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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 16, 1963)
10 A - MONDAY, SEPTEMBER IB, 1DM ML.UtmU.ii MAIL 'JKIBLlNK, AibtlUMD, OKKCIUN THIS WAS THE CIVIL WAR HEAVY CASUALTIES On Sept. 19-20, 1863, two tough Western armies fought one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War the battle of Chickamauga. It was a confused and bitter fight with heavy casualties on both sides. It ended in a defeat for the North with its armies pushed back to Chattanooga. Yet it was to be a costly victory for the South. Union casualties totaled 16,170; the Confederate toll was 16.454. This drawing, from the Library of Congress collection, depicts action on a bridge across the creek. (UPI) The Battle of Chickamauga By MEFITON T. AKERS UPI Correspondent Two tough western armies fought one of the bloodies bat tles of the Civil War on Sept. 19-20, 1863, along Chickamauga Creek, which the Cherokee In dians called "The River of Death." It was a confused and bitter fight, this battle of Chicka mauga, fought south of Chatta nooga, Tenn., m the northern Georgia hills on wooded land broken here and there by farm clearings. The fighting was fierce, casualties heavy. There was gallantry enough for all Often it has been called "the soldiers' battle" because it was fought piecemeal in the woods where frequently captains and lieutenants were giving the or ders and commanders more oft en than not were unaware of the position of their own or the enemy's units. After two days of fighting Chickamauga Creek was indeed The Kivcr ot Death The battle had its paradox, too. Union Hern The Union hero was a Vir ginian in blue, Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas who had cast his lot with the North at the war's start. The Confederate hero was an Ohioan in gray, Brig. Gen. Bushrod 11. Johnson, who had chosen the South. The battle had been brewing for weeks. Maj. Gen. William S. Ilo.se crans' Federal Army of the Cumberland had maneuvered Gen. Braxton Bragg's Army of Tennessee out of Chattanooga. Rosecrans nearly had ended up disastrously before Chicka mauga by dispersing his force and pursuing a "retreating" Confederate army that wasn't retreating. On Sept. 1R the armies were poised for battle, the Federals on the west side of Chickamau ga Creek, the Confederates on the cast. Superior Numbers Figures differ but Bragg out numbered Rosecrans, one of the few times in the war when the South went into battle with su perior numbers. The most au thoritative counts give Uose- sitions of the other s troops. The battle lines were about six miles long. No Escape From Cove Bragg's plan was to strike the Federal left wing, roll it back on the center and right, there by driving the Union army into McLomore's Cove, a valley be tween Missionary Ridge and Pigeon Mountain. There was no escape from McLcmore's Cove. If penned there Rosecran's army would have to surrender or die. But on the 19th the Federals attacked first. Thomas, com manding the Union left, early in the morning sent a division to reconnoiter toward Chicka mauga Creek where a Confed erate brigade was reported to be isolated, First they encountered Gray cavalry fighting dismount ed, then infantry. Instead of a brigade that was supposed to be isolated it turn ed out to be a division. The Fed erals hit it on the flank and broke it. The Confederates brought up more men and flanked and broke the Federals in turn. Rosecrans committed more divisions from the center and richl as the pressure increased and the fighting spread along the lines. By dark every division of the three-corps Federal army had been in the fight. Only two Con federate divisions were not en gaged. Two-thirds of Rosecrans' army now had come under the command of Thomas. The Confederates made some gains that day but took a mauling. Night came on an eerie night from eyewitness accounts, with squads tramping in the woods looking for water or wounded comrades. Only star light came through the holes in Ihe battle smoke and Ihe oc casional flash of a gun lighted a clearing lleetmgly. tomorrow would tell the talc, soldiers told one another as they bedded down, 1 nomas with an oak tree root for a pillow. Plans Laid for Eight About midnight Longstrcet arrived and woke up Bragg They laid plans for the next day's fight. Longslreet would crans 58,222 effective hoops and comand Ihe left. Lt. (ion. Leo- Bragg 66,326. Part of Bragg s i nidas Polk, an Episcopal bishop, troops came from the Army of Northern Virginia and was commanded by Lt. Gen. James Longstrcet, senior corps com mander of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Bragg's margin of victory was Longstrcet and his troops al though only about 5.000 had ar rived in time for the battle. Preliminary fighting began on Sept. 18 when Bragg stalled pushing his army across the bridges of Chickamauga Creek which was too deep to ford in most places. Federal cavalry opposed the crossings. 