personal memoirs-1-第22章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



But　at　the　time；　exactly　what　had　taken　place　just　before　the

shooting　was　shrouded　in　mystery　by　a　hundred　conflicting　stories；

the　principal　and　most　credited　of　which　was　that　Davis　had　demanded

from　Nelson　an　apology　for　language　used　in　the　original　altercation；

and　that　Nelson's　refusal　was　accompanied　by　a　slap　in　the　face；　at

the　same　moment　denouncing　Davis　as　a　coward。　　However　this　may　be；

Nelson；　after　slapping　Davis；　moved　toward　the　corridor；　from　which　a

stairway　led　to　the　second　floor；　and　just　as　he　was　about　to　ascend；

Davis　fired　with　a　pistol　that　he　had　obtained　from　some　one　near　by

after　the　blow　had　been　struck。　　The　ball　entered　Nelson's　breast

just　above　the　heart；　but　his　great　strength　enabled　him　to　ascend

the　stairway　notwithstanding　the　mortal　character　of　the　wound；　and

he　did　not　fall　till　he　reached　the　corridor　on　the　second　floor。　　He

died　about　half　an　hour　later。　　The　tragedy　cast　a　deep　gloom　over

all　who　knew　the　men；　for　they　both　had　many　warm　personal　friends；

and　affairs　at　Louisville　had　hardly　recovered　as　yet　from　the

confused　and　discouraging　condition　which　preceded　the　arrival　of

General　Buell's　army。　　General　Buell　reported　the　killing　of　Nelson

to　the　authorities　at　Washington；　and　recommended　the　trial　of　Davis

by　court…martial；　but　no　proceedings　were　ever　instituted　against　him

in　either　a　civil　or　military　court；　so　to　this　day　it　has　not　been

determined　judicially　who　was　the　aggressor。　　Some　months　later　Davis

was　assigned　to　the　command　of　a　division　in　Buell's　army　after　that

officer　had　been　relieved　from　its　command。



Two　Confederate　armies；　under　General　Kirby　Smith　and　General　Braxton

Bragg；　had　penetrated　into　Kentucky；　the　one　under　Smith　by　the　way

of　Cumberland　Gap；　the　other　and　main　army　under　Bragg　by　way　of　the

Sequatche　Valley；　Glasgow；　and　Mumfordsville。　　Glasgow　was　captured

by　the　enemy　on　the　17th　of　September；　and　as　the　expectation　was

that　Buell　would　reach　the　place　in　time　to　save　the　town；　its　loss

created　considerable　alarm　in　the　North；　for　fears　were　now

entertained　that　Bragg　would　strike　Louisville　and　capture　the　city

before　Buell　could　arrive　on　the　ground。　　It　became　necessary

therefore　to　put　Louisville　in　a　state　of　defense；　and　after　the

cordon　of　principal　works　had　been　indicated；　my　troops　threw　up　in

one　night　a　heavy　line　of　rifle…pits　south　of　the　city；　from　the

Bardstown　pike　to　the　river。　　The　apprehended　attack　by　Bragg　never

came；　however；　for　in　the　race　that　was　then　going　on　between　him　and

Buell　on　parallel　roads；　the　Army　of　the　Ohio　outmarched　the

Confederates；　its　advance　arriving　at　Louisville　September　25。



General　Buell　immediately　set　about　reorganizing　the　whole　force；　and

on　September　29　issued　an　order　designating　the　troops　under　my

command　as　the　Eleventh　Division；　Army　of　the　Ohio；　and　assigning

Brigadier…General　J。　T。　Boyle　to　command　the　division；　and　me　to

command　one　of　its　brigades。　　To　this　I　could　not　object；　of　course；

for　I　was　a　brigadier…general　of　very　recent　date；　and　could　hardly

expect　more　than　a　brigade。　　I　had　learned；　however；　that　at　least

one　officer　to　whom　a　high　command　had　been　givena　corpshad　not

yet　been　appointed　a　general　officer　by　the　President；　and　I

considered　it　somewhat　unfair　that　I　should　be　relegated　to　a

brigade；　while　men　who　held　no　commissions　at　all　were　being　made

chiefs　of　corps　and　divisions；　so　I　sought　an　interview　with　General

Buell's　chief…of…staff；　Colonel　Fry；　and；　while　not　questioning

Buell's　good　intentions　nor　his　pure　motives；　insisted　that　my　rights

