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.