11 was late in the afternoon when the Confederates finally forced Reed's Bridge. Bluecoaled cav alrymen repulsed the Confeder ates at Alexander's Bridge and dismantled it, forcing Bragg's men to use a ford. The fighting on the 18lh was brisk but merely a curtain rais er for the bloody two days to come. Bolh sides spent the night of Sept. 18 19 shifting troops. Rosecrans extended his line to the left until it overlapped the Confederate right but neither commander knew the exact H- the right The dawn was foggy, some of it battle smoke, some morning mist. Bragg attacked from his right lo left starting about 9 a.m. that Sunday morning. The first assault hil Thomas His troops slood and (ought but were pressed. He called for more men. Rosecrans ordered up reinforcements. Here "Old Rosy" made a mis take that was to be fatal. Mistakenly, he ordered a bri gade commanded by Brig Gen. T. J. Wood to support another on the left. He misnamed Ihe brigade lo be supported. Wood, taking the order at face value, pulled his brigade out of Ihe line and mov ed toward the position indica ted Thai lefl a hole in Ihe line. Purely by chance Longstrcet chose that moment to attack and at exactly the point vaca- ted by Wood. ! Bushrod Johnson led Long- i street's troops in the attack. He found no opposition and broke through. The drive cut the Science Shrinks Piles New Way Without Surgery stops Itch Kclieves Pain K-w Vrl. IV, V. (fpralill - For lh Aral tune arianre ha found a ntw hyaline aubrlanr with thf atn lining ability to ahrink hemor rhoidi, atop itching, and relieve pain without lurrcry. In case after eat., while gently relieving pain, actual reduction (hrtnkagel took place. Host amaucgof all-reiulU were 10 thorough that nuffrrere made ailonuhing etatemente like "Pitre have eeaied to be a problem!" The eerret ia a nrw healing ub llance l Rio-Dyne I dtucovery of a world-famou research inMitute, Thie iultance it now available in HP'fll(org or (HPfBiM (tru under the name Prtparatton H. At all drug countera. Army of the Cumberland in two the right Horn the lett llank The Federal right broke and streamed back, the panic snow balling. The Confederates pour ed in more troops and the Fed' erals on that flank headed back for Chattanooga. That left Thomas isolated on the left and fighting for his life. The break through occurred about noon. Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, commanding a small Federal corps held in reserve, heard the firing and concluded Thomas needed help. He marched to the sound of the guns without spe cific orders and reached the embattled Thomas in the nick of time. All afternoon Thomas fought off attack after attack up wards of 25 first and last with his own troops, Granger's and as many fugitives as he could corral. Began Orderly Retreat As the sun was setting he be gan an orderly retreat back through Rossville Gap and to Chattanooga. Rosecrans lost control of his army at the. breakthrough and rode back to Chattanooga with the fugitives, dazed and defeat ed, an act that had much lo do with his eventually being reliev ed. His chief of staff, Maj. Gen. James A. Garfield, a future President, rode back to Thomas after the disaster with Rose crans' order lo withdraw. Garfield messaged back to Rosecrans. Thomas standing like a rock." Thereafter "Old Pap" Thom as was the "Rock of Chicka mauga." Now that Rosecrans' army was defeated but saved trom complete route by Thomas, Bragg wasted the next day get ting reports and salvaging war material. That dclav enabled the Fed erals to pull into Chattanooga and to strengthen its detenses, The price of Bragg's victory and Rosecrans' defeat was high. Union casualties were; Killed. 1,657; wounded, 9.976; missing. 4.757; total 16, 170. Confederate: Killed, 2,312; wounded, 14,674; missing, 1.468; total 18.454. Deputy Kills Man To Protect Officer SEATTLE -tUPD- A King county deputy sheriff shot and killed' Robert H. Meligan, 51, Kenmore, with a shotgun Sun day after Meligan drew a bead with a loaded rifle on another deputy. Officers gave this account of the shooting: Meligan struck his wife and knocked her unconscious in a garage back of their home, then told his 16-yoar-old daughter to call the sheriff s office and tell them he had just killed his wife. The girl did as she was told Deputies William Jones and Frank Illy answered Ihe call and found Meligan sitting on a bench outside Ihe home. Meligan load ed and cocked his rifle, then ad vanced toward the two officers. Meligan forced the two dep uties lo retreat down the drive way, threatening them with his rifle and swearing. Jones, who had taken cover beside a park ed sheriff's car. fired as Mel igan raised the rifle to his shoulder and drew a bead on Bly. ! Mrs. Melican. who reonined I consciousness before the shoot ing, told