personal memoirs-1-第25章

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and　then　heavy　demonstrations　were　made　in　the　neighborhood　of

Nolensville　by　reconnoitring　parties　from　both　armies；　but　none　of

these　ever　grew　into　a　battle。　　These　affairs　sprung　from　the　desire

of　each　side　to　feel　his　antagonist；　and　had　little　result　beyond

emphasizing　the　fact　that　behind　each　line　of　pickets　lay　a　massed

and　powerful　army　busily　preparing　for　the　inevitable　conflict　and

eager　for　its　opening。　　So　it　wore　on　till　the　evening　of　December

25；　1862；　then　came　the　order　to　move　forward。



General　Rosecrans；　in　the　reorganization　of　the　army；　had　assigned

Major…General　A。　McD。　McCook　to　command　the　right　wing；　MajorGeneral

George　H。　Thomas　the　centre；　and　Major…General　T。　L。　Crittenden　the

left　wing。　　McCook's　wing　was　made　up　of　three　divisions；　commanded

in　order　of　rank　by　Brigadier…General　Jeff。　C。　Davis；　Brigadier…

General　R。　W。　Johnson；　and　Brigadier…General　P。　H。　Sheridan。

Although　the　corps　nomenclature　established　by　General　Buell　was

dropped；　the　grand　divisions　into　which　he　had　organized　the　army　at

Louisville　were　maintained；　and；　in　fact；　the　conditions　established

then　remained　practically　unaltered；　with　the　exception　of　the

interchange　of　some　brigades；　the　transfer　of　a　few　general　officers

from　one　wing　or　division　to　another；　and　the　substitution　of　General

Thomas　for　Gilbert　as　a　corps　commander。　　The　army　was　thus　compact

and　cohesive；　undisturbed　by　discord　and　unembarrassed　by　jealousies

of　any　moment；　and　it　may　be　said　that　under　a　commander　who；　we

believed；　had　the　energy　and　skill　necessary　to　direct　us　to　success；

a　national　confidence　in　our　invincibility　made　us　all　keen　for　a

test　of　strength　with　the　Confederates。　　We　had　not　long　to　wait。



Early　on　the　morning　of　December　26；　1862；　in　a　heavy　rain；　the　army

marched；　the　movement　being　directed　on　Murfreesboro'；　where　the

enemy　had　made　some　preparation　to　go　into　winter…quarters；　and　to

hold　which　town　it　was　hoped　he　would　accept　battle。　　General　Thomas

moved　by　the　Franklin　and　Wilson　pikes；　General　Crittenden　by　the

Murfreesboro'　pike；　through　Lavergne；　and　General　McCook　by　the

Nolensville　pikeDavis's　division　in　advance。　　As　McCook's　command

neared　Nolensville；　I　received　a　message　from　Davis　informing　me　that

the　Confederates　were　in　considerable　force；　posted　on　a　range　of

hills　in　his　front；　and　requesting　me　to　support　him　in　an　attack　he

was　about　to　make。　　When　the　head　of　my　column　arrived　at　Nolensville

I　began　massing　my　troops　on　the　right　of　the　road；　and　by　the　time

this　formation　was　nearly　completed　Davis　advanced；　but　not　meeting

with　sufficient　resistance　to　demand　active　assistance　from　me；　he

with　his　own　command　carried　the　hills；　capturing　one　piece　of

artillery。　　This　position　of　the　Confederates　was　a　strong　one；

defending　Knob's　Gap；　through　which　the　Nolensville　and　Triune　pike

passed。　　On　the　27th　Johnson's　division；　followed　by　mine；　advanced

to　Triune；　and　engaged　in　a　severe　skirmish　near　that　place；　but　my

troops　were　not　called　into　action；　the　stand　made　by　the　enemy　being

only　for　the　purpose　of　gaining　time　to　draw　in　his　outlying　troops；

which　done；　he　retired　toward　Murfreesboro'。　　I　remained　inactive　at


Triune　during　the　28th；　but　early　on　the　29th　moved　out　by　the　Bole

Jack　road　to　the　support　of；　Davis　in　his　advance　to　Stewart's　Creek；

and　encamped　at　Wilkinson's　crossroads；　from　which　point　to

Murfreesboro'；　distant　about　six　miles；　there　was　a　good　turnpike。

The　enemy　had　sullenly　resisted　the　progress　of　Crittenden　and　McCook

