Everything was in Confusion: With the 24th Wisconsin at Chickamauga

Badgers Forward! Wisconsin at Chickamauga Series

The 24th Wisconsin was one of the last Federal regiments to arrive at Chickamauga, not arriving until very late on Saturday September 19th after an all day march. The regiment, part of General William Haines Lytle's brigade of General Phil Sheridan's division of the 20th Army Corps, remained in a reserve position until Sunday morning when it deployed forward over what later became known as Lytle's Hill, tasked with trying to halt on the Confederate onslaught that was ripping through the center of the Union lines. The 24th Wisconsin took position in the right center of the brigade with the 21st Michigan to their right and the 11th Indiana Battery to the left. 

    The brigade walked into a fight going badly against the Union: two brigades from General Jefferson C. Davis's streamed back towards their position while Colonel Bernard Laiboldt's brigade had just been repulsed in their futile attempt to counterattack General Zachariah Deas' Alabama brigade and were also falling back. Lytle's men scrambled into position and unleashed a withering fire that brought the Confederate attack to a halt. General Patton Anderson's Mississippians soon arrived on the right flank of the 24th Wisconsin and soon Lytle himself went down and by 12:15 the line was scrambling off the hill with thousands of Confederates in pursuit. 

    Lieutenant Charles D. Rogers of Co. B of the 24th Wisconsin wrote the following letter to his mother on Monday September 21st, the day after the battle, marking it as one of the earliest firsthand accounts of the action at Chickamauga. "One hundred brave boys fell that day which makes our regiment very small," he confessed. "Everything was in confusion. I never saw such an awful sight in my life with men flying in all directions, horses without riders flying wildly over the field, officers and men urging others to halt and rally. Our regiment was broken up by others running through them so that they got broken up considerably."


Sergeant Edward Blake of Co H of the 24th Wisconsin holds the regiment's tattered colors after the fierce fighting at Missionary Ridge in November 1863. As part of General William H. Lytle's brigade of Sheridan's division, the 24th Wisconsin only saw action on Sunday during the Confederate breakthrough losing 105 out of 487 men who went into action.

Camp in the field, six miles from Chattanooga, Tennessee

September 21, 1863

 

Dear mother,

          Again I have to thank God for his great kindness to me in sparing my life through the dangers of another battle. Yesterday one of the greatest if not the greatest battle of the war was fought near this place. Our regiment lost over 100 in killed, wounded, and missing, and all this in the short space of half an hour. We fought all of Bragg’s old army, heavy reinforcements from Johnston’s army and Longstreet’s entire corps from Lee’s army. It was, I think, one of the most terrible battles that has yet been fought.

Henry was wounded in three places but not dangerously. He is a noble fellow, and everybody speaks in the highest terms of his conduct; the first wound he received was through the fleshy part of the right arm before we had got into line or fired a gun. The noble fellow never said a word to me about it but kept on. At last having no support and our flanks exposed, our regiment was forced to fall back. Henry and I were together but in the great confusion got separated; but again we got together when his held up his left hand and said “Charley, look at that” and looking, I saw he had his two middle fingers of his left hand shot off.

Before we got back to where the second line was formed, he was again shot through the right wrist, the ball passing through the fleshy part, not breaking it nor spoiling his arm. With his robust constitution, he cannot fail to around again in two or three weeks. He is in the hospital in Chattanooga. Captain Green having a very painful foot acted as aide on our brigadier’s staff and I was in command of the company during the action. My second lieutenant was sick and in Chattanooga, so I was left entirely alone. I think I did my duty. I never left the ground until after my company had and the boys I feel confident are satisfied. I did my whole duty.

24th Wisconsin Flag
Chickamauga Honor

Everything was in confusion. I never saw such an awful sight in my life with men flying in all directions, horses without riders flying wildly over the field, officers and men urging others to halt and rally. Our regiment was broken up by others running through them so that they got broken up considerably. I rallied 50 men belonging to the pioneers and held them until our regiment was formed. Our regiment did nobly, not a sneak or a coward was to be seen, and all did their duty. They have received the highest praise from all who witnessed their conduct, fully retrieving any stigmas that may have cast upon them by some. Our old flag was torn from the staff by a shell and is completely riddled. Well may the people of Milwaukee be proud of the 24th; its record stands as clear today as any regiment from Wisconsin. Nor until every regiment on their flank had been scattered and were flying to the rear and until we had been ordered to fall back twice did a man offer to move, and when they did it was done reluctantly.

One hundred brave boys fell that day which makes our regiment very small. My company lost five men wounded and missing- some will undoubtedly turn up in a few days. Colonel West was wounded and supposed to be a prisoner. Captain Goldsmith was badly wounded and supposed to be a prisoner. These were the only officers severely wounded. Lieutenant Chivas got that “nate little wound” he said he wanted. General Lytle, our brigade commander, was killed and old Rosy is all sound and will give them another if they want it.

 

Source:

Letter from First Lieutenant Charles D. Rogers, Co. B, 24th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, Quiner Scrapbooks, Volume 10, Wisconsin Historical Society


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