the army of the cumberland-第50章

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art　could　be　accounted　for。　　Conferring　with　Garfield　as　to　what　was　the　best　thing　to　be　done　under　the　circumstances；　Garfield　told　him　that　if　these　reports　were　true　that　then　his；　Rosecrans's；　place　was　in　Chattanooga；　where　he　could　receive　and　reorganize；　if　possible；　his　army　on　its　reaching　that　place。　　That　he；　of　all　persons；　had　more　influence　with　the　army；　and　if　it　was　broken　that　his　duty　was　to　go　to　that　place　and　make　such　disposition　of　the　troops　as　might　possibly　save　the　army　from　complete　destruction。　That　he；　Garfield；　would　ride　to　the　front；　try　and　find　Thomas；　if　alive；　and　would　report　immediately　to　Rosecrans　at　Chattanooga　as　to　the　condition　of　affairs　at　the　front。　　Unfortunately；　this　plan　was　carried　out。　　The　reverse　of　this　should　have　been　done。　Rosecrans　should　at　once　have　gone　to　the　front；　and　by　his　presence　there　aided；　as　he　did　at　Stone's　River；　more　than　any　other　thing　to　retrieve　the　fortunes　of　the　day；　and　pluck　victory　from　disaster。　　Had　Rosecrans　gone　to　the　front；　and　discovered　from　a　personal　observation　the　true　condition　of　affairs；　and　the　spirit　and　morale　of　the　troops　there；　the　chances　are　that　he　never　would　have　ordered　their　retirement　to　Rossville　the　night　of　the　20th。　　That　was　the　turning…point；　and　his　hour　had　arrived。

On　reaching　Chattanooga；　General　Rosecrans　rode　up　to　Department　Headquarters　there；　and　was　helped　from　his　horse　into　the　house。　He　had　the　appearance　of　one　broken　in　spirit；　and　as　if　he　were　bearing　up　as　best　he　could　under　terrible　blow；　the　full　force　and　effect　of　which　he　himself　did　not　at　that　time　clearly　perceive　and　only　partly　felt。　　This　was　about　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon。　He　had　been　in　the　saddle　all　day　from　before　daylight；　with　nothing　to　eat　since　then。　　Rarely　has　mortal　man　been　called　on　to　undergo　the　terrible　mental　strain　that　had　been　on　him　during　the　week　just　past；　of　which　for　two　nights　in　succession　his　anxiety　for　McCook　was　so　great　as　to　prevent　his　sleeping。　　During　the　past　week　the　peril　of　his　army　had　weighed　on　him　to　the　extent　that　his　nervous　system　was　stretched　to　its　utmost　tension。　　When　he　saw　the　rout　of　his　right；　supposing　that　it　extended　to　his　entire　army；　the　blow　was　so　strong　that　it　staggered　him。　　A　short　time　after　Rosecrans　arrived；　McCook　and　Crittenden；　also　caught　in　the　drift　from　the　right；　reached　headquarters。　　While　seated　in　the　adjutant…general's　office　comparing　notes　with　each　other　as　to　the　events　of　the　day；　Rosecrans　received　a　despatch　from　Garfield；　who　had　reached　the　front。　　Hastily　reading　it　over　he　exclaimed；　〃Thank　God！〃　and　read　the　despatch　aloud。　　In　it　Garfield　announced　his　safe　arrival　at　the　front；　that　he　was　then　with　Thomas；　who　had　seven　divisions　intact　with　a　number　of　detachments；　that　Thomas　had　just　repulsed　a　heavy　assault　of　the　rebels；　and　felt　confident　that　he　could　successfully　resist　all　attacks　against　his　position。　Waving　this　over　his　head　Rosecrans　said；　〃This　is　good　enough；　the　day　isn't　lost　yet。〃　　Turning　to　McCook　and　Crittenden　he　said；　〃Gentlemen；　this　is　no　place　for　you。　　Go　at　once　to　your　commands　at　the　front。〃　　He　then　directed　Wagner；　in　command　of　the　post；　to　take　his　entire　brigade；　stop　the　stragglers　and　all　others　from　the　front　on　the　edge　of　the　town；　and　ordered　rations　and　ammunition　for　his　troops　to　be　at　once　sent　out　to　meet　them　at　Rossville。

