MILITARY: Sabre Strokes of the Pennsylvania Dragoons in the War of 1861-1865 - Chapter 11 Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Banja Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/1pa/1picts/dornblaser/sabre-strokes.htm ________________________________________________ SABRE STROKES of the PENNSYLVANIA DRAGOONS in the WAR OF 1861-1865. INTERSPERSED WITH PERSONAL REMINISCENCES By T. F. DORNBLASER 122 SABRE STROKES. CHAPTER XI. BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA. AFTER a rest of several weeks Rosecrans again put his army in motion. On the sixteenth of July the cavalry crossed the Cumberland mountains, followed as closely as possible by the infantry and artillery. Before leaving camp at Decherd a very acceptable change was made in the transfer of Turchin, the Prussian hussar, to his old brigade of infantry, and the promotion of Brigadier General George Crook, the successful Indian fighter, to the command of the second division of cavalry. Crook is a gentleman and a soldier. He had the same respect for a private as he had for an officer. His orderly would not ride behind him, unless the road was too narrow for two to ride side by side. He asked no one to hold his horse and adjust the stirrups while he was mounting. The road over the mountains was very rough and steep. The artillery and wagon trains made slow progress. On that mountain side we saw more balky mules and horses in one day, than we ever expect to see again. Five horses in the battery teams would pull back while one would pull PENNSYLVANIA DRAGOONS. 123 forward. In one case we saw all the team unhooked except the off-wheel horse; he was true as steel. A long rope was fastened to the tongue of the caisson; a regiment of infantry laid hold of the rope, and with the aid of the wheel horse they walked up the hill on a double-quick. After crossing the mountain the army encamped at Bridgeport, Alabama, on the north bank of the Tennessee River. Before any further advance could be made it was necessary to establish a new base of supplies at Stevenson. We were now in a barren region where there was no provision or forage for man or beast. All the supplies for the army had to come from Louisville, over five hundred miles by railway, every foot of which had to be guarded against the invasion of guerrillas and Morgan's troopers. Our horses suffered much more than the men. It was impracticable, therefore, to attempt any further invasion until the corn crop was sufficiently matured to furnish feed for our horses. Rosecrans resolved to flank the enemy out of his Gibraltar on Lookout mountain by throwing his main column upon Bragg's communications south of Chattanooga. On the second day of August, Crook's division of cavalry forded the river at Bridgeport, and made a successful raid on Trenton, Georgia. In the night previous a company of dismounted men waded the 124 SABRE STROKES. river; they completely surprised and captured the enemy's pickets without firing a shot. It was a beautiful sight to see the cavalry file across the river in a semicircle three-quarters of a mile in length, just as the sun on that bright clear morning threw his luminous smiles across the frowning peak of Lookout mountain. The smooth surface of the river reflected like a mirror the moving panorama of light dragoons. The horses moved against a strong current, measuring in places half way up the shoulder blade. The writer managed to keep the water out of his boots by throwing the right foot across the horse's neck and forming a hook on which to rest the left heel. Thus poised on the upper deck, he became thoroughly enraptured with the grandeur of the scene. The up-lifted scabbards and carbines shone in the morning sun like pinnacles of burnished steel. "O, for an artist's brush; O, for the genius of a Raphael to preserve such a picture! It comes to a man only once in a life-time," thought the writer, "it is a pity that such a picture must be lost forever from the galleries of art." At this juncture the writer's clumsy sorrel made a lurch forward, anchoring his nose in the bottom of the river, bursting the saddle-girth and landing his rider on the leeward side, with his finger ends feeling bottom and his feet splashing water on the surface. The ponderous army boots instantly sinking like bars of lead, gave the writer an upright position PENNSYLVANIA DRAGOONS. 125 with the free use of his arms above water. Catching the saddle before it floated out of reach, he re-mounted and rode ashore, none the worse for his morning bath. It was no laughable matter at the time, as several of our comrades went under never to rise. At Trenton, Minty's brigade captured a few "Johnnies," and great loads of cavendish, pigtail, and fine-cut tobacco. From thirty to forty pounds were issued to each soldier. But the writer had no use for this plentiful luxury. The credit for not using tobacco in any form is not due to the head or the heart of the writer, but to the stomach which "moveth itself aright" at the first scent of the nicotian weed. The main army commenced crossing the river at Bridgeport, on the fourth of September. Crook's cavalry preceded the Twentieth Corps on the right. Crossed Sand mountain through Winston's Gap. On the ninth, the advance encountered two regiments of Confederate cavalry. After a sharp fight of half an hour the enemy retreated. A good opportunity for sabre charge was neglected. The column moved steadily across Lookout mountain, and penetrated to the rear of Bragg's army as far as La Fayette and Summerville, and a reconnoissance was made by a detachment of cavalry as far south as the Coosa, and as far east as the Oostenaula river. 