officers her husband had been drinking steadily since Friday. favorite "wrriiiiit vws PARMA, Italy (I'PD Alfre do Bruscato, the favorite, with drew from the Parama Prov invc automobile tour Sunday when at starting time he found his red-striped Aharth 850 had been stolen. Republican Governors Hold First Meeting DENVER (UPD-The Repub lican Governors Association, a new group dedicated to defeat ing the Democrats, held its first meeting Saturday with some obvious overtones of presidential politics. Gov. Nelson Rockefeller of New York was one of the 12 governors attending, and Gov. Paul Fannin of Arizona, a vigor ous supporter of Sen. Barry Goldwater, (R-Ariz.), also was there. MADRuTTupn-Large sec tions of Spain's northeast and northwest coasts today cleaned up after a week end of heavy storms that took at least six lives. Krishna Menon's Return To Oratory Not Impressive .tptn rr.'i in i i : - itmt t . . . . .... ...... NEW DELHI, India (UPI) V. K. Krishna Mcnon, whose sharp tongue once claimed a worldwide audience, came out of enforced obscurity recently to defend his now-tarnished rec ord before Parliament. He was applauded mildly by ne was saeKea as defense min ister for failing to prepare India against Communist Chinese ag gression. Shrunk in Stature During those nine months, the veteran, 66-ycar-old politi cian and diplomat has shrunk Nehru as prime minister now is adequacy as leader of India reduced to fighting local pre-1 military machine, a position he cinct elections. held for five years. He left his The steep and rapid decline country so vulnerable to attack his own ruling Congress party, I from tne strong right-hand of but he was booed by the non Communist opposition. The oratory which formerly swayed debates on international issues in the United Nations now made little impact in his own national legislature. The speech was Menon's first major address before Parlia ment in nine months since Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to a small voice on the left in Nehru's Congress party. The acid phrases which rever- j berated across the world for years from the United Nations rostrum now are heard mostly at neighborhood political meet ings. The ambition which not long ago aimed at succeeding has been an humbling experi ence for the former interna tional figure who, aloof and proud, snapped at his critics and newsmen and defied Ameri can and other Western leaders. Since his decline, Menon has tried to win friends in hopes of organizing the Congress par ty's left-wing into a potent po litical force. Inadequate Military Leader The immediate reason for Menon's downfall was his in- that Red Chinese troops were able to pentrate far into Indian claimed territory last fall, creat ing one of India's gravest crises. The Chinese offensive showed India's armed forces to be ill equipped and poorly-trained. Despite a friendship of nearly three decades, Nehru found it necessary to fire Menon last November because of mounting criticism. Menon fell even more swiftly than he rose. Where he former ly commanded attention in the. highest circles, his main plat form now is his seat in Parlia ment. He has represented a North Bombay constituency for the last six years. FASTEST BEER DRINKERS Baldock, England (UPI)-Mr. and Mrs. Brian Robinson are the fastest beer drinking couple in North Hertfordshire. Robin son won the men's division of a charily beer drinking contest Sunday when he downed threa pints in 28 seconds. His wila won the women's division by finishing off a pint in 16 seconds. 11 ffijtf) g Gute rasefek fegeO : KITCHEN (RAFT All-purpose baking flour. The finest! 25-lb. bag. WESSON OIL Never covers the flavor of food. So truly lighll 38-oz. bottle. IVORY Pure, mild, personal size Ivory. Baby safe. LIMIT TO Ea. Parkay. Spreads smoothly. 1-lb, SAVE AT SAFEWAY Rionnifp Ballard and Pillsbury DloUUIld 8-oi. Pkg. Margarine Bleach Snowy, powdered. 16-oz. pkg Bleach Snowy, powdered. 16-oz. Pkg Cat Food orcancd mcfl' ,uni- 2 for 25c 29c 83c 59c PRODUCE DEPARTMENT BUYS lljl fk ik IV Safeway. Individually wrapped slices, Kv T Lunch Im2:49c a &wm M M XJ U IB bo VETWI W1I Vmf U M0 VOI I WWW 6-oz. Can I for II llUtl It iQf nm a Pr' No:,hem 4L SjC Safeway's Own Mild Cure " ;rIFi 0011111.0 PSOSH 103 jy Mild flavored cabbage, 1, each 5 lb. VHav M Cry-o-Vac wrapped lo protect delicate flavor. Par-boil and bake like ham. Com plcle instructions on label. Turkey Drumsticks Link Sausage Boiling Beef Short Ribs Plump, meaty Crado "A" Puio pork links. Safeway froh. Plate. Full bcof nutrition for economy dinner. lean beef short ribs. Bak or braisa. lb. 19 29 Red Delicious Apples Fancy crisp Seedless Grapes Thompson Swoct Romainc Lettuce or Rod. Frshl 5 lbs. $1 5 ibs $1 each IOC Pricct effective Monday, September 16 thru Wednc1d.1v, September IS it Satewjv in Medford. Limit Rights Reicrved- SAVE MONEY, BY SAVING GOLD BOND STAMPS