in　the　matter　should　be　recognized。　　That　same　evening　I　was　assigned

to　the　command　of　the　Eleventh　Division；　and　began　preparing　it　at

once　for　a　forward　movement；　which　I　knew　must　soon　take　place　in　the

resumption　of　offensive　operations　by　the　Army　of　the　Ohio。



During　the　interval　from　September　25　till　October　1　there　was　among

the　officers　much　criticism　of　General　Buell's　management　of　the

recent　campaign；　which　had　resulted　in　his　retirement　to　Louisville；

and　he　was　particularly　censured　by　many　for　not　offering　battle　to

General　Bragg　while　the　two　armies　were　marching　parallel　to　each

other；　and　so　near　that　an　engagement　could　have　been　brought　on　at

any　one　of　several　pointsnotably　so　at　Glasgow；　Kentucky；　if　there

had　been　a　desire　to　join　issue。　　It　was　asserted；　and　by　many

conceded；　that　General　Buell　had　a　sufficient　force　to　risk　a　fight。

He　was　much　blamed　for　the　loss　of　Mumfordsville　also。　　The　capture

of　this　point；　with　its　garrison；　gave　Bragg　an　advantage　in　the　race

toward　the　Ohio　River；　which　odds　would　most　likely　have　ensured　the

fall　of　Louisville　had　they　been　used　with　the　same　energy　and　skill

that　the　Confederate　commander　displayed　from　Chattanooga　to　Glasgow；

but　something　always　diverted　General　Bragg　at　the　supreme　moment；

and　he　failed　to　utilize　the　chances　falling　to　him　at　this　time；

for；　deflecting　his　march　to　the　north　toward　Bardstown；　he　left　open

to　Buell　the　direct　road　to　Louisville　by　way　of　Elizabethtown。



At　Bardstown　Bragg's　army　was　halted　while　he　endeavored　to　establish

a　Confederate　government　in　Kentucky　by　arranging　for　the

installation　of　a　provisional　governor　at　Lexington。　　Bragg　had　been

assured　that　the　presence　of　a　Confederate　army　in　Kentucky　would　so

encourage　the　secession　element　that　the　whole　State　could　be　forced

into　the　rebellion　and　his　army　thereby　largely　increased；　but　he　had

been　considerably　misled；　for　he　now　found　that　though　much　latent

sympathy　existed　for　his　cause；　yet　as　far　as　giving　active　aid　was

concerned；　the　enthusiasm　exhibited　by　the　secessionists　of　Kentucky

in　the　first　year　of　the　war　was　now　replaced　by　apathy；　or　at　best

by　lukewarmness。　　So　the　time　thus　spent　in　political　machinations

was　wholly　lost　to　Bragg；　and　so　little　reinforcement　was　added　to

his　army　that　it　may　be　said　that　the　recruits　gained　were　not　enough

to　supply　the　deficiencies　resulting　from　the　recent　toilsome　marches

of　the　campaign。



In　the　meanwhile　Buell　had　arrived　at　Louisville；　system　had　been

substituted　for　the　chaos　which　had　previously　obtained　there；　and

orders　were　issued　for　an　advance　upon　the　enemy　with　the　purpose　of

attacking　and　the　hope　of　destroying　him　within　the　limits　of　the

〃blue　grass〃　region；　and；　failing　in　that；　to　drive　him　from

Kentucky。　　The　army　moved　October　1；　1862；　and　my　division；　now　a

part　of　the　Third　Corps；　commanded　by　General　C。　C。　Gilbert；　marched

directly　on　Bardstown；　where　it　was　thought　the　enemy　would　make　a

stand；　but　Bragg's　troops　retreated　toward　Perryville；　only　resisting

sufficiently　to　enable　the　forces　of　General　Kirby　Smith　to　be　drawn

in　closerthey　having　begun　a　concentration　at　Frankfortso　they

could　be　used　in　a　combined　attack　on　Louisville　as　soon　as　the

Confederate　commander's　political　projects　were　perfected。



Much　time　was　consumed　by　Buell's　army　in　its　march　on　Perryville；

but　we　finally　neared　it　on　the　evening　of　October　7。　　During　the

day；　Brigadier…General　Robert　B。　Mitchell's　division　of　Gilbert's

corps　was　in　the　advance　on　the　Springfield　pike；　but　as　the　enemy

