SOUTH CAROLINIANS AT CHICKAMAUGA--ORGANIZATION OF THE ARMIES--SOUTH
CAROLINIANS ENGAGED--THEIR HEROIC SERVICE AND SACRIFICES.
The armies of Generals Bragg and Rosecrans, which were to fight the
battle of Chickamauga on the 19th and 20th of September, 1863, were
widely separated in the early part of August, Bragg at Chattanooga and
Rosecrans beyond the Cumberland mountains, with the Tennessee river
rolling between them.
About the middle of August, the Federal general broke up his
encampments and moved his army across the mountains to the Tennessee.
Crittenden's corps threatened Chattanooga through the gaps in Walden's
ridge, while Thomas' corps and McCook's moved to Stevenson, Bridgeport
and the vicinity. Rosecrans established his depot at Stevenson and
passed his army over the river on pontoons, rafts and boats, and boldly
crossed Sand mountain to Trenton. He was on the flank of General Bragg
by the 8th of September, and by the 12th had crossed Lookout mountain.
Bragg, having left Chattanooga on the 8th, Rosecrans sent Crittenden's
corps to occupy that place and move on the railroad as far as Ringgold,
while Thomas and McCook took position in McLemore's cove and down as
far as Alpine. Rosecrans' corps was widely separated and his wings
were by road, 50 miles or more apart! Meanwhile Bragg was on the line
of Chickamauga creek, with his left at Lafayette and his headquarters
at Lee & Gordon's mills. General Gist's South Carolina brigade,
with Ferguson's battery, was guarding his extreme left at Rome and
supporting the cavalry in that quarter. Crittenden's corps at Ringgold
and vicinity was at General Bragg's mercy. He was only 10 miles from
Bragg's headquarters, with the Chickamauga between himself and Thomas,
and by road at least 20 miles from that general's support. McCook
was fully as far from Thomas on the other flank. "It was therefore a
matter of life and death (says Rosecrans in his report) to effect the
concentration of the army."
Crittenden marched across Bragg's right, passed the Chickamauga and
moved down toward Thomas, and McCook marched up from Alpine toward
that general's position in McLemore's cove. Pigeon mountain range
covered McCook and Thomas; but Crittenden's march was open to attack.
His corps should have been beaten and driven off toward Chattanooga.
General Bragg clearly saw this and endeavored to strike Crittenden
at the proper moment, giving explicit orders to that effect. These
orders were not executed, the opportunity passed, and Rosecrans united
his corps on the west side of the Chickamauga, while Bragg confronted
him on the east. The great battles of the 19th and 20th of September
were now imminent. We give the organization of the two armies as they
were engaged in that memorable conflict, omitting those troops which
were not in the battle; as, for instance, the brigades of Hood's and
McLaws' divisions, and the artillery of those commands. Longstreet had
only three brigades in battle on the 19th and five on the 20th, the
artillery and other commands of his corps not having arrived. Among
his absent brigades was that of Gen. Micah Jenkins, composed of South
Carolina regiments.
BRAGG'S ARMY.
RIGHT WING, LIEUTENANT-GENERAL POLK COMMANDING.
Hill's corps, Lieut.-Gen. D. H. Hill: Cheatham's division, 5
brigades, 5 batteries; Cleburne's division, 3 brigades, 3 batteries;
Breckinridge's division, 3 brigades, 4 batteries.
Walker's corps, Maj.-Gen. W. H. T. Walker: Walker's division, 3
brigades, 2 batteries; Liddell's division, 2 brigades, 2 batteries.
Total of wing, 5 divisions, 16 brigades, 16 batteries.
LEFT WING, LIEUTENANT-GENERAL LONGSTREET COMMANDING.
Buckner's corps, Major-General Buckner: Stewart's division, 4
brigades, 4 batteries; Preston's division, 3 brigades, 3 batteries;
Johnson's division, 2 brigades, 2 batteries.
Longstreet's corps, Major-General Hood: McLaws' division, 2 brigades;
Hood's division, 3 brigades; Hindman's division, 3 brigades, 3
batteries; Reserve artillery, 5 batteries.
