Ever been to Horseshoe Ridge? It is actually a spur of Missionary Ridge. A series of hills probably a quarter of a mile long.
I've studied it with Powell, Historian Jim Ogden, Lee White and others. On the ground.
Yes, a time or two.
"a senior Officer"? Prove to us that someone who had Command authority such as Steedman, Brannan, Granger or Thomas had the intent to sacrifice these three regiments to save the others. Due to the circumstances and terrain it was impossible for them to do this to begin with. Just don't think you understand the circumstances. I wouldn't just by reading it.
I have the impression that the evidence for an order, verbally given, is first an obedience to it. And second a lack of rebuke for acting upon it.
Relative to the orders received by Col. LeFavour which consigned his 22nd MI and the 89th OH regiments to a continued defense of the ridge until their capture, their orders originated from a staff officer of Gen. Steedman's division, acting quickly in the name of his general.
After Smith of Steedman's staff instructed Col. LeFavour to use the bayonet, and return to the ridge while the balance of Steedman's division was withdrawing, General Steedman was informed of the orders given to Col. LeFavour with the 22nd Michigan and 89th Ohio; and evidently that general subsequently sent orders for them to withdraw and join the rest, but it was too late, the Confederate forces intervening. This is what the officers of the 22nd MI who escaped capture were informed evidently. From Capt. Atkinson, 22nd Michigan in a Sept. 29 letter to Col. LeFavour's family to explain what happened:
"Gen. Steedman sent an order to fall back, but too late. Before it arrived the regiment was closed in upon by rebel hordes on both flanks and cut off. This brave charge, Gen. Steedman says, saved that portion of the army…"
Consequently these regiments, and the 21st Ohio by the end formed with them remained in position until captured, without ammunition, and with the bayonet alone.
Relative to the 21st, as mentioned, they stated that they fought on their own hook most of the afternoon, and as they were withdrawing with the balance at the close down the northern slopes, a mounted officer, a colonel in full view of the regiment, stated to Major McMahan to attack the ridge and hold with the bayonet if necessary. They believed or understood that officer was associated with Brannan's division, and invoked the authority of at least Col. Van Derveer of that division.
Capt. Vantine's official report of the battle for the 21st (the senior officer that escaped capture) states:
"Our ammunition was exhausted, and we could not procure any more. At about half past 5 p.m. the enemy sent up messengers to Brannan's men stating that some of them were waiting for them (our men) to cease fire in order to give themselves (i.e., the enemy) up. The firing ceased and the enemy came up, but instead of giving themselves up they fired a volley and charged up the hill, gaining possession of it entirely. The commanding officer of Brannan's troops asked that the 21st Ohio should charge up and retake the hill."
While he says they were "asked" to do this, his commander Major McMahan, among those who were taken prisoner on the ridge, reported they were not "asked" but commanded by a direct order to yet contend against the enemy on the ridge etc.
Captain Cusac, and others, backed up Major McMahan that they were positively ordered to attack by a superior officer, hold, etc. Cusac:
McMahan officially reported his understanding it was Col. Van Derveer of Brannan's Division who ordered him to remain on the ridge though Van Derveer later positively and absolutely denied having been the officer in question, or having originated or approved any such orders. McMahan:
McMahan later explained the circumstances to Mr. George Dolton, (a veteran of Battery M, 1st Illinois which was also involved in the fighting on the ridge), as to why he identified Van Derveer. Dolton recorded his statement:
"That while looking around, he discovered a small tree in his rear, standing in a very peculiar, slanting position; that looking up on the ridge to his left front, he saw two large trees, behind which were two officers on horseback; that shortly after he had formed his men, one of these officers came to him and ordered him to move his regiment to the right of the troops then on the crest of the ridge at his right front [Le Favor's 22nd MI and 89th OH]; that he refused to do so, saying that his men were not in condition to go into battle again, they having no ammunition, and being very much disorganized on account of the many attacks they had withstood; that the officer returned to the other one and consulted with him, and immediately came back and again ordered him to move to the right. He asked by whose authority the order was given, and was informed that it was by the order of Gen. Van Derveer, the other officer by the trees. The officer who gave him the order was a tall, slim man, wearing large glasses or goggles. He then ordered his bugler to sound the "advance,"
Irrespective of who the officers on horseback were, which was never proven, veterans of the 21st later pointed out where they received the order in question, and in later years they found the two trees and the leaning tree, marked around point 8 below: (north is down)
It has been suggested that McMahan, Captain Cusac and others were mistaken in these things. As you mention, nobody took credit for giving the orders, and nobody can prove who did so, or on what authority. Their obedience to orders to the end of the battle was their only evidence.
