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under Cheatham had seen service under General Polk, from Belmont to Chickamauga.
Whatever of glory and honor they had won was under his leadership, and they were devoted to him above all men next to their own division general.
The men murmured, the officers resented in silence the action of the commanding general, and for this the Tennesseeans were scattered.
Maney's brigade was assigned to Walker's division, Strahl's to Stewart's, Vaughn's to Hindman's; Wright's brigade was detached and sent to Charleston, east Tennessee; and the Mississippi brigade, commanded by the gallant Walthall, and the Alabama brigade of John C. Moore, were assigned to Cheatham's division.
Cheatham was proud of his new command, but his devotion to the old one ‘was wonderful, passing the love of woman.’
His command of Polk's corps was temporary.
Lieutenant-General Hardee was restored to the army of Tennessee, and commanded the corps at the disastrous battle soon to be fought.
Cheatham resumed command of his division after dark on the 24th of November and some hours after the capture of Walthall's pickets by Hooker's corps.
Why General Walthall ‘was not sustained is yet unexplained,’ says General Bragg in his official report; ‘the commander on that part of the field, Major-General Stevenson, had six brigades at his disposal.’
When General Cheatham took command he was accompanied by Gen. John C. Breckinridge, and the two, in the presence of Cheatham's chief of staff, were urged by the commanding general to hasten to Lookout mountain, and if possible withdraw Stevenson's division from its summit and conduct our forces across Chattanooga creek.
Holtzclaw's brigade relieved Walthall, the enemy retiring before his advance; the danger was not imminent or immediately threatening, and the order was easily executed.
General Bragg, referring to the affair in his official report, says: ‘Orders were immediately given for the ’
Atlanta, Ga. 1899.
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