Pictorial history of the war for the Union, volume 2 (of 2) : $b A complete and reliable history of the war from its commencement to its close ... together with a complete chronological analysis of the warStephens, Ann S. (Ann Sophia)
History
Pictorial history of the war for the Union, volume 2 (of 2) : $b A complete and reliable history of the war from its commencement to its close ... together with a complete chronological analysis of the war
Stephens, Ann S. (Ann Sophia)
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
Thomas fought with his forces of Saturday, weakened by Saturday’s heavy
losses. It was an unequal contest. He now learned that the Union right
had been turned, and thus the enemy was in his rear, in force. He
notified General Reynolds of the fact. General Wood had barely time to
dispose his troops, on the left of Brennan, before they were both
exposed to a succession of such assaults as are above described. General
Gordon Granger, at the head of Steedman’s division of his corps,
appeared now on Thomas’s right, and was ordered to push forward and take
position on Brennan’s right. Steedman moved his troops into position
with almost as much precision as if on drill, and, fighting his way to
the crest of the hill on Brennan’s right, moved forward his artillery,
driving the enemy down the southern slope, and inflicting on him a most
terrible loss in killed and wounded. The opportune arrival of fresh
troops revived the flagging spirits of the Federals, and every assault
from that time till nightfall was repulsed in the most gallant style by
the whole line. Their ammunition, however, ran very low, for the
ammunition trains had been by some mistake removed to the rear; and, had
it not been for the small supply furnished by General Steedman’s
command, Thomas’s men would have had no resource but the bayonet.
General Thomas now received General Rosecrans’ despatch from
Chattanooga, directing him to take command of all the forces, and assume
a threatening attitude at Rossville. Accordingly, at half past five P.
M. the retirement of the Union troops commenced, under the direction of
General Thomas. Turchin, of General Reynolds’ division, executed a
manœuvre, with the view of covering the retreat, by which two hundred
prisoners were captured. A brigade commanded by Colonel Robinson of
Reynolds’ division, assisted by Turchin and General Willich, were posted
on the road leading through the ridge, to hold the ground while the
troops passed by to Rossville. The rebel leaders Stoull, Gibson, Helm,
Wood, and Polk had all day been hurling their commands against General
Thomas’s lines, and now prepared to make a final effort. The signal was
given and forward they pressed, with their wonted wild yell. Johnson’s
and Baird’s division, which were preparing to retire, saluted them with
several volleys as they advanced, but nothing could stay the tide and
the exhausted veterans began to waver in the face of the charging,
shouting, thundering host which confronted them; the next moment, wave
after wave of the rebel sea came surging upon the breastworks, dashing
madly against and over the barrier, and greedily swallowing up many of
its defenders, with their ammunition and material. Never was resistance
more stubborn and determined, and never was attack prosecuted with more
devilish pertinacity.
“But all too late the advantage came
To turn the odds of deadly game;”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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