could　join　him；　for　the　delay　would　have　permitted　him　to　see　that
  matters　were　not　in　quite　such　bad　shape　as　he　supposed；　still；　there
  is　no　disguising　the　fact　that　at　this　juncture　his　army　was　badly
  crippled。
  Shortly　after　my　division　had　rallied　on　the　low　hills　already
  described；　I　discovered　that　the　enemy；　instead　of　attacking　me　in
  front；　was　wedging　in　between　my　division　and　the　balance　of　the
  army；　in　short；　endeavoring　to　cut　me　off　from　Chattanooga。　　This
  necessitated　another　retrograde　movement；　which　brought　me　back　to
  the　southern　face　of　Missionary　Ridge；　where　I　was　joined　by　Carlin's
  brigade　of　Davis's　division。　　Still　thinking　I　could　join　General
  Thomas；　I　rode　some　distance　to　the　left　of　my　line　to　look　for　a　way
  out；　but　found　that　the　enemy　had　intervened　so　far　as　to　isolate　me
  effectually。　　I　then　determined　to　march　directly　to　Rossville；　and
  from　there　effect　a　junction　with　Thomas　by　the　Lafayette　road。　　I
  reached　Rossville　about　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　bringing　with　me
  eight　guns；　forty…six　caissons；　and　a　long　ammunition　train；　the
  latter　having　been　found　in　a　state　of　confusion　behind　the　widow
  Glenn's　when　I　was　being　driven　back　behind　the　Dry　Valley　road。
  The　head　of　my　column　passed　through　Rossville；　appearing　upon
  Thomas's　left　about　6　o'clock　in　the　evening；　penetrated　without　any
  opposition　the　right　of　the　enemy's　line；　and　captured　several　of　his
  field…hospitals。　　As　soon　as　I　got　on　the　field　I　informed　Thomas　of
  the　presence　of　my　command；　and　asked　for　orders。　　He　replied　that
  his　lines　were　disorganized；　and　that　it　would　be　futile　to　attack；
  that　all　I　could　do　was　to　hold　on；　and　aid　in　covering　his
  withdrawal　to　Rossville。
  I　accompanied　him　back　to　Rossville；　and　when　we　reached　the　skirt　of
  the　little　hamlet　General　Thomas　halted　and　we　dismounted。　　Going
  into　one　of　the　angles　of　a　worm　fence　near　by　I　took　a　rail　from　the
  top　and　put　it　through　the　lower　rails　at　a　proper　height　from　the
  ground　to　make　a　seat；　and　General　Thomas　and　I　sat　down　while；　my
  troops　were　moving　by。　　The　General　appeared　very　much　exhausted；
  seemed　to　forget　what　he　had　stopped　for；　and　said　little　or　nothing
  of　the　incidents　of　the　day。　　This　was　the　second　occasion　on　which　I
  had　met　him　in　the　midst　of　misfortune；　for　during　the　fight　in　the
  cedars　at　Stone　River；　when　our　prospects　were　most　disheartening；　we
  held　a　brief　conversation　respecting　the　line　he　was　then　taking　up
  for　the　purpose　of　helping　me。　　At　other　times；　in　periods　of
  inactivity；　I　saw　but　little　of　him。　　He　impressed　me；　now　as　he　did
  in　the　cedars；　his　quiet；　unobtrusive：　demeanor　communicating　a
  gloomy　rather　than　a　hopeful　view　of　the　situation。　　This　apparent
  depression　was　due　no　doubt　to　the　severe　trial　through　which　he　had
  gone　in　the　last　forty…eight　hours；　which；　strain　had　exhausted　him
  very　much　both　physically　and　mentally。　　His　success　in　maintaining
  his　ground　was　undoubtedly　largely　influenced　by　the　fact　that　two…
  thirds　of　the　National　forces　had　been　sent　to　his　succor；　but　his
  firm　purpose　to　save　the　army　was　the　mainstay　on　which　all　relied
  after　Rosecrans　left　the　field。　　As　the　command　was　getting　pretty
  well　past；　I　rose　to　go　in　order　to　put　my　troops　into　camp。　　This
  aroused　the　General；　when；　remarking　that　he　had　a　little　flask　of
  brandy　in　his　saddle…holster；　he　added　that　he　had　just　stopped　for
  the　purpose　of　offering　me　a　drink；　as　he　knew　I　must　be　very　tired。
  He　requested　one　of　his　staff…officers　to　get　the　flask；　and　after
  taking　a　sip　himself；　passed　it　to　me。　　Refreshed　by　the　brandy；I
  mounted　and　rode　off　to　supervise　the　encamping　of　my　division；　by　no
  means　an　easy　task　considering　the　darkness；　and　the　confusion　that
  existed　among　the　troops　that　had　preceded　us　into　Rossville。
  This　done；　I　lay　down　at　the　foot　of　a　tree；　with　my　saddle　for　a
  pillow；　and　saddle…blanket　for　a　cover。　　Some　soldiers　near　me　having
  built　a　fire；　were　making　coffee；　and　I　guess　I　must　have　been
  looking　on　wistfully；　for　in　a　little　while　they　brought　me　a　tin…
  cupful　of　the　coffee　and　a　small　piece　of　hard　bread；　which　I
  relished　keenly；　it　being　the　first　food　that　had　passed　my　lips
  since　the　night　before。　　I　was　very　tired；　very　hungry；　and　much
  discouraged　by　what　had　taken　place　since　morning。　　I　had　been
  obliged　to　fight　my　command　under　the　most　disadvantageous
  circumstances；　disconnected；　without　supports；　without　even