It strikes me the more controversial point is the suggestion that the last firing by the Union line in the battle, by the right of Van Derveer's brigade, namely the 35th Ohio, was delivered into these three regiments, along with the Confederates surrounding them on the ridge.
Some since claim that could not be, by placing the 35th Ohio, etc. on Van Derveer's right, on top of the high hill or second hill at the last shots of the fighting, or about point 7 in the map above, and holding the hill and repelling the last Confederates attack upon it with their last volley.
As you mention, there was much confusion etc., and the various parties receiving it (US and CS) didn't know from whom this last firing came. Some of the captured regiments presuming it was from some rebs, and some rebs like Lt. Col. Wade of the 54th VA of Trigg's brigade surrounding these regiments, initially presumed the same, he even ordering the 6th Florida, which fired back to cease, etc. (though he subsequently discerned and reported it was Union firing). After this last firing Triggs' and Kelly's brigades moved quickly gathered up the three regiments as prisoners and moved them off without opposition.
Supporting the claims of Maj. McMahan, that this last firing was into the three captured regiments as well as the rebs around them, was the 9th Indiana; who state just prior to it they were present near the top of the high or second hill (their skirmishers about point 7 in above map), where it has since been claimed for the 35th Ohio was positioned at that time of the capture of the three regiments. The 9th had evidently just relieved the 35th from their position on the hill, and shortly barely escaped capture themselves as Trigg's Confederate brigade overwhelmed LeFavour and the 21st Ohio just to their right. Col. Suman of the 9th Indiana:
"My regiment was then ordered still farther to the right, on a high hill. It was while in this position that my attention was drawn to my right by an unnecessary amount of talking. I went over to see what it meant, and, to my surprise, I found the enemy demanding our troops [Le Favour and the 21st Ohio] to surrender. At that moment a rebel officer pointed a pistol at my head and demanded my surrender. I informed him that I had surrendered some time ago. He appeared satisfied with my explanation. At that moment something drew his attention, and I slipped away from him....
Suman and others later explained that he rejoined his regiment, and quickly left that spot...
Regardless, something like 34 or so of Col. Suman's men didnt' withdraw as they were at this time surrounded and captured as with LeFavour and the 21st Ohio to their right. Suman's report continued:
....brought two of my right companies to bear [Companies A and F, 9th IN], and opened fire on them and scattered the party. Our men ran one way and the rebels ran another. The officer with whom I talked reported himself as colonel of the thirty-fifth [Fifty-fourth] Virginia Regiment, and said he was attached to Buckner's corps. He said he was only off of the cars seven hours. One of my lieutenants went over to see what was going on, and the same officer took his sword from him. One of his men fired on the rebel colonel and killed him, retook the lieutenant's sword, and took the rebel's sword and pistol. At this moment the officer came up that I had reported to at that point. He appeared to think it impossible that the enemy had gained that point. I informed him that he had but 30 steps to walk to convince himself, but he seemed not inclined to convince himself by going to see. Immediately afterward I was ordered to retire with my command, which I did in good order."
The 9th Indiana veterans thought it was ungentlemanly in later years to so positively deny their regiment had barely escaped capture on top of the high hill as occurred to the balance of the troops nearby. Their controversy of position is given in Conley, Laurence D., "The Truth about Chickamauga: A Ninth Indiana Regiment's Perspective,"
Indiana Magazine of History, Volume 98, Issue 2 (2002).
But wherever they were, Lt. Col. Boynton's own 1863 official report itself places his regiment off of the hill, but in the last fire of the battle shooting at men yet on it...particularly confederates who had "occupied" it. Per Col. Suman (9th IN) and Maj. McMahan (21st OH), etc., the three captured regiments were in his front among the hill's "occupiers." Boynton:
Captain McConnell of the 9th Indiana notes that when both Companies A and F of the 9th Indiana and the 35th Ohio fired upon the mounted reb of Trigg's brigade who rode up to them, the fire of the 35th, which they claimed simultaneous, passed over and through the 9th Indiana too, before striking at the hill's "occupants"...
"What that they fired on him, and by the light of the guns he [the mounted Confederate who approached the 9th IN and 35th OH] and his horse were both seen to fall. The rebels then opened fire on us from their line and the regiment returned the fire. The bullets from the enemy passing through us reached the 34th Ohio [sic.] behind us and they opened fire, putting us between two fires."
McConnell and others of the 9th Indiana explained the "occupiers" of the hill, rapidly moved to cover.
"This regiment was asked to surrender by the captors, but it answered by musketry, in which some troops on higher ground behind it, joined, quickly causing the enemy with his prisoners [the 22nd MI, 89th OH, and 21st OH] to disappear."
