As it is, the battle of Stone's River seems less clearly a Federal
victory than the battle of Shiloh. The latter decided the fall of
Corinth; the former did not decide the fall of Chattanooga.
Offensively it was a drawn battle, as looked at from either side. As a
defensive battle, however, it was clearly a Union victory.--_John
Fiske in "The Mississippi Valley in the Civil War."_
The battle of Corinth developed a man--William S. Rosecrans--whose
singular skill in planning the battle, and whose dauntless courage in
riding between the firing-lines at the opportune moment, drew the
country's attention almost as fully as Grant had done at Fort Donelson.
And at this particular moment the West needed, or thought it needed, a
man. The autumn months of 1862 had been spent by Generals Bragg and Buell
in an exciting race across Kentucky, each at the head of a great army.
Buell had saved Louisville from the legions of Bragg, and he had driven
the Confederate Army of the Mississippi from the State; but he had not
prevented his opponent from carrying away a vast amount of plunder, nor
had he won decisive results at the battle of Perryville, which took place
October 8, 1862, four days after the battle of Corinth. Thereupon the
Federal authorities decided to relieve Buell of the Army of the Ohio and
to give it to General Rosecrans.
On October 30, 1862, Rosecrans assumed command at Nashville of this force,
which was now designated as the Army of the Cumberland. Bragg had
concentrated his army at Murfreesboro, in central Tennessee, about thirty
miles southeast of Nashville and a mile east of a little tributary of the
Cumberland River called Stone's River. Here occurred, two months later,
the bloodiest single day's battle in the West, a conflict imminent as
soon as the news came (on December 26th) that the Federals were advancing
from Nashville.
General Bragg did not lose a moment in marshaling his army into well-drawn
battle-lines. His army was in two corps with a cavalry division under
General Wheeler, Forrest and Morgan being on detached service. The left
wing, under General Hardee, and the center, under Polk, were sent across
Stone's River, the right wing, a division under John C. Breckinridge,
remaining on the eastern side of the stream to guard the town. The line
was three miles in length, and on December 30th the Federal host that had
come from Nashville stood opposite, in a parallel line. It was also in
three sections. The left wing, opposite Breckinridge, was commanded by
Thomas L. Crittenden, whose brother was a commander in the Confederacy.
They were sons of the famous United States senator from Kentucky, John J.
Crittenden. The Federal center, opposite Polk, was commanded by George H.
Thomas, and the right wing, opposing the Confederate left, was led by
Alexander McD. McCook, one of the well-known "Fighting McCook" brothers.
The effective Federal force was about forty-three thousand men; the
Confederate army numbered about thirty-eight thousand. That night they
bivouacked within musket range of each other and the camp-fires of each
were clearly seen by the other as they shone through the cedar groves that
interposed. Thus lay the two great armies, ready to spring upon each other
in deadly combat with the coming of the morning.
Rosecrans had permitted McCook to thin out his lines over too much space,
while on that very part of the field Bragg had concentrated his forces for
the heaviest attack. The plans of battle made by the two opposing
commanders were strikingly similar. Rosecrans' plan was to throw his left
wing, under Crittenden, across the river upon the Confederate right under
Breckinridge, to crush it in one impetuous dash, and to swing around
through Murfreesboro to the Franklin road and cut off the Confederate
line of retreat. Bragg, on the other hand, intended to make a similar dash
upon the Union right, pivot upon his center, press back McCook upon that
center, crumpling the Federals and seizing the Nashville turnpike to cut
off Rosecrans' retreat toward Nashville. Neither, of course, knew of the
other's plan, and much would depend on who would strike first.
At the early light of the last day of the year the Confederate left wing
moved upon the Union right in a magnificent battle-line, three-quarters of
a mile in length and two columns deep. At the same time the Confederate
artillery opened with their cannon. McCook was astonished at so fierce and
sudden a charge. The gallant Patrick Cleburne, one of the ablest
commanders in the Southern armies, led his division, which had been
brought from the Confederate right, in the charge. The Federal lines were
ill prepared for this sudden onslaught, and before McCook could arrange
them several batteries were overpowered and eleven of the heavy guns were
in the hands of the Confederates.
Slowly the Union troops fell back, firing as they went; but they had no
power to check the impetuous, overwhelming charge of the onrushing foe.
McCook's two right divisions, under Johnson and Jeff. C. Davis, were
driven back, but his third division, which was commanded by a young
officer who had attracted unusual attention at the battle of
Perryville--Philip H. Sheridan--held its ground. At the first Confederate
advance, Sill's brigade of Sheridan's division drove the troops in front
of it back into their entrenchments, and in the charge the brave Sill lost
his life.
While the battle raged with tremendous fury on the Union right, Rosecrans
was three miles away, throwing his left across the river. Hearing the
terrific roar of battle at the other end of the line, Rosecrans hastened
to begin his attack on Breckinridge hoping to draw a portion of the
Confederate force away from McCook. But as the hours of the forenoon
passed he was dismayed as he noted that the sound of battle was coming
nearer, and he rightly divined that his right wing was receding before the
dashing soldiers of the South. He ordered McCook to dispute every inch of
the ground; but McCook's command was soon torn to pieces and disorganized,
except the division of Sheridan.
