selected by himself after the break on the right. Here in a more
marked degree even then Stone's River, he displayed his great staying
qualities. Posting his troops on the lines he designated, he, so
to speak, placed himself with his back against a rock and refused
to be driven from the field. Here he stayed, despite the fierce
and prolonged assaults of the enemy, repulsing every attack. And
when the sun went down he was still there. Well was he called the
"Rock of Chickamauga," and trebly well for the army of the Cumberland
that George H. Thomas was in command of the left at that battle.
On the 20th, when the hour of supreme trial came and he was left
on the field with less than one half of the strength of the army
that the day before had been barely able to hold its own against the
rebel assaults, he formed his 25,000 troops on "Horseshoe Ridge,"
and successfully resisted for nearly six long hours the repeated
attacks of that same rebel army, largely re-enforced until it
numbered twice his command, when it was flushed with victory and
determined on his utter destruction. There is nothing finer in
history than Thomas at Chickamauga.

All things considered, the battle of Chickamauga for the forces
engaged was the hardest fought and the bloodiest battle of the
Rebellion. Hindman, who fought our right at Horseshoe Ridge, says
in his official report that he had "never known Federal troops to
fight so well," and that he "never saw Confederate soldiers fight
better." The largest number of troops Rosecrans had of all arms on
the field during the two days' fighting was 55,000 effective men.
While the return of the Army of the Cumberland for September 20,
1863, shows 67,548 "present for duty equipped," still taking out the
troops guarding important points within the Department, the actual
force was reduced to the figure just given. Of Gordon Granger's