h
sides a total killed of 4,045, equivalent to the entire voting
population of a city of over twenty thousand inhabitants. General
Grant, who commanded the Union forces in the battles around
Chattanooga, thus sums up the results: "In this battle the Union army
numbered in round figures about 60,000 men; we lost 752 killed, 4,713
wounded and 350 captured or missing. The rebel loss was much greater
in the aggregate, as we captured and sent North to be rationed there
over 6,100 prisoners. Forty pieces of artillery, over seven thousand
stand of small arms, many caissons, artillery wagons and baggage
wagons fell into our hands. The probabilities are that our loss in
killed was the heavier as we were the attacking party. The enemy
reported his loss in killed at 361, but as he reported his missing at
4,146, while we held over 6,000 of them as prisoners, and there must
have been hundreds, if not thousands, who deserted, but little
reliance can be placed upon this report."

In the battle of Chickamauga, when "four-fifths of the Union Army had
crumbled into wild confusion," and Rosecrans was intent only on saving
the fragments, General Thomas, who had commanded the Federal left
during the two days' conflict, and had borne the brunt of the fight,
still held his position. To him General James A. Garfield reported.
General Gordon Granger, without orders, brought up the reserves, and
Thomas, replacing his lines, held the ground until nightfall, when he
was joined by Sheridan. Bragg won and held the field, but Thomas
effectually blocked his way to Chattanooga, securing to himself
immediately the title of the "Rock of Chickamauga." His wonderful
resolution stayed the tide of a victory dearly bought and actually
won, and prevented the victors from grasping the object for which they
had fought. In honor of this stubborn valor, and in recognition of
this high expression of American tenacity, the camp established in
Chickamauga Park by the assembling army was called Camp George H.
Thomas.

The stay of the colored regulars at Camp George H. Thomas was short,
but it was long enough for certain newspapers of Chattanooga to give
expression to their dislike to negro troops in general and to those in
their proximity especially. The Washington Post, also, ever faithful
to its unsavory trust, lent its influence to this work of defamation.
The leading papers, however, both of Chattanooga and the South
generally, spoke out in rather conciliatory