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honors and plaudits of a grateful nation, which asks nothing of even those who have been fighting us but obedience to the Constitution and laws established for our own common benefit.
The General Commanding earnestly begs every officer and soldier of this army to unite with him in thanking Almighty God for his favors to us. He presents his hearty thanks and congratulations to all the officers and soldiers of this command for their energy, patience, and perseverance and the undaunted courage displayed by those who fought with such unflinching resolution.
Neither the history of this war, nor probably the annals of any battle, furnish a loftier example of obstinate bravery and enduring resistance to superior numbers — when troops, having exhausted their ammunition, resorted to the bayonet, many times, to hold their positions, against such odds — as did our left and centre, comprising troops from all the corps, on the afternoon of the twentieth of September, at the battle of Chickamauga.
W. S. Rosecrans, Major-General Commanding.