Total of wing, 6 divisions, 17 brigades, 17 batteries.
Total in both wings, 11 divisions, 33 brigades, 33 batteries.
Corps of cavalry, Major-General Wheeler, operating on Bragg's left:
Wharton's division, 2 brigades, 1 battery; Martin's division, 2
brigades, 1 battery.
Corps of cavalry, Major-General Forrest, operating on Bragg's right:
Armstrong's division, 2 brigades, 2 batteries; Pegram's division, 2
brigades, 2 batteries.
Total of cavalry, 4 divisions, 8 brigades, 6 batteries.
ROSECRANS' ARMY.
Fourteenth corps, Major-General Thomas commanding: Baird's division,
3 brigades, 3 batteries; Negley's division, 3 brigades, 3 batteries;
Brannan's division, 3 brigades, 3 batteries; Reynolds' division, 3
brigades, 3 batteries.
Twentieth corps, Major-General McCook commanding: Davis' division, 3
brigades, 5 batteries; Johnson's division, 3 brigades, 3 batteries;
Sheridan's division, 3 brigades, 3 batteries.
Twenty-first corps, Major-General Crittenden commanding: Wood's
division, 3 brigades, 3 batteries; Palmer's division, 3 brigades, 4
batteries; Van Cleve's division, 3 brigades, 3 batteries.
Reserve corps, Major-General Granger commanding: One division, 3
brigades, 3 batteries.
Total, 11 divisions, 33 brigades, 36 batteries.
Cavalry corps, Brigadier-General Mitchell commanding: 2 divisions, 5
brigades, 2 batteries.
The number of infantry divisions and brigades, as reported, was
the same in both armies. Bragg had more cavalry in the field than
Rosecrans, but in the battle of Chickamauga, on his immediate flanks,
Wheeler had not more than 2,000 and Forrest about the same number. It
is always difficult to estimate the strength of armies by counting
their divisions, brigades or regiments, for the reason that it is
impossible in an active campaign to keep up the relative proportions
of separate corps, engaged at different times and often with no option
as to whether a fresh or a decimated command shall go into action. The
writer was an officer of General Walker's division, and knows that at
the battle of Chickamauga, on the 20th, that division of three brigades
did not number 3,000 men. General Gist's brigade, to which the writer
was attached, went into action on the 20th, 980 strong, one of its
regiments (Sixteenth South Carolina) and its light battery being absent
at Rome.
By studying the field returns of both armies, nearest to the opening
battle on the 19th (Rosecrans' of September 10th and Bragg's of
August 20th), and making deductions for commands on stations or on
detached duty, and counting in for Bragg's army the two divisions
from Mississippi (Breckinridge's and Walker's), and Longstreet's five
brigades and Buckner's troops, and estimating losses for both armies
up to the battle of the 19th, it is believed that Bragg crossed the
Chickamauga on the 18th, 19th and 20th with 45,000, exclusive of his
cavalry. By the method of estimating the strength of General Bragg's
army, the writer believes that Rosecrans confronted Bragg with 53,000,
exclusive of his cavalry.
Before the battle, each general overestimated the strength of the
other and underestimated his own. On September 12th, General Rosecrans
believed that "the main body of Johnston's army had joined Bragg," and
that he had been heavily reinforced from Virginia. The truth is, that
so far as Bragg's reinforcements affected the engagements of the armies
at Chickamauga, they did not add a man more than 10,000 to Bragg's
strength, if, indeed, they added so many.
The two armies facing each other from opposite sides of the
Chickamauga, Bragg gave order for battle. Rosecrans' left, under
Thomas, was at Kelly's house on the Chattanooga road, his right
stretching beyond and south of Lee & Gordon's mills. The Chattanooga
road spoken of is the main road from LaFayette to Chattanooga, crossing
the Chickamauga at Lee & Gordon's mills. Kelly's house was opposite
Reed's bridge, and south of it, on the road, were the houses of Poe,
Brotherton, Brock, Taylor and Vineyard. Nearly a mile north of Kelly's
was McDonald's. From McDonald's to Lee & Gordon's mills (the road
running nearly north and south) was about 4 miles.
