THE NIGHT AND THE NEXT DAY
The dusk of the short winter's day had already come on when the last
desperate charges of the Confederate hosts were repelled. As though by
common consent, the firing ceased almost simultaneously on both sides, and
a period of comparative calm succeeded the storm of battle.
Never was a cessation of strife more welcome than to the two armies. The
Army of the Cumberland had been so riven and torn during the struggle as
to bear scarcely any resemblance to the compact organization of the
morning. Divisions had been swept away from the rest of their corps,
brigades had been torn away from divisions, regiments from brigades, and
even battalions and companies from regiments. It was in very truth an
improvised battle-line,--the line that had clung to the Nashville Pike
during the closing hours of the engagement. A vast number of individual
soldiers,--not by any means all skulkers, but, in many cases, men who had
become separated from their own commands and had done valiant service
wherever opportunity offered, with or without orders,--were wandering
about back of the Union lines, seeking the camp-fires of their comrades.
To restore a semblance of order and alignment was the first task of
officers,--great and small,--and it was hours before this could be
accomplished in part. It was the intention of Rosecrans to forbid fires,
for fear of drawing attacks from the enemy; but before any order could be
issued, they were lighted all along the line, and the exhausted troops got
an opportunity to boil coffee and toast bacon before sinking down to
sleep.
On the Confederate side there was less confusion. The Army of the
Tennessee,--though clearly fought out for the time being,--had preserved
far more of the autonomy of its several commands, and as the camp-fires
were kindled along its battle front, the impression was universal that the
fight would be renewed on the morrow. Bragg himself was in a state of
exultation, for though his cherished plan had not yet been carried out, he
felt that success had merely been deferred.
There was a council of the principal Federal officers during the night at
the commanding general's headquarters. Rosecrans, it is said, had in mind
a retirement of a few miles to Overall's Creek, but this was given up when
it was pointed out that the new position was scarcely as strong as the one
now held, and offered few advantages. Then somebody suggested the question
of retreat. There is a tradition to the effect that Thomas had fallen
into a doze during the talking, but that he woke up when this unpleasant
word was uttered.
"Retreat!" he exclaimed,--so the story goes,--"This army can't retreat!"
This assurance seemed to satisfy the timid ones, and the question was
dropped forthwith.
New Year's Day, 1863, dawned clear and cold. During the night every effort
had been made to strengthen the Union position, and to good effect; for
Bragg had a cloud of skirmishers out with the dawn, and all day they
searched the line in every part, at times being aided by the artillery.
But not a crevice could be found, and the Confederate maneuvers at no time
developed into movements of importance. But Wheeler's Cavalry found plenty
to do, and its capture of a wagon-train caused the liveliest rumors of
disaster among the garrison that had been left at Nashville.
Despite, however, the activity of the horsemen of the enemy, Rosecrans
managed to get through the lines a considerable store of rations,
ammunition, and other supplies. So the day ended with the situation much
as it had been when the day began, except that the soldiers on both sides
had had an opportunity to restore themselves after the intense fatigue of
the first day's fight, and that order had been evolved out of the chaos
into which the Army of the Cumberland had been thrown.
One change in the situation,--at the time regarded as of little account,
but which was to have momentous results,--had been made. During the day
Rosecrans gave some scrutiny to Breckinridge's division of the Army of the
Tennessee, which had retired to its original position on Bragg's right. As
this force was posted, it was too far away to be watched closely, and
Rosecrans, as a precautionary measure, directed Crittenden to throw Van
Cleve's division, now under Gen. Samuel Beatty (for its own white-haired
commander had been wounded), together with Grosse's brigade, across the
ford to a position in Breckenridge's front. The movement, which had for
its purpose little more than observation, was accomplished without
interference on the afternoon of January 1, 1863.