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THH WAR
23.
LIBRARY.
pree attack that had been hurled upon McCook’s devoted |
ind yet unless something were speedily done the revels
repeat the morning's disaster by breaking the line of the
hand then the left. . .
f I heard the hasty orders: given and then I comprehended
tausurprise the general had in store for the exultant rebel
de. : .
Rosecrans’ intention was to halt the victorious rebels on the
‘faion right without éxposing tho left and center to imminent
Inger. ue
Vor thi3 purpose tho artillery was massed and brought to bear
uporribs probable point of assault. _
» -The center advanced afew hundred yards to: allow the broken
right wing shelter behind the masked batteries; and presently the
‘oe appeared in great force, pursuing thp shattered corps, and
evidently believing the battle-was as good as decided in their
favor. : Sooo |
Never shall z turget that sceno while I live.
Our tieeing troops passed and wero at once formed to support the
, artillery in case it was needed. nn we
‘The scene was impressive. . t ‘
‘2 where in front was the gray mass pusuius forward as we
as thadexbaustion would allow, and looking as though nothing
could stop their progress: a : : :
Pg 1e signal gun fired. — - . .
Ta tho crash that seemed to.rock the very carth, and the
bushes vomited forth fire and smoke, like Sinai cf old. /
Ye gods! what a spectacle! Co
The whole rebel front appeared to crush in like an egg
then shrink back, as though horritied aud amazed. ;
They wavered, fell’ back, rallied, and again came on with de-
moniae cries, only t) meet a second volley that tore through their
rf with pitiless rury. -
; antag nature could not stand such fearful work.
They were swept back tn wild confusion, leaving hundreds upon
hundreds of their number on the ground.
Rosecrans, by his shrewd game, had saved tho day.
Fir a considerable timo tho rebels, througii force of numbers and
~ ‘tury of their assaults, constantly gained ground, - but were
ially checked by the combined fire of musketry and artillery: .-
. In the evening tho rebels, exhausted by their terrible work of
the day, assumed astrong position, Which our forces also did dur-
ing the night. The fire on both sides abated and died out, and the
shades of night fell upon the hostile armies, , aoe
At the conclusion of this fearful battle the advantage was with
the foe, and our brave boysin blue, before so full of inspiration,
now became dispirited, but through all I saw witi: glasl. surprise
that Rosecrans was cheerful and fully determined to retrieve the
disaster of the morning, and this made mo hopeful that great
things wero yet to come. ;
SEIS gene
Seve, wet
So te met anene e
ey
broken,
a
«
5 . CIUAPTER XXV.
te CONCLUSION. , :
- ing of the new year broko light and beautiful, and our
ougemorn more buoyant under the cheering influence,of the
weht sun. ’ Ts top et eg
‘There was no battlo during the day; though tho ‘skirmishing at
mes became quite severe. wen . ceo,
Rosecrans kuew he held a strong position and waited his timo.
eling sure theimpatieut foo would uttack. . .
: oti passed nud again night fell, with the unburied dead still
~ 'strewing the ground between the hostile armies,
* Another day dawned, the secoud of tho new year, and it was as
» bright and sunny as had been its inomediate predecessor. —__
All was quiet if nct peaceful, but the calin of the morning was
suddenly broken by anattack upon Rousseau's position. .
The Union pickets were driven in, and two rebel batteries plant-
ed on either side of Murfreesboro’, opeued-a hot fire upon Rous-
seau’s artillery, which at once responded to.the challenge for a
duel, and the cannonading grew furious, :, . .
The entire Hine of both sides quickly flew to arms, but the in-
fantry wero restrained and tho urtillery left to accomplish its own
work. - Tee Be tS : .
f "For a quarter of an hour the ground trembled with. their thun-
deringes, the trees rocked and quivered in the fierce blast, and the
~ air was rent with a fearful explosion. - .
_ Five pieces of a rebel battery were dismounted and. the battery
. itself nearly destroyed; the remaining guns limbered up and. dis-
.. appeared, and the other battery, apparently disgusted with. the
~resulf, also withdrew. woe ee
Hours passed away while we waited for another demonstration
from our-impatient foe, who, flushed with his success of the first
morning's fight and eager to hurl his superior numbers upon the
Union force could not be much longer kept in check.
Late in the afternoon it came.
Under the brave Breckenridge the Confederates assaulted our
troops near the center at a point where they were massed pear a
: bend in tho river...°°: : S . ,
_ Asignal gun announced the opening of the battle, and tho rebel
” pricades swept forward. : :
~ Wesaw them coming like a great tidal wave of gray, leaping,
rushing, shouting, until the sight was Jearful enough, to try the
strongest nerves, but I could see the tried soldiers of Rousseau grip
their muskets and shut their teeth hard as though they meant to
ve the enemy a flerce tug.
ten the Dboys in blue opened fire and a whirlwind of minie balls
“darkened the air, still the eneny rush on with the impetuosity of
“a torrent, and hurl forward infantry and artillery with over-
~whelming power. :
How the nervosa thrilland the blood leaps madly throusu the
veins when gazing upon such a sceno ns this. [can hardly restrain
myself from seizing a musket and joining in the fight but remem-
ber my duty i3 to watch rather than to participate in the affair,
still I turn back more than one man, enthusing new fire into his
blood when ho would have given up a'l as lost, and in this way I
feel that Iam able to strike n blow at Stone River,
Slowly Rousseau is pushed back until Lytle’s creek las been
reached, and on the further bank of that stream he makes n despe-
“rate stand. : :
.