The crossings of the Chickamauga were by fords and two bridges,
Alexander's and Reed's; the former opposite Vineyard's house, and
the latter opposite Kelly's. Hunt's (or Dalton's) ford came nearest
Lee & Gordon's mills; then Thedford's, then Alexander's bridge, then
Byram's ford, then Reed's bridge, and a mile further north, Reed's
ford. General Bragg's order designated the ford or bridge at which the
different commands were to cross and directed each to attack in front,
beginning from the Reed bridge crossing and moving against the Federal
left and rear.
Thomas marched his head of column beyond Kelly's house, faced the
Chickamauga, and sent one of his divisions (Brannan's) to reconnoiter
toward Reed's bridge. From Kelly's to Reed's bridge was about 2½ miles.
At Jay's mill, near the bridge, Brannan met Forrest, and the battle
of the 19th was opened. Forrest pushed Brannan back, the latter was
reinforced by Baird's division, and Walker (marching from Alexander's
bridge toward Forrest's battle) sent two of his brigades, Ector's and
Wilson's, to Forrest's support. Brannan and Baird were driving Forrest
back to Jay's mill when Ector and Wilson came up, and then in turn
Baird and Brannan were driven, artillery and prisoners captured. Thomas
now reinforced his battle by Reynolds, and McCook sent in Johnson's
division. Walker, coming up with Liddell's two brigades, took command
of the battle and attacked vigorously with Forrest and his four
brigades, driving Reynolds, on the Federal right, in rout; but Palmer's
division sent by Crittenden to reinforce Thomas, met and drove Walker
back. Meanwhile, Baird and Brannan were checking and holding Forrest.
General Bragg sent up Cheatham's division on Walker's left, and Thomas
moved Brannan from his left to his right. Cheatham attacked against
the Federal right, further reinforced by Van Cleve's division, drove
forward for a half mile, was checked, his flanks threatened, and
retired to his first position. The Federal right advanced, attacked
Cheatham and Walker, and were handsomely repulsed; meanwhile Forrest
holding fast the right. Finally, near night, Cleburne came up in
Cheatham's rear and forming on his right, attacked and drove for a mile
the Federal left, capturing three pieces of artillery, several stand of
colors and 300 or more prisoners. It was now past night and the battle
on the Confederate right was over. Lieutenant-General Polk arrived
on the right and took command at about 5 p. m. Walker's, Cheatham's,
Cleburne's and Forrest's battle was from Jay's mill (a half mile from
Reed's bridge on to the west) toward Kelly's house, the line of battle
extending for a mile on either side of the road from Reed's bridge
toward Kelly's. Early in the afternoon, Stewart's division in front
of Vineyard's, and Hood's on his left, vigorously attacked. Stewart
drove in the Federal center and crossed the Chattanooga road, but was
repulsed. The battle of Stewart and Hood was vigorous and aggressive
from the start, but was not reinforced and was repulsed from the road.
Stewart nor Hood had artillery, and neither could hold what was gained
at and beyond the road.
Thus ended the battle of the 19th. Rosecrans held the ridge of the
Chattanooga road, formed and strengthened his line during the night,
and Bragg called his corps commanders and gave his orders for the
battle of the 20th to open at daylight. General Rosecrans remarks
of the 19th, that "at the close of the day we had present but two
brigades that had not been squarely and opportunely in action, opposed
to superior numbers of the enemy." On his part, the whole of his
infantry, two brigades excepted, had been "opportunely and squarely
in action." On Bragg's part, six divisions of eighteen brigades, with
Forrest's cavalry, had been "squarely in action."
There was but little rest or sleep for soldier or officer on the night
of the 19th. Rosecrans was felling trees along his front, building
breastworks of logs and rails, and massing his army in line from beyond
Kelly's to Vineyard's, a distance of 2 miles. Bragg gave his right to
Lieutenant-General Polk and his left to Lieutenant-General Longstreet;
the latter did not arrive until 11 p. m. on the 19th. Forrest was well
out on the right, in front of McDonald's; Wheeler on the left, at Lee
& Gordon's mills and beyond. Polk's command was arranged from right
to left, as follows: Breckinridge, Cleburne, with Walker behind the
former and Cheatham in rear and to the left of the latter. On the left,
Lieutenant-General Longstreet's wing was organized from right to left
as follows: Stewart (touching Cleburne), Johnson, Hood, McLaws, Hindman
and Preston. The line of the Confederate battle for most of its entire
length was in the forest, which made it difficult to handle artillery
until the openings along the road were gained.