126 SABRE STROKES. On the ninth of September, Chattanooga, the "gate-way to Georgia," was occupied by the Union army. This much was successfully accomplished by Rosecrans' flank movement. But the exact whereabouts of Bragg's army was now a matter of uncertainty. Rosecrans' supposed from information gained through deserters and prisoners, that he was concentrating his army at Rome, south of the Oostenaula. In accordance with this belief he pushed McCook's corps to Alpine, to intercept the enemy's retreat, and Thomas' corps to La Fayette. Crittenden, in command of the "left wing," was ordered to push his column out from Chattanooga as far as Ringgold. It was soon discovered, however, that Bragg was not retreating, that he was concentrating his forces in rear of Chickamauga creek, on the main road from Gordon's mills to La Fayette. His plan was to crush Rosecrans' army in detail as the several columns debouched from the mountain gaps. The opportunity for achieving such a result was most favorable; but owing to the unaccountable delay of Bragg's corps commanders, the opportunity was lost. Rosecrans at once recalled McCook from the right, and Crittenden from the left, to close up with Thomas in front of La Fayette. He succeeded in aligning his army in front of Chickamauga creek before a general engagement took place. This was accomplished by forced marches over PENNSYLVANIA DRAGOONS. 127 mountain roads, and through rocky defiles under the cover of starless nights. Crook's division of cavalry guarded the right flank of the army, and on the night of the seventeenth we were encamped, in company with Lytle's brigade of infantry, on the summit of Lookout mountain, opposite Dougherty's Gap. The day before, we made a hasty reconnoissance into Broomtown Valley. The enemy resisted our advance with artillery and musketry. In the evening we retired to our camp on the mountain with an abundant supply of provisions and forage. My "chum," William Overman, of the Third Ohio Cavalry, returned to camp with a grizzly "Berkshire" strapped on his saddle. The writer happened into a patch where the "sweet pertaters started from the ground," and, by dint of perseverance, bagged a half bushel or more. The hog was quickly butchered, the "sweet pertaters" washed, and together with the meat, crammed into an iron kettle holding not less than half a barrel. The mess was boiled down to a sweet consistency of mush and gravy. The universal testimony of all the invited guests was, that a more delicious meal had never been served at Crook's head-quarters. On the morning of the eighteenth, the writer accompanied Generals Crook and Lytle, as orderly, to the highest outlook from the mountain. With 128 SABRE STROKES. their field glasses they scanned the Valley of Chickamauga and the country south and east within a radius of twenty miles or more. In the valley on the left of us lay the whole of Bragg's army, concealed almost entirely from view by the dense foliage. South and eastward, clouds of dust were seen rising above the trees. Occasionally a covered wagon or a piece of artillery was seen in the distance moving through the little patches of open ground. Lytle and Crook at once concluded that Bragg was receiving re-inforcements, that the clouds of dust indicated heavy columns of infantry and artillery marching Northward. They inferred that Bragg was concentrating his forces to crush our left, and cut off Rosecrans' retreat to Chattanooga. That afternoon the writer was sent, with a sealed message, to General Rosecrans' head-quarters. After a hard ride of two hours along the base of Lookout mountain, he delivered the message to Rosecrans at Crawfish Springs. The same evening he returned with a message from Rosecrans to Lytle and Crook, ordering them to move at once and form line on the right of Sheridan near Crawfish Springs. That night Thomas' corps moved by the left flank, to meet Bragg's threatened assault upon our left. Rosecrans moved his head-quarters to the widow Glenn's house. On the morning of the nineteenth, Lytle's brigade and Crook's division stood PENNSYLVANIA DRAGOONS. 129 in line of battle in front of Crawfish Springs. Heavy cannonading was heard on the left, in front of Crittenden and Thomas. All day the battle raged from left to right, and in the evening the volleys of musketry could be distinctly heard on our left. No special advantage was gained by either army during the first day's fight. Bragg's attempt to gain possession of the roads leading to Chattanooga, was handsomely foiled, and his attacking columns were punished by a severe loss in officers and men. Sunday, the twentieth of September, was the "bloody day" of Chickamauga. The shock of battle was first felt on the left. Unfortunately, Rosecrans ordered McCook's corps to change position in the face of the enemy, and move by the left flank and close up on Thomas' right. Bragg perceived this break in the Union lines, and at once hurled Longstreet's corps of fresh troops against McCook's right flank; sweeping over the field like a cyclone, lifting in air three divisions of Rosecrans' army, and sending the scattered battalions in full retreat toward Chattanooga. Nothing seemed to stay the progress of this tempest of shot, until it struck the "Rock of Chickamauga." At four p.m., General Garfield, chief of staff to General Rosecrans, reported to Thomas the extent of the disaster on the right, and instructed him to assume command of all the organized forces on the field. Again and again 130 SABRE STROKES. Longstreet hurled his heavy columns against Thomas, but the old hero stood firm as a rock. On this momentous day it was the writer's miserable luck to be appointed as Crook's special orderly. Early in the day his division was severely engaged on the right of Crawfish Springs. The enemy pushed across Chickamauga creek in heavy force, and attacked our line with infantry and artillery. Our cavalry fought bravely with their carbines for an hour, and then began to fall back before superior numbers. Crook was always found in the hottest of the fight. He rode along the line where the heaviest firing was going on, cheering his men and directing their movements. When his command was forced back, he was among the last to leave the field. No matter how uncomfortable it might be, his orderly had to stay by him or show the white feather. Several times the enemy's advance was less than a hundred yards from him, and it seemed that every bullet coming from that direction was intended for him, or somebody not far away. His escape was marvelous, and who knows but a kind Providence interfered, in order that the nation might not be deprived of his valuable services as "our modern Indian fighter." His friend and companion, the chivalrous and gentlemanly Lytle, fell on this terrible day with his face to the foe, while leading his brigade in a desperate charge. PENNSYLVANIA DRAGOONS. 