throughout　the　preceding　three　days；　and　as　it　was　thought　probable

that　he　might　offer　battle　at　Stewart's　Creek；　Thomas；　in　pursuance

of　his　original　instructions　looking　to　just　such　a　contingency；　had

now　fallen　into　the　centre　by　way　of　the　Nolensville　crossroads。



On　the　morning　of　the　3oth　I　had　the　advance　of　McCook's　corps　on　the

Wilkinson　pike；　Roberts's　brigade　leading。　　At　first　only　slight

skirmishing　took　place；　but　when　we　came　within　about　three　miles　of

Murfreesboro'　the　resistance　of　the　enemy's　pickets　grew　serious；　and

a　little　further　on　so　strong　that　I　had　to　put　in　two　regiments　to

push　them　back。　　I　succeeded　in　driving　them　about　half　a　mile；　when

I　was　directed　by　McCook　to　form　line　of　battle　and　place　my

artillery　in　position　so　that　I　could　act　in　concert　with　Davis's

division；　which　he　wished　to　post　on　my　right　in　the　general　line　he

desired　to　take　up。　　In　obedience　to　these　directions　I　deployed　on

the　right　of；　and　oblique　to　the　Wilkinson　pike；　with　a　front　of　four

regiments；　a　second　line　of　four　regiments　within　short　supporting

distance；　and　a　reserve　of　one　brigade　in　column　of　regiments　to　the

rear　of　my　centre。　　All　this　time　the　enemy　kept　up　a　heavy　artillery

and　musketry　fire　on　my　skirmishers；　he　occupying；　with　his

sharpshooters；　beyond　some　open　fields；　a　heavy　belt　of　timber　to　my

front　and　right；　where　it　was　intended　the　left　of　Davis　should

finally　rest。　　To　gain　this　point　Davis　was　ordered　to　swing　his

division　into　it　in　conjunction　with　a　wheeling　movement　of　my　right

brigade；　until　our　continuous　line　should　face　nearly　due　east。　　This

would　give　us　possession　of　the　timber　referred　to；　and　not　only　rid

us　of　the　annoying　fire　from　the　skirmishers　screened　by　it；　but　also

place　us　close　in　to　what　was　now　developing　as　Bragg's　line　of

battle。　　The　movement　was　begun　about　half…past　2；　and　was

successfully　executed；　after　a　stubborn　resistance。　　In　this

preliminary　affair　the　enemy　had　put　in　one　battery　of　artillery；

which　was　silenced　in　a　little　while；　however；　by　Bush's　and

Hescock's　guns。　　By　sundown　I　had　taken　up　my　prescribed　position；

facing　almost　east；　my　left　（Roberts's　brigade）　resting　on　the

Wilkinson　pike；　the　right　（Sill's　brigade）　in　the　timber　we　had　just

gained；　and　the　reserve　brigade　（Schaefer's）　to　the　rear　of　my

centre；　on　some　rising　ground　in　the　edge　of　a　strip　of　woods　behind

Houghtaling's　and　Hescock's　batteries。　　Davis's　division　was　placed

in　position　on　my　right；　his　troops　thrown　somewhat　to　the　rear；　so

that　his　line　formed　nearly　a　right　angle　with　mine；　while　Johnson's

division　formed　in　a　very　exposed　position　on　the　right　of　Davis；

prolonging　the　general　line　just　across　the　Franklin　pike。



The　centre；　under　Thomas；　had　already　formed　to　my　left；　the　right　of

Negley's　division　joining　my　left　in　a　cedar　thicket　near　the

Wilkinson　pike；　while　Crittenden's　corps　was　posted　on　the　left　of

Thomas；　his　left　resting　on　Stone　River；　at　a　point　about　two　miles

and　a　half　from　Murfreesboro'。



The　precision　that　had　characterized　every　manoeuvre　of　the　past

three　days；　and　the　exactness　with　which　each　corps　and　division　fell

into　its　allotted　place　on　the　evening　of　the　30th；　indicated　that　at

the　outset　of　the　campaign　a　well…digested　plan　of　operations　had

been　prepared　for　us；　and　although　the　scheme　of　the　expected　battle

was　not　known　to　subordinates　of　my　grade；　yet　all　the　movements　up

to　this　time　had　been　so　successfully　and　accurately　made　as　to　give

much　promise　for　the　morrow；　and　when　night　fell　there　was　general

anticipation　of　the　best　results　to　the　Union　army。










CHAPTER　XIII。



