Chickamauga.

This is coolbert:

From the Chicago Tribune only today and thanks as always to Stephan Benzkofer.

"THE CIVIL WAR 150 YEARS LATER"

"The South fights back in Georgia"

"Confederate send Rosecrans running - - though his army stays, battles on"

That Battle of Chickamauga. Another bitter and unexpected defeat for Union forces. That commanding general officer disgraced, his army nearly destroyed, the situation tense.

"On Sept. 19-20, 1863, North and South clashed in the first major battle after Gettysburg more than 10 weeks earlier. But the blood was shed 600 miles south in Georgia near a small river called Chickamauga Creek.

. . . .

"The Confederate surge routed about a third of the Union force, which in a 'retrograde movement' led by Rosecrans himself, hurried back to the safety of Chattanooga."

And as reported from 150 years ago in the Chicago Tribune.

"THE GREAT BATTLE"

"The magnitude of the crisis in rebel affairs, the zeal with which they have been massing all their available forces in that quarter, give to the situation in Northern Georgia an importance surpassed by none in the history of the war thus far."

. . .

"It is not pleasant to contemplate what we have staked on the result."

. . .

"Our Louisville dispatch states that all is quiet in Knoxville."

. . .

"LATER - - At one o'clock, this (Monday) morning, a dispatch comes to hand, from Louisville, announcing that our army, under Rosecrans has been badly beaten in the battle of yesterday, and has retreated to Chattanooga."

Each and every reader of the Tribune on that day 150 years ago knowing without question the situation still in doubt, Union victory not so clear as might have been supposed, more hard fighting and vigorous campaigning to follow. The war continues, a resolution not at hand, further strife and bloodshed inevitable, a long hard slog and recognized as such.

coolbert.