131 Crook's division formed a new line in front of Crawfish Springs. The field-hospital of Rosecrans' army was established at this point. Several thousand wounded men were lying side by side under the large hospital tents to the left of the springs. As soon as the retreat of McCook's corps became apparent, the cavalry on the right flank withdrew in good order behind Missionary Ridge. We shall never forget the sad faces of the wounded, as we left them to the mercy of their enemies. The best that could be done for them was to leave a sufficient number of able-bodied nurses to care for them, and a small supply of hospital stores. We learned afterwards that the nurses were run off among the regular prisoners, and that the wounded were left to the tender mercy of unwilling attendants. During this memorable battle, the "Old Seventh" rendered valuable service on the extreme left. It occupied the advance of Minty's Brigade in the sharp fight at Reed's bridge, on the nineteenth. Lieutenant Sigmund, of Company "E," had command of the skirmish line. He refused to yield ground to the enemy, although he was exposed to an enfilading fire from right and left. Andrew Lavely, of Company "E," was killed at his side. Captain May of Company "K" rode forward to join the skirmishers, and before he reached the line he was shot in the breast and fell dead from his horse. The adjutant rode forward and shouted, 132 SABRE STROKES. "Sigmund, why don't you fall back?" "My instructions were to hold this hill," replied the lieutenant, "and I meant to hold it until I was ordered to fall back." Minty's and Wilder's brigades fought side by side on the nineteenth, to prevent the enemy from crossing Chickamauga creek on the left. So determined was the resistance offered, that Bragg in his official report mentions it as one cause of failure in his initial movement to envelop Crittenden's corps and get possession of the roads leading to Chattanooga. The night after the great battle, Thomas withdrew his army quietly within the hastily, constructed fortifications at Chattanooga. Immediately after the disaster on the right, Rosecrans hurried to the rear with the disorganized troops and put them to work on a line of earth-works and rifle-pits, sending Garfield to Thomas with orders to hold the enemy in check till night-fall, and then retire to Chattanooga. On the morning of the twenty-first, Crook's division encountered the enemy's skirmishers on the right along the base of Lookout mountain; and about noon, the rear guard of the national army retired behind the fortifications in front of Chattanooga. Bragg advanced his lines cautiously, planting his artillery on Mission Ridge and Lookout mountain. PENNSYLVANIA DRAGOONS. 133 He wasted "a power" of ammunition in displaying his fireworks at night. The shells bursting in the air were a thing of beauty, but almost as harmless as a fire-bug. The cavalry lay on the north side of the river, guarding the fords and the supply trains running between Chattanooga and Stevenson. For some weeks our army was reduced to quarter rations. Wheeler's and Forest's cavalry were capturing trains and burning bridges along our line of communications. For a time the battle for bread and meat in the rear, threatened to become more desperate than the conflict in front. General Crook was sent to the rear with three brigades of mounted men, to punish the destructive raiders. He overtook them on the west slope of the Cumberland mountains, and pursued them through Middle Tennessee, capturing four pieces of artillery and a number of prisoners. Wheeler retreated southward through Pulaski, and by night marching succeeded in crossing the Tennessee river at Rodgersville with his main column, leaving two regiments at Sugar creek to cover his retreat. The Fifth Iowa cavalry made a gallant sabre charge upon this rear guard, killing ten, wounding nine, capturing seventy, and scattering the remainder through the mountains. General Crook estimated Wheeler's losses at two thousand men and six pieces of artillery. After 134 SABRE STROKES. this vigorous chase of twenty days, on three days' rations, the Second Division of Cavalry went into camp in Northern Alabama. When Crook had gone a day or two in pursuit of Wheeler, he sent the writer back to Chattanooga with a dispatch for General Rosecrans. While here I spent a day in the hospitals, listening to the brave boys telling the story of their sufferings. On one cot lay a poor fellow with his leg amputated above the knee: he lay on the battle-field seven days before he was taken to the hospital. On another cot sat a soldier with both eyes shot out. He was cheerful, and said he was perfectly willing to sacrifice his eyes that the Union might live. On the way back to rejoin the command in Alabama, we passed General Grant on Waldron's Ridge. He was on his way to Chattanooga to assume command of the army. He rode at the head of a small company of mounted men. His appearance was so plain and unassuming that none of our party recognized him as the "hero of Vicksburg."