FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62  
63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   >>  
scock'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 FLANK--OCCUPYING A NEW POSITION--THE ENEMY CHECKED--TERRIBLE LOSS OF OFFICERS--AMMUNITION GIVES OUT --RECONSTRUCTING THE LINE--COLLECTING THE WOUNDED AND BURYING THE DEAD--DEALING WITH COWARDS--RESULTS 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 manoeuv
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62  
63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   >>  



Top keywords:

division

 

general

 

formed

 

Thomas

 
Crittenden
 

attack

 

movements

 

valley

 

hundred

 

battle


evening

 

Murfreesboro

 

centre

 
position
 
strong
 
established
 

COLLECTING

 

appeared

 

AMMUNITION

 

OFFICERS


RECONSTRUCTING

 

DEALING

 

VICTORY

 
RESULTS
 

COWARDS

 

BURYING

 
stream
 
conforming
 

WOUNDED

 
reverse

supported
 

simultaneous

 
driving
 

Rosecrans

 
intended
 

throwing

 

expectation

 
assault
 

daylight

 

similar


manoeuv

 
planned
 

morning

 

plainly

 
revealed
 

extending

 

entire

 

length

 
cedars
 

varied