. Rousseanat once asked permission of
The enemy’s artillery is at once moved forward to the xban-
doned point, From either point of the stream the contending
forces hurl upon each other a murderous fire of musketry that
tells with fearful effect. - .
One point has been gained however—the enemy despite their
overwhelming numbers, lias been held in check und now all is in
readiness of Rosecrans’ next move.
This, is to order up Negley’s reserves. .
Wo hear them coming, shouting enthusiastically, and the sound
warms our hearts.
“ Hurrah for Negley!”
The cry bursts frem thousands of throats, and floats above the
roar of musketry, to the amazement of the foe who does not seem
to comprehend what it is all about.
Presently the truth is made manifest, for the troops of Negley,
still shouting with pent-up enthusiasm reach the stream, and open
upon the enemy beyond with terrible effect.
Negley’s reserve batteries are now whirled into position, and at
once send a tempest af grape and shrapnel into the rebel lines.
They waver aud fallback. - ys) .
Hurrah! Negley leads his men across the streatn, casts his eye
along his line, and then, bursting with euthusiasm, places his hat
on the point of his sword, shouts out the cry to charge, and leads
bis troops to the crest of the hill. *
Ican picture t'10 hero of Stone River now, as he raised the swore
bearing his hat, and calls his men to follow him to viotory o1 ro
death, . .
The charge is desperate and brilliant, and the enemy after their
terrible raking by musketry and artillery fire, unable to resist it,
break and fleein disorder,
When Rosecrans heard of this signal success he ordered the en- yh
tire line to advance.
Soon it became a sheet of smoke and flame, ‘
The resistance of the foe has been chronicled in history assimply “. x
heroic, but through the cloud of smoke Negley was descried press-. * :
ing upon their right flank, and from every diretion came the wild
shouts of Union triumph. “ .
Already was their right wing crushed by Negley’s desperate as-
sault, all their attempts to hold the position wero without avail, -- :
and the Federal forces, pushing forward, drove them vigorously:. * : {
in all quarters, S . .
Tho outer works were passed with cries of “Victory,” sickening
to the hearts of the lately exultant and aggressive, but now tlying
oe.) . . os
After that last fearful stand they paused not, nor offered any vo
effectual resistance, running a3 though in a panic. Heaven alone :
knows what would have become of the defeated rebelarmy, but te
for the friendly shades of night which saved them, and gaye them :
a chance to reform their shattered legions. .
The’flight was ten times worse than the first day’s affair. On that
occasion only one wing of ourarmy was beaten back by superior
numbers, and resisted desperately all the way ; whereas the whole
rebel army was now in full flight, and offering no resistance, so
that witha few more hours of light they would have been ina,
perfect panic, which might have resulted in a fearful disaster. :
Chavo ever been at a loss to account for the signal success of our I
troops at Stono River. . .
There wero a dozen times when all seemed lost, and yet the reb-
els did not fellow up their advantage.
‘Rosecrans exhibited no littls degree of generalship, considering
his inferiority of numbers; hismen were resolute, snd not in-
clined to be forced into a panic, disputing every foot of ground,
and advancing when the timo came: with wild enthusiasm ; the
nature of the ground favored the Federals, especially when they
came to astand on the further side of Lytle’s creek; and, above.
all they let the rebels do the assaulting,
The fierce charge of Negley’s reserves was tho turning point or
the day, however, and tohim the country looks 23 the hero of
stone River. ° : . . .
Everything Thomas did was done well, but his corps did not see : rg
the hardest fighting. . oe
His day had not yet come. Poe ey
Later on in the fall, on Chickamanga’s Bloody field, where’
the losseson both side were about thirty thousand men, he held
his place like n rock while the rest of the army was in full retreat,
aud the whole rebel army beat against his position as waves dash .
upon the iron bound coast, but to fall back sullen and gtowling—
ance thus it was Thomas saved the Union army from i geeat disas-
‘ .
er. t
Of all the honored names tho war has giren us to remember with
love, hone stands out more boldly than that 6f the hero‘ George H.
omas, .
After tho battle the Union forces threw up intrenchments.
‘ During thenight we were drenched with a heavy .rain which
ell. ” -
This seemei to be providential for the rebe.. ns it prevented
our nncsuit. the artillery being unable to move swiftly
eforo Rousseau's camp’ was a rebel redoubt, and on tho morn-
ing of the fourth they opened witht artillery, {
‘ Rosecrans to captu e
works, expressing full confidence in his ability to accom plist the
undertaking. . oo eee
“Tho request: being granted, he detailed two regiments for the °
duty; they went forward through 2 scathing fire, entered the re~ :
doubt and took tho works at the point of the bayonet,
During the night the rebels evacuated tho place, and ne eleven
o'clock on the following day Rosecrans occupied Murfreesboro,
wnd tho stars and stripes waved over the town that had 69 long
flaunted tho rebel stars and bars. oe ©
My,duty in Tennessee was: done, at least for tho present, and
when Isaw that the rebels wero not eager for another battle with} “yh
{10 Union forces, Imade my way to Cincinnati, and thence cast, :
joining the Army of tho Potomne. ff,
T wag not present at Chanecellervillo afterall, being away nt fhe! ,
Inimy duty as war corresp ndentyt saw many. more thrivag - '
adventures, Which at somo carly dat@in, the future, I may be in .
duced’to transeril oe. . ,
Unfit then Tlay down tho pen. . t .
Tho firstact is over—ring down the curtain. - Pe
doe « (v1 -END.},.° Bo
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