Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 16.djvu/392

 386 Southern Historical Society Papers.

could not have saved him if I would very sure am I, that I would not if I could. Here there was a cessation of activity on our part for more than an hour, awaiting reinforcements. None came. Col- lecting our own brigade, along with Law's Alabamians and some of Robertson's Texans, we began advancing, and happily striking the enemy at a weak point, penetrated his line, whereby fully one-fourth of Rosecrans's army was completely cut off. Information was immediately transmitted to the rear, but no advantage was taken of it. Governor I. G. Harris or Judge D. S. Terry can give you full and valuable information upon this point particularly as to the parties upon whom blame for the failure should justly rest.

Here we lay until about 4 o'clock P. M., when we were ordered to a position up the Chattanooga road to repel an attack from Granger's corps, advancing rapidly, as was reported, from that direction. We found there A. P. Stewart's corps. We took position immediately in his front. Generals Law and Benning (officers of great but most signally unappreciated merit, then and afterwards, by those high in command) rode to the front and, after a hurried reconnoissance, sug- gested the propriety of bringing up some twenty pieces of artillery and opening upon Granger's advancing forces from directly up the Chattanooga road. It was done with a grand success. If any of his infantry bore part in that evening's fight, it was not in our imme- diate front unless, indeed, losing a large number of prisoners may be construed to mean "bearing part." They fired no muskets, and their cannon did but little damage.

Our loss in the regiment was about fifty on the 2oth, among them a most valuable officer. Captain W. W. Breazeal was as modest as a woman, as affectionate as a girl, as brave as a lion, and a truer heart than his never quickened its pulsations at the mention of liberty. The whole brigade was eager for pursuit that night, hungry and worn as the men all were. Pursuit was not ordered then, nor the next day ; and so the full fruits of a fairly won victory we were not permitted to taste of.

I never met the Western army except at Chickamauga and at Lookout Valley trat insensate night blunder ! I saw at Chicka- mauga what I never saw in Virginia, or Maryland, or Pennsylvania. At Chickamauga we broke the enemy's lines three separate times on the i gth of September in the space of half a mile. They reformed twice in an open, level corn-field without cover from a stinging fire, True, they did not allow us to approach nearer than one hundred yards before breaking. The Virginia troops stood firmer, allowed