scrubby oaks, ravines bordered by tangled thickets, with a few main travelled roads, but many narrow paths leading from farm to farm. Upon such ground he must accept battle from a foe outnumbering him by several thousand; troops which have made no long marches, but which have

been resting, while his have toiled over mountain ranges, and have been marching for life to gain the position which Thomas has at last secured. The Union trains had turned north, crossed Missionary Ridge, and were safe in Chattanooga Valley.

NOTES TO CHAPTER XIX.

(1) Southern Bivouac magazine, quoted in National Tribune.

(2) General Rosecrans, in National Tribune.

(3) Bragg's Report.

(4) Idem.

(5) General D. H. Hill, Century Magazine, April, 1887, p. 946.

CHAPTER XX.

CHICKAMAUGA.

HERE are two roads leading from Chattanooga Valley across Mission

THE

ary Ridge towards Chickamauga—the Lafayette road through Rossville Gap, and the Dry Valley road through McFarland's Gap, two and one-half miles farther south. Several roads lead eastward from the Lafayette road along the east side of Missionary Ridge to fords and bridges across Chickamauga Creek. The first ford north of Lee's mill, a mile distant, is Dalton's; Smith's is a half mile farther; a half mile beyond that is Alexander's Bridge; a little farther is another ford; beyond that are Reed's and Dyer's Bridges. The distance in a straight line from the mill to Dyer's Bridge is about five miles. On the Dry Valley road, about a mile and a half from the mill, is the house of Widow Glen, where Rosecrans established his headquarters.

At sunrise, then, on the morning of the 19th, the Union infantry extended from Crawfish Spring on the right to Kelley's farm on the left. The cavalry held the road leading from Dyer's Bridge to Rossville,(') and had been doing great service during the night. At every bridge and ford across the Chickamauga they had confronted Bragg's divisions, holding them in check. "The resistance," says Bragg in his report, "offered by the enemy's cavalry, and the difficulties arising from the bad and narrow country roads, caused unexpected delays."

When General Walker's division of Bragg's army reached Alexander's Bridge, they found Wilder's mounted infantry on the opposite bank with light artillery, which fired so effectively that Walker could not cross, and, under cover of the fire, Wilder's troops rushed down to the bridge and set it on fire.

From daylight till nine o'clock Thomas's wearied men had a chance to rest, but at that hour the Confederates began to advance.

General Bragg had five corps-Longstreet's, Walker's, Buckner's, Polk's, and Hill's. On the morning of the 19th only Hood's division of Longstreet's corps had joined the army; but at two o'clock in the afternoon a long train of cars arrived bringing the brigades of McLaws's division and General Longstreet. The newly arrived troops, before leaving the cars,

could hear the rolls of musketry and the roar of the artillery, and could see the battle-clouds rising over the forest along the valley of the Chickamauga.

General Polk was to begin the attack on Thomas's left. Nearly the whole of his corps was across the creek. The Confederate cavalry was advancing on the right, with Walker's troops following.

General Thomas sent Croxton's brigade of Brannan's division against Forrest, who was driven, but Ector's brigade was sent in by Walker, whereupon Thomas ordered up the whole of Baird's division, driving the Confederates.

This was not heavy fighting, but, on the part of Bragg, a movement to discover what there was between his right wing and Rossville. He had hoped to find only a small force blocking the road, which he would sweep away as if it were but a cobweb. If he had been three hours earlier he would have had little opposition, but he was too late.

He set himself

for serious work on his right. He must obtain possession of the Lafayette road, and ordered up Cheatham's division to aid Walker's, which advanced on Baird, striking his left flank, and threw two of the Union brigades into confusion and driving them towards Kelley's house, and capturing artillery.

A messenger rode with

Thomas calmly beheld the discomfiture. orders to Reynolds and Johnson, who were south of Kelley's house, and where Cheatham's men, in their exultation, with wild yells were proclaiming their success; but they soon found themselves hurled back in confusion and forced to leave behind the cannon which they had captured from Baird.(2)

Stewart's division of Bragg's army hastened to take part in the mêlée -Clayton's, Brown's, and Bates's brigades; but one after the other were repulsed by the fire of Reynolds, Palmer, and Johnson.

In a few minutes four hundred of Clayton's men fell; Brown and Bates advanced close upon Thomas's lines, but were turned back with great loss.

The battle began to roll up the creek. Hood and Johnson advanced against Van Cleve and Davis, and Bragg sent in part of Preston's division against Wood.

From two till four the contest was sharp. Van Cleve was driven, and Negley was brought down from the right to take his place.

Hood, Johnson, and Preston were driving on with so much vigor that Rosecrans's line was pushed back nearly to Rosecrans's headquarters, around which the shells were constantly exploding; but Sheridan came.