"The much longed for, yet dreaded, daylight dawned at last. It was Sunday morning. For some reason hostilities were not immediately resumed. The sun rose in beauty and splendor, warming our chilled bones and blood in a way that was exceedingly grateful to us. For a little time all was so quiet and still that it only lacked the sweet tones of church bells, calling us to the house of God, to have made us forget that we were enemies, and have induced us to rest from our fearful, uncanny works for this holy Sabbath at least. But no! soon the battle was on again with greater vigor, if possible, than ever. Before noon our flanks were completely routed; and, but for that magnificent man, the peer of any soldier of any nation or age, General George H. Thomas, it is doubtful whether I should be here now, telling my little story. While Rosecranz, whipped and beaten, fled to Chattanooga and telegraphed to Washington that everything was lost, and the Cumberland army a thing of the past, General Thomas, with a few thousand men, checked and held at bay this great Southern army, flushed with victory though it was. How the mighty host rolled and surged against this single army corps, but could not break nor beat them back. While Crittenden's and McCook's corps were completely routed and disorganized, Thomas with his 14th corps thus stood the brunt of battle, and saved the Army of the Cumberland from total annihilation. Well may we call him the Rock of Chickamauga! "My father was quartermaster-sergeant of the regiment and I saw him for the first time during the battle on Sunday morning. We were trudging along with the rout--for it could not be called _army_ that Sunday afternoon--toward Chattanooga. We knew that we had sustained defeat, but we did not realize how desperate the situation was. A brigadier-general was passing us, when a private rushed up to him and asked, 'O General! where is the 87th Indiana?"--I think that was the regiment he mentioned. 'There is no 87th Indiana. All is lost! Get to Chattanooga!' he shouted, and galloped toward the city, unattended by any of his staff. "'Did you hear that, John?' asked my father. "'I did,' I replied. "'Well, if you expect to ever see your mother again, you must do some good traveling now.' "As we had an intense desire to see her again we started down the road at a good pace. We distinctly heard the Confederate cavalrymen crying, 'Stop, you blankety blanked Yankees!' But we felt that our business in Chattanooga, demanded immediate attention, and we had no time to spare them.