CHICKAHOMINY
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CHIGNECTO BA7
breeding-range from southern Illinois southward. See Dugmore: Bird Homes; Chapman: Bird Life; Blanchan: Bird Neighbors; Hodge: Nature Study and Life.
Chickahominy (chik'a-hom't-ni), a river in southeast Virginia, which flows into the James. Part of the region watered by the river was the scene of several battles in 1862 and 1864. Here the river flows through a wooded swamp, a few hundred yards wide. A continuous rainfall floods the swamp and overflows the neighboring bottom-lands. These are crossed by deep ditches, and even when not overflowed are so soft as to be impassable for cavalry and artillery. As a military obstacle, the narrow Chickahominy, with its bordering swamps, was found to be more formidable than a broad river. .Here in 1862 were fought the battles of Williamsburg, Hanover Court-House, Seven Pines, Fair Oaks, Mechanics-ville, Cold Harbor, Savage's Station, Fra-zier's Farm and Malvern Hill, and in 1864 the second battle of Cold Harbor was fought.
Chickamauga (chWa-mgfga), Battle of, fought upon Chickamauga Creek, a branch of Tennessee River, between the Union Army of the Cumberland under General Rosecrans and the Confederates under General Bragg, Sept. 19 and 20, 1863. The main battle was opened on the morning of the 19th, the Confederates endeavoring to get possession of the road to Chattanooga. Neither side gained any advantage on the first day, though the fighting was severe. During the night Longstreet joined Bragg. On the 2oth the Confederates renewed the attack with great fury. At length, in an effort to strengthen the left, which was hard pressed, and partly through a mistaken order, the Union center was fatally weakened. Longstreet with his veterans charged through the line and drove the right wing in confusion from the field. But Thomas, who was on the left, remained firm and repulsed charge after charge made against him by the whole Confederate army. During the night he withdrew to Rossville Gap. This was a Confederate victory, though of no great advantage to them, as it left Chattanooga, the objective point, in the hands of the Federals. The Union loss was about 16,000; Confederate loss about 18,000.
Chickasaw Bluffs (cM&'d-sg), Battle of, was fought near Vicksburg, Miss., Dec. 29, 1862. General Sherman, who was besieging Vicksburg, endeavored to attack the city in the rear. He sent a strong force up Yazoo River, which was to land and march down from the north. In the line of the march was the Chickasaw bayou, bordered by a broad, miry swamp, almost impassable, and guarded by batteries and rifle-pits on the opposite bluffs. Though the head of the charging column reached the works, the heavy fire forced it back and the enterprise was abandoned. The
Union loss was about 1,900, while the Confederate loss was very small.
Chickasaws, a tribe of Indians, found by the whites about 160 miles east of the Mississippi. De Soto visited them, but when he sought to force them to carry his baggage, they attacked him, causing great loss. In the [Freneh-and-Indian wars, the Chickasaws were between the English and the French settlements, and thus came into the struggle between the two nations. They uniformly sided with the English, stirring up the Natchez against the French, and, when that tribe was almost destroyed, joining them in their desperate raids. In 1793 they joined the whites in the war against the Creeks. At the beginning of the 19th century some of the tribes left for Arkansas in search of better 'hunting-grounds. In 1822 those left in Mississippi, numbering 3,625, settled in eight towns, owning slaves and selling cattle and hogs to the whites. In 1834 they sold their lands to the government and removed west of the Mississippi, buying lands of the Choctaws, who spoke the same language. In the Civil War they joined the south and lost many of their braves, besides, of course, losing their slaves. They no longer have a king, but have a governor, together with a senate and house of representatives. They own their land in common, but each man's stock is his own. . They receive an annuity of $3,000, and have in the hands of the government $1,400,000 in bonds, of which they receive the interest.
Chickasha, a city, county-seat of Grady County, Oklahoma. It is the trading-center of a fine agricultural region and an important shipping-point for cotton. Chickasha has a flour-mill, a broom-factory and cotton-gins, and the Rock Island car-shops and round-house are located here. It has four banks, good public schools, a convent, library and several churches; also the service of two railroads. Population, 10,320.
Chic'opee, Mass., a thriving manufacturing town on the Connecticut River, at the mouth of the Chicopee, four miles north of Springfield, Hampden County, Mass. It possesses excellent water-power for its industrial establishments, which include the manufacture of cotton, knitted goods, knitting machines, bicycles, rifles, shotguns, pistols, mechanic's tools and agricultural implements. It has a number of good schools, churches and a convent, with several substantial banks. Chicopee Falls are in the neighborhood. Population, 25,401.
Chignecto Bay (shig-nek'to), an inlet at the north end of the Bay of Fundy. It separates Nova Scotia from New Brunswick. It is 30 miles long by eight miles in breadth. There is an isthums only 14 miles wide between it and Northumbe^ land Strait in the Gulf of St. Lawrence