During　the　heavy　fighting　of　the　20th；　Thomas　was　the　only　general　officer　on　the　field　of　rank　above　a　division　commander。　　Learning　some　time　later　in　the　day　of　the　disaster　on　our　right；　he　gathered　his　troops　together　from　all　parts　of　the　field　to　the　position　selected　by　himself　after　the　break　on　the　right。　　Here　in　a　more　marked　degree　even　then　Stone's　River；　he　displayed　his　great　staying　qualities。　　Posting　his　troops　on　the　lines　he　designated；　he；　so　to　speak；　placed　himself　with　his　back　against　a　rock　and　refused　to　be　driven　from　the　field。　　Here　he　stayed；　despite　the　fierce　and　prolonged　assaults　of　the　enemy；　repulsing　every　attack。　　And　when　the　sun　went　down　he　was　still　there。　　Well　was　he　called　the　〃Rock　of　Chickamauga；〃　and　trebly　well　for　the　army　of　the　Cumberland　that　George　H。　Thomas　was　in　command　of　the　left　at　that　battle。　On　the　20th；　when　the　hour　of　supreme　trial　came　and　he　was　left　on　the　field　with　less　than　one　half　of　the　strength　of　the　army　that　the　day　before　had　been　barely　able　to　hold　its　own　against　the　rebel　assaults；　he　formed　his　25；000　troops　on　〃Horseshoe　Ridge；〃　and　successfully　resisted　for　nearly　six　long　hours　the　repeated　attacks　of　that　same　rebel　army；　largely　re…enforced　until　it　numbered　twice　his　command；　when　it　was　flushed　with　victory　and　determined　on　his　utter　destruction。　　There　is　nothing　finer　in　history　than　Thomas　at　Chickamauga。

All　things　considered；　the　battle　of　Chickamauga　for　the　forces　engaged　was　the　hardest　fought　and　the　bloodiest　battle　of　the　Rebellion。　　Hindman；　who　fought　our　right　at　Horseshoe　Ridge；　says　in　his　official　report　that　he　had　〃never　known　Federal　troops　to　fight　so　well；〃　and　that　he　〃never　saw　Confederate　soldiers　fight　better。〃　　The　largest　number　of　troops　Rosecrans　had　of　all　arms　on　the　field　during　the　two　days'　fighting　was　55；000　effective　men。　While　the　return　of　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland　for　September　20；　1863；　shows　67；548　〃present　for　duty　equipped；〃　still　taking　out　the　troops　guarding　important　points　within　the　Department；　the　actual　force　was　reduced　to　the　figure　just　given。　　Of　Gordon　Granger's　nine　brigades；　only　two　were　on　the　battlefield。　　Wagner；　of　Wood's　division；　was　in　Chattanooga；　and　Dan　McCook　was　holding　Rossville。　Post's　brigade　was　guarding　the　wagon　trains　and　was　not　in　the　action。　　Rosecrans's　losses　aggregated　killed；　1；687；　wounded；　9；394；　missing　5；255。　　Total　loss；　16；336。　　Bragg　during　the　battle；　when　his　entire　five　corps　were　engaged；　had　about　70；000　effective　troops　in　line。　　Among　Bragg's　troops　were　large　numbers　of　prisoners　of　war　captured　at　Vicksburg　and　Port　Hudson；　who　had　been　falsely　declared　by　the　rebel　authorities　as　exchanged　and　released　from　their　parole；　and　in　violation　of　the　cartel　were　again　placed　in　battle。　　His　losses；　in　part　estimated；　were　2；673　killed；　16；274　wounded；　and　2；003　missing；　a　total　of　20；950。　　A　full　report　of　the　rebel　losses　was　never　made。

To　the　enemy　the　results　of　the　engagement　proved　a　victory　barren　of　any　lasting　benefits；　and　produced　no　adequate　results　to　the　immense　drain　on　the　resources　of　his　army。　　In　a　number　of　places　Bragg's　official　report　shows　that　his　army　was　so　crippled　that　he　was　not　able　to　strengthen　on　portion　of　his　line；　when　needed；　with　troops　from　another　part　of　the　field；　and　after　the　conflict　was　over　his　army　was　so　cut　up　that　it　was　impossible　for　him　to　follow　up　his　apparent　success　and　secure　possession　of　the　objective　point　of　the　campaignChattanooga。　　This　great　gateway　of　the　mountains　remaining　in　possession　of　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland；　after　Bragg　had　paid　the　heavy　price　he　did　at　Chickamauga；　proves　that　his　battle　was　a　victory　only　in　name；　and　a　careful　examination　of　the　results　and　their　cost　will　show　how　exceedingly　small　it　was　to　the　enemy。





Chapter　XIII。




The　Siege　of　Chattanooga。


On　taking　position　at　Chattanooga；　after　the　battle；　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland；　between　the　rebel　troops　in　front　and　the　forces　of　Nature　in　the　rear；　was　practically　in　a　state　of　siege。　　The　lines　around　the　town　were　held　by　our　troops　behind　extensive　rifle…pits；　strengthened　with　heavy　earthworks　covering　all　approaches　on　the　front。　　Bragg's　army　moved　up　immediately；　and　invested　our　lines；　throwing　up　rifle…pits　within　a　short　distance　of　those　of　our　army。　　To　the　rear　of　these　Bragg　threw　up　two　other　lines　of　intrenchments　and　on　the　right　of　his　command　erected　a　more　permanent　line　of　earthworks　on　the　crest　of　Missionary　Ridge；　massing　however；　the　bulk　of　his　troops　in　Chattanooga　Valley　on　our　immediate　front。　　As　our　army　retired　within　its　works　at　Chattanooga；　the　troops　holding　the　road　over　Lookout　Mountain　were　withdrawn；　and　this　point　was　immediately　occupied　by　the　enemy