  opportunity　to　form　in　line　of　battle；　and　at　one　time　contending
  against　four　divisions　of　the　enemy。　　In　this　battle　of　Chickamauga；
  out　of　an　effective　strength　Of　4；000　bayonets；　I　had　lost　1；517
  officers　and　men；　including　two　brigade　commanders。　　This　was　not
  satisfactory　indeed；　it　was　most　depressingand　then　there　was　much
  confusion　prevailing　around　Rossville；　and；　this　condition　of　things
  doubtless　increasing　my　gloomy　reflections；　it　did　not　seem　to　me
  that　the　outlook　for　the　next　day　was　at　all　auspicious；　unless　the
  enemy　was　slow　to　improve　his　present　advantage。　　Exhaustion　soon
  quieted　all　forebodings；　though；　and　I　fell　into　a　sound　sleep；　from
  which　I　was　not　aroused　till　daylight。
  On　the　morning　of　the　21st　the　enemy　failed　to　advance；　and　his
  inaction　gave　us　the　opportunity　for　getting　the　broken　and
  disorganized　army　into　shape。　　It　took　a　large　part　of　the　day　to
  accomplish　this；　and　the　chances　of　complete　victory　would　have　been
  greatly　in　Bragg's　favor　if　he　could　have　attacked　us　vigorously　at
  this　time。　　But　he　had　been　badly　hurt　in　the　two　days'　conflict；　and
  his　inactivity　on　the　21st　showed　that　he　too　had　to　go　through　the
  process　of　reorganization。　　Indeed；　his　crippled　condition　began　to
  show　itself　the　preceding　evening；　and　I　have　always　thought　that；
  had　General　Thomas　held　on　and　attacked　the　Confederate　right　and
  rear　from　where　I　made　the　junction　with　him　on　the　Lafayette　road；
  the　field　of　Chickamauga　would　have　been　relinquished　to　us；　but　it
  was　fated　to　be　otherwise。
  Rosecrans；　McCook；　and　Crittenden　passed　out　of　the　battle　when　they
  went　back　to　Chattanooga；　and　their　absence　was　discouraging　to　all
  aware　of　it。　　Doubtless　this　had　much　to　do　with　Thomas's　final
  withdrawal；　thus　leaving　the　field　to　the　enemy；　though　at　an　immense
  cost　in　killed　and　wounded。　　The　night　of　the　21st　the　army　moved
  back　from　Rossville；　and　my　division；　as　the　rearguard　of　the
  Twentieth　Corps；　got　within　our　lines　at　Chattanooga　about　8　o'clock
  the　morning　of　the　22d。　　Our　unmolested　retirement　from　Rossville
  lent　additional　force　to　the　belief　that　the　enemy　had　been　badly
  injured；　and　further　impressed　me　with　the　conviction　that　we　might
  have　held　on。　　Indeed；　the　battle　of　Chickamauga　was　somewhat　like
  that　of　Stone　River；　victory　resting　with　the　side　that　had　the　grit
  to　defer　longest　its　relinquishment　of　the　field。
  The　manoeuvres　by　which　Rosecrans　had　carried　his　army　over　the
  Cumberland　Mountains；　crossed　the　Tennessee　River；　and　possessed
  himself　of　Chattanooga；　merit　the　highest　commendation　up　to　the
  abandonment　of　this　town　by　Bragg　on　the　8th　of　September；　but　I　have
  always　fancied　that　that　evacuation　made　Rosecrans　over…confident；
  and　led　him　to　think　that　he　could　force　Bragg　south　as　far　as　Rome。
  After　the　Union　army　passed　the　river　and　Chattanooga　fell　into　our
  hands；　we　still　kept　pressing　the　enemy's　communications；　and　the
  configuration　of　the　country　necessitated　more　or　less　isolation　of
  the　different　corps。　　McCook's　corps　of　three　divisions　had　crossed
  two　difficult　ridgesSand　and　Lookout　mountainsto　Alpine　in
  Broomtown　Valley　with　intentions　against　Summerville。　　Thomas's　corps
  had　marched　by　the　way　of　Stevens's　Gap　toward　Lafayette；　which　he
  expected　to　occupy。　　Crittenden　had　passed　through　Chattanooga；　at
  first　directing　his　march　an　Ringgold。　　Thus　the　corps　of　the　army
  were　not　in　conjunction；　and　between　McCook　and　Thomas　there
  intervened　a　positive　and　aggressive　obstacle　in　the　shape　of　Bragg's
  army　concentrating　and　awaiting　reinforcement　at　Lafayette。　　Under
  these　circumstances　Bragg　could　have　taken　the　different　corps　in
  detail；　and　it　is　strange　that　he　did　not；　even　before　receiving　his
  reinforcements；　turn　on　McCook　in　Broomtown　Valley　and　destroy　him。
  Intelligence　that　Bragg　would　give　battle　began　to　come　to　us　from
  various　sources　as　early　as　the　l0th　of　September；　and　on　the　11th
  McCook　found　that　he　could　not　communicate　with　Thomas　by　the　direct
  road　through　Broomtown　Valley；　but　we　did　not　begin　closing　in　toward
  Chattanooga　till　the　13th；　and　even　then　the　Twentieth　Corps　had
  before　it　the　certainty　of　many　delays　that　must　necessarily　result
  from　the　circuitous　and　difficult　mountain　roads　which　we　would　be
  obliged　to　follow。　　Had　the　different　corps；　beginning　with　McCook's；
  been　drawn　in　toward　Chattanooga　between　the　8th　and　12th　of
  September；　the　objective　point　of　the　camp