Wisconsin in the War of the Rebellion, Vol. 2

              ¦    BATTLE  OF  CHICKAMAUGA. 677
The topography of the country immediately south of Chat¬ tanooga is as follows: A series of mountain ridges running nearly north and south, with narrow valleys and creeks be¬ tween, fill up the territory. Beginning on the west side, there is, first, the Raccoon Range, and the Sand Mountain close to it. Then conies Lookout Creek, running northward, and emptying into the Tennessee River. Next, to the east, is Lookout range of mountains. Then Chattanooga Creek, rising in McLe More's Cave, at the south, running north, and emptying into the Tennessee west of Chattanooga. Beyond that is Missionaiy Ridge; then Chickamauga Creek, which flows into the Tennessee east of Chattanooga. Next comes Pigeon Mountain, and then Bast Chickamauga Creek.
In attempting to pass through the central gap in Pigeon Mountain, on September 12th, General Negley, of Thomas' corps, was suddenly attacked by the enemy, and compelled to fall back, with the loss of forty killed and wounded. This was a surprise, and then was the time for Bragg to have fol¬ lowed up his success by an immediate general attack, and the Confederates subsequently m^ade the charge of incapacity against him because he did not do it. But he was slow in his movements, and that gave Rosecrans time to collect his scat¬ tered forces. McCook having joined Thomas, after heavy march¬ ing, on the morning of the 18tli of September, they moved again towards the enemy's position, and on this day. General Granger ascertained that Longstreet's corps had joined Bragg, The rebel authorities had also falsely declared as exchanged, the 43,000 troops that were captured and paroled by Grant and Banks at Vicksburg and Port Hudson, and many of those were now added to Bragg's army. His whole force consisted of 80,000 or 100,000 men, whUe the patriot army was not more than 55,000. Brannan's and Reynolds' divisions had been added to the Federal troops that fought at Stone River. The eleventh and twelfth corps, under General Hooker, had been detached from the army of the Potomac, and sent to protect Roseci-ans' communications, but were not present to aid in the approaching conflict. Saturday morning, September 19th, the two armies had come near to each other, and were en¬ veloped in a fog.    The Union lines had been connected aud