ete,
or even to mistake those errors for real causes of success.

The pursuit from Nashville was necessarily an imperfect one from
the start, simply because the successful assault having been made
at the close of day, the broken enemy had time to get across the
Harpeth and destroy the bridges before morning. The singular
blunder by which General Thomas's pontoon-train was sent toward
Murfreesboro' instead of Franklin added somewhat to the delay, but
probably did not essentially change the result.

The state of all the roads except the one turnpike, the soft
condition of the fields everywhere, the bad weather,--rain, sleet,
and ice,--made the movements of troops which were necessary to an
effective pursuit extremely difficult, and often impossible. The
energy and determination of General Thomas and of all who could
take any active part in that pursuit were probably never surpassed
in military history, but the difficulties to be overcome were often
insurmountable. Under the conditions at that season of the year
and in that state of weather, the only possible chance of reaping
fruits commensurate with the brilliant victory at Nashville and
with the great preparations which had been made for pursuit was to
make the final assault at Nashville early enough in the day to
leave time before dark to prevent the enemy from crossing the
Harpeth and destroying the bridges.

If Hood had retreated in the night of December 15, as Thomas presumed
he would, the result would doubtless have been even less serious
to the enemy; for he would not have suffered at Nashville the great
losses and demoralization which occurred to him on the 16th, and
would have been in better condition to make an effective retreat,
and even better able to cross the Harpeth in the night and destroy
the bridges. But this would have been difficult, if not impossible,
to prevent on the 15th, on account of the great extent and nature
of the movements necessarily required to open the battle on that
day. I now recall very distinctly the desire manifested by General
Thomas that those initial operations might, if possible, be expedited.
As we sat together on horseback just in rear of Wood's right and
of Smith's left, on ground overlooking nearly the entire field,
the general would frequently reach for my glasses, which he had
occasionally used before and said were the only field-glasses he
had ever found of much use to him, and try to peer through the
misty atmo