ASSAULT　ON　OUR　RIGHT　FLANKOCCUPYING　A　NEW　POSITIONTHE　ENEMY

CHECKEDTERRIBLE　LOSS　OF　OFFICERSAMMUNITION　GIVES　OUT

RECONSTRUCTING　THE　LINECOLLECTING　THE　WOUNDED　AND　BURYING　THE　DEAD…

…DEALING　WITH　COWARDSRESULTS　OF　THE　VICTORY。



The　enemy　under　Bragg　lay　between　us　and　stone　River　in　order　of

battle；　his　general　line　conforming　to　the　course　of　that　stream。　In

my　immediate　front　he　appeared　to　be　established　in　strong　force　in　a

dense　cedar　wood；　just　beyond　an　open　valley；　which　varied　from　two

hundred　to　four　hundred　yards　in　width；　the　cedars　extending　the

entire　length　of　the　valley。　　From　the　events　of　the　day　and　evening

of　the　3oth；　it　was　apparent　that　the　two　armies　were　in　close

proximity；　and　orders　received　during　the　night　revealed　the　fact

that　Rosecrans　intended　to　attack　by　throwing　his　left　on　the　enemy's

right；　with　the　expectation　of　driving　it　in　toward　Murfreesboro'；　so

that　the　right　of　Crittenden's　corps　could　attack　Bragg's　centre　in

reverse；　while　Thomas　supported　Crittenden　by　a　simultaneous　front

assault；　and　from　the　movements　of　the　enemy　at　daylight　next

morning；　it　was　plainly　indicated　that　Bragg　had　planned　to　swing　his

left　on　our　right　by　an　exactly　similar　manoeuvre；　get　possession　of

the　railroad　and　the　Nashville　pike；　and　if　possible　cut　us　off　from

our　base　at　Nashville。　　The　conceptions　in　the　minds　of　the　two

generals　were　almost　identical；　but　Bragg　took　the　initiative；

beginning　his　movement　about　an　hour　earlier　than　the　time　set　by

Rosecrans；　which　gained　him　an　immense　advantage　in　execution　in　the

earlier　stages　of　the　action。



During　the　evening　of　the　th；　feeling　keenly　all　the　solicitude　which

attends　one　in　anticipation　of　a　battle；　I　examined　my　position　with

great　care；　inspecting　its　whole　length　several　times　to　remedy　any

defects　that　might　exist；　and　to　let　the　men　see　that　I　was　alive　to

their　interests　and　advantages。　　After　dark；　I　went　back　to　the　rear

of　my　reserve　brigade；　and　establishing　my　headquarters　behind　the

trunk　of　a　large　fallen　tree；　which　would　shelter　me　somewhat　from

the　cold　December　wind；　lay　down　beside　a　small　camp…fire　to　get　some

rest。



At　2　o'clock　on　the　morning　of　the　31st　General　Sill　came　back　to　me

to　report　that　on　his　front　a　continuous　movement　of　infantry　and

artillery　had　been　going　on　all　night　within　the　Confederate　lines；

and　that　he　was　convinced　that　Bragg　was　massing　on　our　right　with

the　purpose　of　making　an　attack　from　that　direction　early　in　the

morning。　　After　discussing　for　a　few　minutes　the　probabilities　of

such　a　course　on　the　part　of　the　enemy；　I　thought　McCook　should　be

made　acquainted　with　what　was　going　on；　so　Sill　and　I　went　back　to

see　him　at　his　headquarters；　not　far　from　the　Griscom　House；　where　we

found　him　sleeping　on　some　straw　in　the　angle　of　a　worm…fence。　　I

waked　him　up　and　communicated　the　intelligence；　and　our　consequent

impressions。　　He　talked　the　matter　over　with　us　for　some　little　time；

but　in　view　of　the　offensive…defensive　part　he　was　to　play　in　the

coming　battle；　did　not　seem　to　think　that　there　was　a　necessity　for

any　further　dispositions　than　had　already　been　taken。　　He　said　that

he　thought　Johnson's　division　would　be　able　to　take　care　of　the

right；　and　seemed　confident　that　the　early　assault　which　was　to　be

made　from　Rosecrans's　left　would　anticipate　and　check　the　designs

which　we　presaged。　　We　two　then　returned　to　my　little　camp…fire

behind　the　log；　and　as　we　continued　talking　of　what　might　be　expected

from　the　indications　on　the　right；　and　Sill　becoming　more　anxious；　I

directed　two　regiments　from　the　reserve　to　report　to　him；　that　they

might