The South Carolina brigades, Kershaw's, Manigault's and Gist's, were
with the divisions of McLaws, Hindman and Walker. Kershaw reached
Alexander's bridge from Ringgold at midnight and went into camp on the
west bank at 1 a. m. on the 20th. General McLaws not having arrived,
General Kershaw was in command of the two brigades of the division
present, Humphreys' and his own.
While Kershaw was marching from Ringgold for Alexander's bridge,
General Gist was marching from Catoosa Station for the same point,
having arrived from Rome with part of the Forty-sixth Georgia, the
Twenty-fourth South Carolina and the Eighth Georgia battalion; the
Sixteenth South Carolina and Ferguson's battery awaiting transportation
at Rome, with the remainder of the Forty-sixth Georgia.
General Gist had under his charge an ammunition train which delayed his
march and prevented his leaving Catoosa before 10 p. m. on the 19th.
After an all-night march Gist crossed Alexander's bridge at sunrise,
halted a mile beyond, and after a brief rest was directed to the right
to join Walker, arriving about 9 o'clock. General Walker at once
assigned Gist to the command of his division (Ector, Wilson and Gist),
and Gist's brigade was commanded by the senior officer, Col. P. H.
Colquitt, Forty-sixth Georgia. Kershaw marched his own and Humphreys'
brigades to the left and took position in support of Hood. Manigault's
brigade, including the Tenth and Nineteenth South Carolina, under
Colonel Pressley, was under fire on the 18th, Pressley losing 6 men,
crossed at Hunt's ford on the afternoon of the 19th, with its division
(Hindman's), and on the 20th was in line near the extreme left.
Culpeper's South Carolina battery was with McNair's brigade, Johnson's
division.
The province of the writer does not permit him to do more than first
sketch the outline of the battle, and then more particularly to speak
of the action of the South Carolina commands. The attack began between
9 and 10 a. m. by a vigorous assault of Breckinridge's and Cleburne's
divisions on the extreme left of Rosecrans' line, in front of Kelly's.
This assault was repulsed. Fighting on the right throughout the
morning failed to carry the Federal left. The battle progressed from
right to left, the Confederate center and particularly the left being
more successful. The Federal center and right were gradually driven
until forced from the road at Poe's, Brotherton's and Vineyard's.
Rosecrans' line was bent first into a curve, and then broken into a
right angle, the angle being about opposite the left of Polk's wing.
The Federal right found a strong rest at Snodgrass hill, where Thomas,
now commanding on the field, concentrated artillery and all the troops
as they were driven from the line. This position, assaulted again and
again, repulsed the assaults and proved the salvation of Rosecrans'
army, for behind it the Federal divisions retreated on Rossville and
Chattanooga.
The Federal left held the position at Kelly's until late in the
afternoon, about 5 o'clock, when General Polk ordered his wing forward.
The attack carried the position for its whole front and Baird's
division followed those on his right in the retreat behind Snodgrass.
This last stronghold was abandoned during the early part of the night
and Bragg's victory was complete.
When the first attack against the Federal left had failed, and the
divisions of Breckinridge and Cleburne were withdrawing, General
Gist's brigade, under Colquitt, not 1,000 strong, was hurried in to
the support of Breckinridge's left brigade, that of General Helm. No
opportunity was given for reconnoitering the woods, and the lull in
the firing made it uncertain as to the exact position of the enemy.
Colquitt was ordered to advance due west and support Breckinridge, on
his left, and his left (Helm) was repulsed and retiring in disorder.
Meeting and passing Helm's men, the little brigade, dressing on the
center (Eighth Georgia battalion), marched on into the great forest.
