SPRING NEAR PERRYVILLE, WHICH HELPED TO RELIEVE ERAGG’S PARCHED ARMY.
impair his further usefulness. On the 4th of February General Polk went so far indeed as to write direct to President Davis with regard to the dissatisfaction felt, and the necessity for the immediate substitution of another commander. . . .
t-TREE, ONE HUNDRED YEARS OLD, AT THE LEFT OF ROUSSEAU’S POSITION, PERRYVILLE.
The three corps into which the army was organized moved by the following routes: General Crittenden by the Murfreesboro’ turnpike, arriving within two miles of Murfreesboro’ on the night of the 29th; General Thomas’s corps by the Franklin and Wilkinson turnpikes, thence by cross-roads to the Murfreesboro’ pike, arriving a few hours later ; and General McCook’s corps, marching by the Nolensville pike to Triune, and bivouacking at Overall’s Creek on the same night. . . .
Eosecrans reported his force actually engaged, December 31st, at 43,400, while Bragg placed his own force at 37,712. . . .
The plan of battle was as follows: General McCook was to occupy the most advantageous position, refusing his right as much as was practicable and necessary to secure it; to receive the attack of the enemy, or, if that did not come, to attack sufficiently to hold all the forces in his front. General Thomas and General Palmer were to open with skirmishing and engage the enemy’s center and left as far as the river. Crittenden was to cross Van Cleve’s division at the lower ford(covered and supported by Morton’s Pioneers, 1700 strong), and to advance on Breckinridge. Wood’s division was to cross by brigades at the upper ford, and, moving on Van Cleve’s right, was to carry everything before it to Murfreesboro’. This move was
PERRYVILLE, KENTUCKY, LOOKING SOUTHEAST PROM THE MACKVILLE PIKE.
THE BATTLE OF STONE’S RIVER (MURFREESBORO’) —
THE UNION SIDE.
By G. C. KNIPFIN, LIEUT.-COLONEL,
U. S. V.
A member of General Crittenden's staff.
ON the 26th of December, 1862, General W. S. Eosecrans, who on the 20th of October had succeeded General Buell in the command of the Army of the Cumberland, set out from Nashville with that army with the purpose of attacking the Confederate forces under General Braxton Bragg, then concentrated in the neighborhood of Murfreesboro’, on Stone’s River, Tenn.
Saturday, January 3d, the two armies faced each other, with little lighting on either side.
The miscarriage of the 2d determined General Bragg to begin to fall back on Tullahoma; but all day of the 3d our forces maintained their line of battle taken up early that morning. That night the evacuation of Murfreesboro’ was effected.
General Eosecrans entered Murfreesboro’ on Sunday, the 4tli of January, 1863. Meantime his adversary was in full retreat on Tullahoma, thirty-six miles distant. By this time General Bragg’s corps commanders, as well as their subordinates down to the regimental rank and file, scarcely concealed their want of confidence in him as the commander of the army. On the 11th of January he invited from his corps, division, and brigade commanders an expression of their opinion on that point, and their replies, while affirming their admiration for his personal courage, devotion to duty, and ability as an organizer, frankly confessed that his army had lost confidence to such an extent in his capacity for chief command as wholly to
HOSPITAL KITCHEN.
Maney’s brigades, supported by Slocomb’s, Cobb’s, and Byrne’s batteries, were hurled against the Federal line, but could not carry it. Reinforced by Gibson’s and Jackson’s brigades, another charge was ordered, but the position was not carried, and many were killed and wounded on our side.
A bitter cold night was now on us. We were masters of the field. The sheen of a bright moon revealed the sad carnage of the day, and the horrors of war became vividly distinct. That night General Bragg again made his headquarters at Murfreesboro’, whence he gave orders for the care of the wounded. All the churches and public buildings were turned into hospitals. He announced to Richmond by telegraph :	“ God has
granted us a happy New Year.”
We had indeed routed the Federal right wing, but the bloody work was not over. During January 1st Eosecrans’s army was intrenching itself, but General Bragg was of the opinion that their quiet meant a retreat.
During the morning of the 2d (Friday) quiet prevailed, except some shelling on our right. At about noon General Bragg determined to dislodge the force on his right. Orders were given to that end, and our best troops were carefully selected. Hanson’s, Preston’s, Gibson’s, and Hunt’s brigades, with Cobb’s and Wright’s batteries, were placed under Major-General Breckinridge. A gun fired by one of our batteries at 4 o’clock was the signal for the attack. After a fierce fight we carried the hill. The orders were to take its crest, and there remain intrenched. General Breckinridge endeavored to execute this order, but the commanders of the brigades engaged could not restrain the ardor of their men, who pushed onbeyondsupport. The Federal batteries that had been massed on the other side of the stream now opened on them, and drove the Confederates back with terrible slaughter, fully 2000 of our men being killed and wounded in this attack. At 10 o’clock p. M. the news of this disastrous charge, led by the élite of the Confederate army, cast a gloom over all.
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