Per this last, and from Maj. McMahan's 21st Ohio and Le Favor's regiments say this combined fire struck them just as the 9th understood. Lt. Scott of the 89th OH again:
"for some reason or another, fired a volley into us, rebels and all. The rebels scattered like sheep at this volley, hiding behind trees,
logs. I piled with the rest behind a big tree in the middle of the hollow; the mass were piled three or four deep. I was a fool for not trying to get away. Quite a number did take advantage of this and escaped…"
Scott presumed the firing was from rebs. Just as some of the rebs of the 54th VA near him thought so to, and didn't return it (though the 6th Florida did). But in any case, the result was a downhill slide as the 54th VA and the three Union regiments moved downhill fast.
Lt. Sam Dunstan of the 9th Indiana confirmed the crowd of men flying downhill after the firing of the 9th IN/35th OH, was a mix of Confederates and Union soldiers of the three captured regiments.. He marks the point of the mounted reb as an X in front of the right companies of the 9th Indiana:
Lt. Col. Wade of the 54th Virginia, who who initially thought like many this last volley came from fellow rebs (when he ordered the 6th Florida to cease fire) also confirms that this last federal fire struck into both his command, and the federals...
Major McMahan of the 21st Ohio, being overwhelmed at that point concurred this last firing had little effect on the Confederates surrounding, though he claims some of his men were felled by it... as he noted in a letter mocking claims his regiment had quietly surrendered previous to the this last firing of the battle:
"Trigg's brigade had [got] clear round in our rear. It was the left of that brigade which Boynton [and 35th OH] fired upon killing the mounted orderly of Col. Trigg whom he supposed to be a rebel officer, the only rebel injured by the fire, tho there were some of our men knocked down by the same fire which came right into us, toward the end I had only 200 men and not a shot. Such was our quiet capture."
The above is in reference to the northern slopes of the ridge/hill. After these last shots, the battle was over. The 5th Kentucky of Kelly's Confederate brigade quickly advanced and secured many of the Union prisoners of the three regiments piled downhill in the hollow, or lower ground, just Southwest of the Snodgrass house, per Captain Gaines of the 5th Kentucky:
"It was after we had advanced, I think about two hundred yards [600 ft.] further, that we made the recapture before spoken of. This
recapture took place in the clearing at the foot of the northern slope of the ridge in the bowl-shaped hollow southwest of the Snodgrass house. It was then after sundown. Here occurred Colonel Kelly's greeting with Colonel Carlton, of the 89th Ohio. I remember well, forming on each side of them and our marching back with them."
That hollow would appear to be here: (north is up),
The division commander of Trigg's and Kelly's brigades, Gen. Preston, referred to this as a "a crowded dell in front of Kelly and Trigg" at the conclusion of the firing, where they found many federal troops, including wounded, etc. and quickly gathered up their prisoners before moving them southward off the field.
In the meantime, the 68th and 101st Indiana, which had some ammo, was sent to the 35th Ohio under Lt. Col. Boynton, to relieve his 35th OH and 9th IN, which then withdrew. These Indiana regiments crept up to the point where the 9th IN/35th OH had just fired, and spoke to the mortally wounded horseman of Trigg's brigade shot down by their last fire. The firing was over however:
Major Steele of the 101st Indiana:
"The 68th and 101st Indiana were ordered to the relief of Brannan's division, or that portion of it left on Snodgrass hill, which we proceeded to do. we took our position in front of the troops as far as we could, and were ordered to hold that position until Brannan's troops had cleared the field at least ten minutes. We obeyed [as] ordered... We did not fire a gun on Snodgrass Hill."
But they could see the Confederates yet in front, gathering the prisoners of the three regiments. Veterans of the 68th Indiana recalled:
It was evidently too dark by this time for the rebs and the prisoners to be clearly visible. Maj. Steele of the 101st is mentioned before they left, seeing torches flickering among them. And among the prisoners Norbert Generoux of the 22nd Michigan of LeFavour's command, among the prisoners now in Confederate custody, confirms the rebs lit torches before marching them off...
"Then the enemy recharged with infantry, and the Union troops continued to repulse their charges until night, when they were surrounded. The Confederates marched the Union prisoners three or four rods,
and carried torch-lights in order that the surrendered soldiery would not step on the wounded and dead."
So within several minutes these last Union regiments joined in the general retreat, while the 22nd MI, 89th and 21st Ohio were largely carried off to prison in the other direction. Thus shortly after Major McMahan among these prisoners reported that his command was sacrificed by orders...
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