Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 13.djvu/368

 Battle of Chickamauga.

and feels assured that when an emergency again arises State lines will be forgotten by her militia, and a patriotism exhibited which knows nothing but our whole country."

Twenty years have elapsed, my comrades, since the surrender of the Confederate armies. The shadows are lengthening upon the dial of our fraternity, and there is no hand to stay the going down of the sun upon the generation which followed the Red-Cross to the tented field. Until the night comes, let us see to it that the reputa- tion of virtuous actions so nobly won and so heroically maintained by our companions who have ascended to the stars, suffers no de- generation in our impulses, our characters, and our lives.

Battle of Chickamauga. REPORT OF MAJOR GENERAL T. C. HINDMAN.

ATLANTA, GA., October 25th, 1863.

Lieutenant- Colo nel G. M. SORREL,

Acting Adjutant- General Longstreef s Corps:

COLONEL, Sickness prevented me from exercising command on Saturday, September igth, until about 3 P. M.; my division had then just crossed the Chickamauga at Hunt's Ford, and was soon after ordered to the support of Major-General Hood. The order was executed under a heavy artillery fire from the enemy, causing some loss. My position was on Hood's left and Buckner's right, near the centre of the left wing of the army, facing west, parallel with the Lafayette and Chattanooga road, six or eight hundred yards distant. The brigades of Deas and Manigault constituted my fiist line, and Anderson's my reserve Nothing important happened during the remainder of the day. After dark, in the readjustment of my line, a sharp skirmish occurred on Manigault's left, the enemy retiring.

About n A. M. on Sunday, September aoth. under orders from Lieutenant-General Longstreet, commanding the left wing, my com- mand moved forward simultaneously with the troops on my right. At the distance of three hundred yards skirmishing commenced, and immediately my whole line was engaged. Rushing on at the double- quick, through a storm of bullets, shot and shell, Deas's brave Ala- bamians and Manigault's Alabamians and South Carolinians, equally