Colquitt's three companies were on the right and the Twenty-fourth
South Carolina on the left. It was now about 11 o'clock. The first
attack had been made at about 9:30. General Baird, who received the
attack, fixes the hour at between 8 and 9 a. m. The well-known order of
General Bragg had directed it to be made at daylight.
The attack of Breckinridge and Cleburne, which preceded this advance
of Colquitt, struck the Federal left flank in front of Kelly's house.
Baird's division was in position here, behind breastworks of logs and
rails, the timber freshly cut from the abundant forest. The position
was a quarter of a mile east of the road, in the forest, with open
fields behind it running to the road and surrounding Kelly's house.
The breastworks made a sharp angle about opposite the right of Polk's
brigade (on the left of Helm) and ran back northwest to the road. From
the angle to the road King's brigade of regulars was stationed, and on
their right Scribner's brigade and then Starkweather's. General Baird
formed his division in two lines, and reported that King's regulars
were even more concentrated. Three batteries of artillery belonged
to Baird's division, but that general reported that much of it was
disabled on the 19th, and that he defended his line with but four guns.
Gist's brigade, not 1,000 strong, plunged into the woods, without
support right or left, to storm the position from which Cleburne on
its left and Helm in its front, were retiring. The gallant Helm had
fallen and his brigade, supported on its left by Polk, was repulsed,
after three attempts to storm King's regulars. In a few moments
the Twenty-fourth South Carolina passed the angle in Baird's line
unseen in the thick forest, and his artillery and infantry opened
an enfilade from King's front. Promptly as the fire opened, Col.
C. H. Stevens commanded the Twenty-fourth to change front to the
left, and was instantly wounded and disabled, his horse being shot.
Lieutenant-Colonel Capers executed the change of front and directed
the fire of the Twenty-fourth in reply. The gallant adjutant of the
Twenty-fourth, Lieut. J. C. Palmer, fell pierced through the head.
Then Maj. J. S. Jones was badly wounded, and in bringing up his right
to form on the Twenty-fourth and Eighth Georgia, Colquitt fell. The
assault was ordered, and while leading it Lieutenant-Colonel Capers
received a serious wound in the thigh, his horse was disabled, and the
little brigade was repulsed. Capt. D. F. Hill took command of the
Twenty-fourth and Lieutenant-Colonel Napier, Georgia battalion, took
command of Gist's brigade.
In the battle of the afternoon the Twenty-fourth with the brigade had
better luck. Reinforced by the absent companies of the Forty-sixth
Georgia to 1,400 strong, Napier led the brigade in the glorious battle
of the right wing and had the happiness to follow the broken and routed
columns of Baird, Johnson and Palmer, until night came to give rest
and sleep to men who had enjoyed none since leaving Rome on the early
morning of the 18th.
In the struggle before Baird's position, which lasted not more than
forty minutes, the Twenty-fourth South Carolina lost 169 men and line
officers, killed and wounded. Colonel Colquitt, an accomplished soldier
and gallant leader, fell from his horse mortally wounded in front of
the center of his line. At the moment Colquitt's 980 men were sent
in to support Breckinridge, Lieutenant-General Hill (who gave the
order) did not know that Helm and Polk were badly repulsed. Learning
it, he sent General Gist forward with Ector and Wilson's brigades
to support Colquitt's attack, but before Gist reached Colquitt, his
attack was over, with the result above described. Indeed, the history
of Colquitt's attack and repulse is the history of the fight of the
right wing throughout the morning of the 20th. It was not until the
afternoon, when the whole wing went forward, that victory crowned its
battle.
In the left wing Manigault and Kershaw were in the thick of the fight.
Kershaw commanded the two brigades of McLaws' division, and after
General Hood was wounded, he took the direction of his three brigades.
Kershaw attacked about 11:30 and Manigault shortly after, the former
in front of the Brock house and the latter just north of Vineyard's.