developed　that　he　was　in　strong　force　on　the　opposite　side　of　a　small

stream　called　Doctor's　Creek；　a　tributary　of　Chaplin　River；　my

division　was　brought　up　and　passed　to　the　front。　　It　was　very

difficult　to　obtain　water　in　this　section　of　Kentucky；　as　a　drought

had　prevailed　for　many　weeks；　and　the　troops　were　suffering　so　for

water　that　it　became　absolutely　necessary　that　we　should　gain

possession　of　Doctor's　Creek　in　order　to　relieve　their　distress。

Consequently　General　Gilbert；　during　the　night；　directed　me　to　push

beyond　Doctor's　Creek　early　the　next　morning。　　At　daylight　on　the　8th

I　moved　out　Colonel　Dan　McCook's　brigade　and　Barnett's　battery　for

the　purpose；　but　after　we　had　crossed　the　creek　with　some　slight

skirmishing；　I　found　that　we　could　not　hold　the　ground　unless　we

carried　and　occupied　a　range　of　hills；　called　Chaplin　Heights；　in

front　of　Chaplin　River。　　As　this　would　project　my　command　in　the

direction　of　Perryville　considerably　beyond　the　troops　that　were　on

either　flank；　I　brought　up　Laiboldt's　brigade　and　Hescock's　battery

to　strengthen　Colonel　McCook。　　Putting　both　brigades　into　line　we

quickly　carried　the　Heights；　much　to　the　surprise　of　the　enemy；　I

think；　for　he　did　not　hold　on　to　the　valuable　ground　as　strongly　as

he　should　have　done。　　This　success　not　only　ensured　us　a　good　supply

of　water；　but　also；　later　in　the　day；　had　an　important　bearing　in　the

battle　of　Perryville。　　After　taking　the　Heights；　I　brought　up　the

rest　of　my　division　and　intrenched；　without　much　difficulty；　by

throwing　up　a　strong　line　of　rifle…pits；　although　the　enemy's

sharpshooters　annoyed　us　enough　to　make　me　order　Laiboldt's　brigade

to　drive　them　in　on　the　main　body。　　This　was　successfully　done　in　a

few　minutes；　but　in　pushing　them　back　to　Chaplin　River；　we　discovered

the　Confederates　forming　a　line　of　battle　on　the　opposite　bank；　with

the　apparent　purpose　of　an　attack　in　force；　so　I　withdrew　the　brigade

to　our　intrenchments　on　the　crest　and　there　awaited　the　assault。



While　this　skirmishing　was　going　on；　General　Gilbertthe　corps

commanderwhose　headquarters　were　located　on　a　hill　about　a　mile

distant　to　the　rear；　kept　sending　me　messages　by　signal　not　to　bring

on　an　engagement。　　I　replied　to　each　message　that　I　was　not　bringing

on　an　engagement；　but　that　the　enemy　evidently　intended　to　do　so；　and

that　I　believed　I　should　shortly　be　attacked。　　Soon　after　returning

to　the　crest　and　getting　snugly　fixed　in　the　rifle…pits；　my　attention

was　called　to　our　left；　the　high　ground　we　occupied　affording　me　in

that　direction　an　unobstructed　view。　　I　then　saw　General　A。　McD。

McCook's　corpsthe　First…advancing　toward　Chaplin　River　by　the

Mackville　road；　apparently　unconscious　that　the　Confederates　were

present　in　force　behind　the　stream。　　I　tried　by　the　use　of　signal

flags　to　get　information　of　the　situation　to　these　troops；　but　my

efforts　failed；　and　the　leading　regiments　seemed　to　approach　the

river　indifferently　prepared　to　meet　the　sudden　attack　that　speedily

followed；　delivered　as　it　was　from　the　chosen　position　of　the　enemy。

The　fury　of　the　Confederate　assault　soon　halted　this　advance　force；

and　in　a　short　time　threw　it　into　confusion；　pushed　it　back　a

considerable　distance；　and　ultimately　inflicted　upon　it　such　loss　of

men　and　guns　as　to　seriously　cripple　McCook's　corps；　and　prevent　for

the　whole　day　further　offensive　movement　on　his　part；　though　he

stoutly　resisted　the　enemy's　assaults　until　4　o'clock　in　the

afternoon。



Seeing　McCook　so　fiercely　attacked；　in　order　to　aid　him　I　advanced

Hescock's　battery；　supported　by　six　regiments；　to　a　very　good

position　in　front　of　a　belt　of　timber　on　my　extreme　left；　where　an

enfila