Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume IV.djvu/425

CHICKAHOMINY CHICKAMAUGA 417 he could be forced from these, he must retreat up the bank of the Chickahominy, pressed by threefold numbers. The plan of attack was simple. Hancock's corps was on the left, then "Wright's, then Smith's, massed opposite the confederate right ; Warren's corps came next, stretched in a long thin line, which was con- tinued by Burnside's, whose right was flung back. In the gray rainy dawn of the 3d these corps rushed upon the confederate lines. Barlow's division of Hancock's corps, formed into two lines, struck a sunken road in front of the confederate intrenchments, where they met a solid mass of fire and lead, which in a quarter of an hour drove them back, with the loss of a third of their numbers. Gibbon's divi- sion, which was next on the right, dashed up to .the works, breasting a torrent of musketry, in the face of which they mounted the para- pets ; but they could go no further, and were soon repelled. Wright and Smith assaulted with like ill fortune, though they maintained the fight for an hour. Warren was only to hold in check the enemy directly in his front ; while Burnside, swinging round, was to fall upon the confeder- ate left. He drove in the outposts, but before he could execute the order to attack in force, it was countermanded ; for Meade, who com- manded in the field, thought the failure of the assault on the left showed that the confederate works could not be carried. The skirmish line was withdrawn, and the corps set about in- trenching itself in its position, upon which the confederates made a feeble sortie, which was easily repulsed. With this closed the second battle of Cold Harbor, in which Grant had wholly failed. His loss was severe, probably not less than 7,000 in killed and wounded; that of the confederates being less than half as many. For ten days longer the two armies lay facing each other on the east side of the Chickahominy, Grant edging to the south- ward, still hoping to be able to turn the con- federate right ; Lee at the same time extending his intrenched line in the same direction. A continual series of skirmishing and picket fir- ing was kept up, only interrupted on June 7 by a truce in order to bury the dead. Grant, while making preparations to move his army to the south side of the James river, still hoped that Lee would make some movement which would furnish opportunity for another attack on the Chickahominy. But Lee showed no disposition to move from his intrenchments, which the experience at Cold Harbor had shown to be unassailable. At length on the 12th Grant broke up his position. The bulk of the army marched down the Chickahominy to the James, which was crossed just below the point where McClellan had remained after the battle of Malvern hill. A portion of the army, however, crossed the Chickahominy be- low the White Oak swamp. Lee, who could only see this part of the movement, supposed that Grant proposed to march up the north bank of the James, and assail Richmond from that side. He therefore abandoned his position on the east bank of the Chickahominy, crossed the stream, and fell back within his strong lines in front of Richmond. CHICKAMAUGA, Battle of, fought upon Chick- amauga creek, an affluent of the Tennessee river, 12 m. S. W. of Chattanooga, in S. Ten- nessee, Sept. 19, 20, 1863, between the Union army of the Cumberland, under Gen. Rose- crans, and the confederates under Gen. Bragg. During the summer Rosecrans had moved into southern Tennessee, and on Sept. 9 had taken possession of Chattanooga, from which Bragg had retired on his approach. Rosecrans, sup- posing that the enemy were in full retreat in Georgia, moved after them ; but Bragg, having received large reinforcements, and knowing that Longstreet's division from Virginia was on its way to him, resolved to give battle, with the special purpose of recovering Chattanooga. Both armies were considerably scattered in that mountainous region ; but on the 18th the forces on both sides were concentrated on the Chick- amauga creek. The main battle was opened on the morning of the 19th, the immediate object of the confederates being to gain possession of the road leading to Chattanooga. The fighting was hot all day, but at its close neither side had gained any decided advantage. During the night Longstreet arrived with a portion of his division, and was appointed to the imme- diate command on the confederate left, that on the right being given to Polk. Thomas, who commanded on the Union left, was first attacked by Polk, who was repulsed. But in the mean time Longstreet had been more suc- cessful, and was hardly pressing the Union right and centre, where Rosecrans commanded in person. Owing to an erroneous order from Rosecrans to Gen. T. J. Wood, a movement was made which left a wide gap in the Union cen- tre. The confederates poured through this, and routed part of Crittenden's and all of McCook's army corps, driving them from the field in utter confusion. Rosecrans, who had fled to Chattanooga, telegraphed to Washington that his whole army was beaten. But on the left Thomas still held his own. He had taken up a strong line, and awaited the coming at- tack from the whole confederate force. Long- street, who actually directed the battle, now pressed the whole confederate strength against Thomas, who was outnumbered- more than two to one. Assault after assault was made, but each was repulsed ; and at half past 5 the attack was abandoned. Thomas then fell back to Rossville ; and during the night of the 21st the whole of his command returned to Chattanooga. This battle was a formal vic- tory for the confederates, who retained the battle field, and captured 40 or 50 guns and some thousands of prisoners, mainly wounded. They however gained no real advantage, for Rosecrans still retained Chattanooga, the prize for which the action was fought. The con- federate force actually engaged was about