The latter stood firm against the overwhelming numbers, a stand that
attracted the attention of the country and brought him military fame. He
checked the onrushing Confederates at the point of the bayonet; he formed
a new line under fire. In his first position Sheridan held his ground for
two hours. The Confederate attack had also fallen heavily on Negley, who
was stationed on Sheridan's left, and on Palmer, both of Thomas' center.
Rousseau commanding the reserves, and Van Cleve of Crittenden's forces
were ordered to the support of the Union center and right. Here, for two
hours longer the battle raged with unabated fury, and the slaughter of
brave men on both sides was appalling. Three times the whole Confederate
left and center were thrown against the Union divisions, but failed to
break the lines. At length when their cartridge boxes were empty
Sheridan's men could do nothing but retire for more ammunition, and they
did this in good order to a rolling plain near the Nashville road. But
Rousseau of Thomas' center was there to check the Confederate advance.
It was now past noon, and still the battle roar resounded unceasingly
through the woods and hills about Murfreesboro. Though both hosts had
struggled and suffered since early morning, they still held to their guns,
pouring withering volleys into each other's ranks. The Federal right and
center had been forced back at right angles to the position they had held
when day dawned; and the Confederate left was swung around at right angles
to its position of the morning. The Federal left rested on Stone's River,
while Bragg's right was on the same stream and close to the line in blue.
Meantime, Rosecrans had massed his artillery on a little hill overlooking
the field of action. He had also re-formed the broken lines of the right
and center and called in twelve thousand fresh troops. Then, after a brief
lull, the battle opened again and the ranks of both sides were torn with
grape and canister and bursting shells.
In answer to Bragg's call for reënforcements came Breckinridge with all
but one brigade of his division, a host of about seven thousand fresh
troops. The new Confederate attack began slowly, but increased its speed
at every step. Suddenly, a thundering volley burst from the line in blue,
and the front ranks of the attacking column disappeared. Again, a volley
tore through the ranks in gray, and the assault was abandoned.
The battle had raged for nearly eleven hours, when night enveloped the
scene, and the firing abated slowly and died away. It had been a bloody
day--this first day's fight at Stone's River--and except at Antietam it
had not thus far been surpassed in the war. The advantage was clearly with
the Confederates. They had pressed back the Federals for two miles, had
routed their right wing and captured many prisoners and twenty-eight heavy
guns. But Rosecrans determined to hold his ground and try again.
The next day was New Year's and but for a stray fusillade, here and there,
both armies remained inactive, except that each quietly prepared to renew
the contest on the morrow. The renewal of the battle on January 2nd was
fully expected on both sides, but there was little fighting till four in
the afternoon. Rosecrans had sent General Van Cleve's division on January
1st across the river to seize an elevation from which he could shell the
town of Murfreesboro. Bragg now sent Breckinridge to dislodge the
division, and he did so with splendid effect. But Breckinridge's men came
into such a position as to be exposed to the raking fire of fifty-two
pieces of Federal artillery on the west side of the river. Returning the
deadly and constant fire as best they could, they stood the storm of shot
and shell for half an hour when they retreated to a place of safety,
leaving seventeen hundred of their number dead or wounded on the field.
That night the two armies again lay within musket shot of each other. The
next day brought no further conflict and during that night General Bragg
moved away to winter quarters at Shelbyville, on the Elk River.
Murfreesboro, or Stone's River, was one of the great battles of the war.
The losses were about thirteen thousand to the Federals and over ten
thousand to the Confederates. Both sides claimed victory--the South
because of Bragg's signal success on the first day; the North because of
Breckinridge's fearful repulse at the final onset and of Bragg's
retreating in the night and refusing to fight again. A portion of the
Confederate army occupied Shelbyville, Tennessee, and the larger part
entrenched at Tullahoma, eighteen miles to the southeast.
Six months after the battle of Stone's River, the Federal army suddenly
awoke from its somnolent condition--a winter and spring spent in raids and
unimportant skirmishes--and became very busy preparing for a long and
hasty march. Rosecrans' plan of campaign was brilliant and proved most
effective. He realized that Tullahoma was the barrier to Chattanooga, and
determined to drive the Confederates from it.
On June 23, 1863, the advance began. The cavalry, under General Stanley,
had received orders to advance upon Shelbyville on the 24th, and during
that night to build immense and numerous camp-fires before the Confederate
stronghold at Shelbyville, to create the impression that Rosecrans' entire
army was massing at that point. But the wily leader of the Federals had
other plans, and when Stanley, supported by General Granger, had built his
fires, the larger force was closing in upon Tullahoma.
The stratagem dawned upon Bragg too late to check Rosecrans' plans.
Stanley and Granger made a brilliant capture of Shelbyville, and Bragg
retired to Tullahoma; but finding here that every disposition had been
made to fall upon his rear, he continued his southward retreat toward
Chattanooga.
[Illustration: MEN WHO LEARNED WAR WITH SHERMAN