Granger promptly ordered Whittaker and Mitchell to hurl themselves against this threatening force.Steedman gallantly seizing the colors of a regiment, led his command to the charge.Rushing upon the enemy with loud cheers, after a terrific conflict, only of some twenty minutes' duration, with a hot infantry and artillery fire, Steedman drove them from their position and occupied both the ridge and gorge.Here the slaughter was frightful.The victory was won at a fearful cost, but the army was saved.After Hindman was driven back, Longstreet about four o'clock, determined to re-take the ridge.Asking Bragg for reinforcements from the right, he was informed by him "that they had been beaten back so badly that they could be of no service to me." Longstreet then ordered up his reserve division of fresh troops under Preston, four brigades strong, supported by Stewart's corps, and directed him to attack the troops on the ridge.Advancing with wild yells, confident of success, Preston dashed boldly up the hill, supported by Kershaw's troops with Johnson's--part of Hindman's--and later on by those of Stewart's.But once more the enemy was driven back with frightful slaughter, and thus was charge and counter-charge at this part of the field, lasting for nearly two hours, the day wore away until darkness settled down, night finding Thomas's command--the troops under Brannan, Wood, and Granger--still holding the ridge.Some unauthorized person had ordered Thomas's ammunition train back to Chattanooga, and the supply with the troops on the field was running very low.The ammunition that ranger brought up with him was divided with the troops on that part of the field where his command fought--Brannan's and Wood's divisions--but this supply was soon exhausted.The troops then gathered what could be found in the cartridge-boxes of the slain, friend and foe being alike examined.With the fresh charges of the enemy, the troops were ordered to use their bayonets and give the rebels cold steel, and in the final charges the enemy was met and repulsed in this way.
In the breaking up of our right, two brigades of Davis's division, one of Van Cleve's, and the entire of Sheridan's division was caught in the whirl and sent adrift from the main command, the enemy in heavy columns completely controlling all access to Thomas and the remaining divisions with him, except by way of the Dry Valley road across the ridge and on to Rossville, thence back on the La Fayette road to Thomas's left.The troops of Sheridan's and Davis's divisions were rallied a short distance in the rear of the line, and taking the Dry Valley road, endeavored to unite with Thomas's command.
They were placed in position on the Rossville road leading to the battlefield.[Note from Bob: In fact, Sheridan continued to withdraw his division away from the battlefield.]
Rosecrans was watching on the rear of Davis's right for McCook to close up his line to the left when Longstreet's men poured through the gap left by Wood's withdrawal.Seeing that some disaster had occurred, Rosecrans hurried in person to the extreme right, to direct Sheridan's movements on the flank of the advancing rebels.
But it was simply impossible to stem the tide and our men were driven back as the enemy advanced.Leaving orders for the troops to be rallied behind the ridges west of the Dry Valley road, Rosecrans endeavored with Garfield, his chief of staff, and a few others of his staff, to rejoin Thomas by passing to the rear of the broken portions of the right.Riding down in this direction, some two or three hundred yards under a heavy fire, he found the troops that had been driven from the right far over toward the left, and from all indications it appeared doubtful if the left had been able to maintain its position.He then concluded to go to Rossville and there determine whether to join Thomas on the battlefield or whether his duty called him to Chattanooga, to prepare for his broken army if his worst fears should be realized.On reaching Rossville it was determined that Garfield should go to the front to Thomas and report, and that Rosecrans should go to Chattanooga and make the necessary dispositions for the troops as they came back in rout.
Rosecrans on arriving at Chattanooga at once sent out orders to Thomas to assume command of all the troops at the front, and with Crittenden and McCook to take a strong position and assume a threatening attitude at Rossville, where ammunition and rations would be sent to meet him.Thomas determined to hold his position until nightfall, if possible, before withdrawing.He then distributed ammunition to the commands and ordered the division commanders to hold themselves in readiness to fall back as soon as ordered.
Reynolds at half-past five was notified to commence the movement.
Leaving the position he had held near Wood, Thomas started to meet Reynolds and show him the position he wanted him to occupy, forming the line covering the retirement of the troops on the La Fayette road on the left.Just before meeting Reynolds, Thomas was informed of a large rebel force in the woods ahead of him, drawn up in line and advancing toward him.This was Liddell's division on the extreme rebel right, under orders from Bragg, moving to a third attack on Thomas's left.Reynolds arriving at this time, Thomas ordered him to at once change the head of the column to the left, form lines perpendicular to the road and to charge the enemy then in his immediate front, while the artillery opened a converging fire from the right and left.Turchin charged with his brigade upon the rebel force and drove them in complete rout far beyond Baird's left.
Robinson's command--King's brigade--closely supporting Turchin, was posted on the road leading through the ridge to hold the ground, while the troops on our right and left retired.