Both attacks were successful and crossed the Chattanooga road, swinging
with the left wing in a grand wheel to the right. In his advance
Kershaw reached the Dyer house, almost in rear of Brotherton's and
half a mile beyond the Chattanooga road. Manigault reached a point on
Kershaw's left and in line with his advance, the divisions of Preston,
Hindman, Kershaw and Hood driving the Federal right to Snodgrass and
drawing around that point. Here followed the hardest and most prolonged
struggle of the day. The order of the divisions was somewhat broken up,
and brigades went in wherever they could assist in a charge. About 5 p.
m. Gracie and Kelly, from Preston's; McNair, with Culpeper's battery,
from Johnson's; Anderson from Hindman's, and Law from Hood's, with
Kershaw's brigade, all directed by Kershaw, moved on the front and
east of Snodgrass, while Hindman with Manigault's and Deas' brigades,
Johnson with Gregg's, and Preston with Trigg's, attacked the west
flank. This, says Kershaw, "was one of the heaviest attacks on a single
point I ever witnessed! The brigades went in in magnificent order.
For an hour and a half the struggle continued with unabated fury. It
terminated at sunset." The hill was not carried. It was held with
splendid courage and was defended by all the forces of the center and
right which could be rallied, and by Steedman's division of Granger's
reserve corps; the whole put in position by General Thomas, now in
command of the field, General Rosecrans having given up the battle as
lost and gone to Chattanooga to arrange for the morrow.
As soon as the Confederate right had driven the Federal left, Thomas
began the retreat of the center behind his citadel on Snodgrass, and
after night withdrew the divisions of Wood, Brannan and Steedman from
the hill, and the great battle had been fought to its victorious end.
The losses had been terrible on both sides. Among the Carolina commands
some of the choicest spirits had fallen. Kershaw lost 488 killed and
wounded; Manigault 539, and the Twenty-fourth South Carolina (Gist's
brigade) 169; a total of 1,196. Lieut.-Col. Elbert Bland, Seventh South
Carolina, fell at the head of his regiment, and a few moments later
Maj. John S. Hard, his successor, was instantly killed. Capt. J. M.
Townsend, commanding the Third battalion, Lieut.-Col. Hoole, Eighth
regiment, and Capt. W. A. Williams, acting major of the Third, were
killed in the gallant performance of duty. Capt. D. R. Huger of General
Manigault's staff fell in front of Snodgrass hill, and others of that
gallant brigade sealed their devotion to duty with their heart's blood.
In the report of General Kershaw, the following officers are mentioned
for gallant and noteworthy conduct: Lieutenant-Colonel Bland and Major
Hard of the Seventh; Captain Townsend of the Third battalion; Col.
James D. Nance of the Third regiment; Lieut.-Col. Franklin Gaillard
of the Second; Col. John W. Henagan of the Eighth, and Col. Joseph F.
Gist of the Fifteenth; Capts. C. R. Holmes, H. L. Farley, and W. M.
Dwight of the brigade staff, and Couriers M. F. Milam, Company A, Third
battalion, and Rawlins Rivers, Company I, Second regiment; both killed
carrying General Kershaw's orders on the field.
General Gist mentioned Maj. B. B. Smith, Capt. M. P. King, and Lieuts.
L. M. Butler and J. C. Habersham, of his staff, for efficiency and
gallant conduct; Col. C. H. Stevens and Lieut.-Col. Ellison Capers,
Twenty-fourth, for the same; and Adjt. J. C. Palmer and Capt. D. F.
Hill, of the Twenty-fourth, "and other brave and true officers" of the
same regiment.
General Manigault mentioned the following as "distinguished for
conduct on the field:" Col. J. F. Pressley and Lieut.-Col. Julius
T. Porcher of the Tenth; Maj. J. L. White and Adjutant Ferrell of
the Nineteenth; Capt. C. I. Walker, assistant adjutant-general, and
Lieut. William E. Huger, aide-de-camp. These names are given from the
reports, but how many are left unmentioned! The men and officers of
the line who carried their colonels and lieutenant-colonels and majors
and generals forward to victory are worthy of lasting honor. South
Carolina has recorded their names on her roll of faithful and devoted
soldiers and citizens, and while her archives endure they may be read
by their descendants as the witness she bears to their courage, their
patriotism, and their self-sacrificing devotion to duty.