the army of the cumberland-第38章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　of　his　operations　at　that　time；　he　says　that　he　offered　battle　behind　his　works　at　Shelbyville　to　Rosecrans；　which　was　refused；　that　the　latter　passed　to　his；　Bragg's；　right　on　two　occasions；　threatening　his　rear。　　He　being　not　able　to　cope　with　the　Federal　army　retreated　to　the　Tennessee。　　Bragg　adds：　　〃The　Tennessee　will　be　taken　as　our　line。〃

During　these　nine　days　of　active　campaigning　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland；　numbering　less　than　sixty　thousand　effective　men；　with　a　loss　of　560　killed；　wounded；　and　missing；　compelled　the　army　under　Bragg；　numbering　something　less　than　forty…five　thousand　effective　men；　to　retreat　a　greater　distance　and　out　of　far　stronger　positions　than　the　united　armies　under　Sherman　were　able　to　compel　the　same　army　with　but　slight　additional　strength　under　General　Joe　Johnston；　to　fall　back；　in　four　months　of　active　field　campaigning；　with　a　very　much　larger　relative　loss。　　The　proportion　of　the　forces　of　the　opposing　armies　during　the　Tullahoma　campaign　was　far　nearer　equal　than　that　on　to　Atlanta；　while　the　natural　and　military　obstacles　to　be　overcome　were　largely　the　greater　in　the　Tullahoma　campaign。　　To　Bragg　the　forward　movement　of　the　Federal　army　in　full　strength　was　a　surprise；　but　to　find　that　army　so　far　in　his　rear　and　so　near　to　cutting　his　line　of　communications　was　a　much　greater　surprise。　　These　might　not　have　been　guarded　against；　but　nothing　displayed　the　marked　superiority　of　Rosecrans　over　his　opponent；　as　a　great　strategist；　so　much　as　the　grand　success　of　the　final　movement　of　the　campaign；　from　Manchester　south。　　The　general　whoas　even　the　rebels；　in　their　worship　of　their　leader　General　Lee；　admittedwas　able　in　Western　Virginia　to　completely　outgeneral　Lee；　on　the　Tullahoma　campaign　again　demonstrated　his　ability　as　the　greatest　strategic　general　of　the　war。

Brilliant　campaigns；　however；　without　battles；　do　not　accomplish　the　destruction　of　an　army。　　A　campaign　like　that　of　Tullahoma　always　means　a　battle　at　some　other　point。　　This　was　true　after　the　Atlanta　campaign；　where　Sherman　got　the　glory　and　Thomas　did　the　fighting。　This　was　equally　true　as　to　the　Tullahoma；　and　the　fact　that　these　two　armies　were　yet　somewhere　to　meet　and　engage　in　deadly　strife；　was　apparent　to　the　commanders　of　both　armies。　　Where　and　when　that　meeting　was　to　be　was　the　problem　that　engaged　the　minds　of　both　these　commanders。　　In　the　Tullahoma　campaign　the　elements　were　on　the　side　of　Bragg's　army；　both　in　preventing　the　rapid　movements　of　the　Federal　army；　and　in　furnishing　a　perfect　barrier　to　a　successful　pursuit　when　the　retreat　was　under　way；　by　the　high　water　in　the　swollen　streams；　the　bridges　over　which　Bragg　destroyed　as　he　fell　back。

The　concluding　line　of　Bragg's　letter　to　Johnston；　that　〃The　Tennessee　will　be　taken　as　our　line；〃　demonstrated　that；　to　his　mind　at　least；　his　Kentucky　movement　of　the　year　before　did　not　meet　with　the　success　he　anticipated。　　Here　now　he　was　waiting　his　opportunity　to　contest　his　last　foothold　on　the　State　of　Tennessee　at　the　far　corner　in　Chattanooga。　　With　Rosecrans；　his　army　required　after　these　days　of　hard　campaigning　a　rest　to　repair　the　wear　and　tear　of　the　heavy　marching；　and　the　resupplying　of　his　entire　command。　　The　railroads　in　his　rear　required　his　attention　first。　These　were　placed　in　order　up　to　his　army；　and　the　repairs　on　the　road　to　the　front　were　then　to　be　pushed　to　the　Tennessee　River。　　In　three　weeks　time　these　were　completed；　and　on　the　25th；　the　first　supply　train　was　pushed　through　to　the　Tennessee　River。　　Then　Rosecrans　established　his　new　depot　of　supplies　at　Stevenson；　Alabama；　and　hastened；　as　rapidly　as　he　could；　the　accumulation　of　supplies　at　that　point。





Chapter　XI。




The　Movement　to　Chickamauga。


The　withdrawal　of　the　army　under　Bragg　to　Chattanooga　again　made　that　point　the　objective　of　a　campaign。　　But　several　things　had　to　be　taken　into　consideration　before　this　was　entered　into。　　Burnside　had　been　ordered　from　Cincinnati　to　East　Tennessee　through　Kentucky；　and　it　was　necessary　to　know　the　force　and　position　of　his　command。　If　Knoxville　and　Cumberland　Gap　were　under　his　control；　then　it　would　be　reasonably　safe　to　follow　out　a　plan　of　operations　looking　to　flank　Bragg's　left　by　a　movement　across　the　Tennessee　over　the　ranges　of　mountains　of　Northern　Georgia。　　But　to　do　this；　part　of　the　force　under　Grant；　now　inactive　after　Vicksburg；　should　be　ordered　up　at　least　as　far　east　as　the　Tennessee；　to　protect　the　line　of　supplies　and　prevent　any　movement　of　the　enemy　to　the　rear　on　that　flank　of　Rosecrans's　army。　　Another　weighty　consideration　was　that　of　forage　for　the　animals　of　the　command。　　By　the　middle　of　August；　corn　in　the　valleys　of　Southern　Tennessee　and　Northern　Alabama　would　be　ripe；　and　subject　to　the　wants　of　the　army。　　It　was　General　Rosecrans's　plan　to　wait　until　these　movements　could　be　accomplished　and　until　the　corn　had　ripened；　and　knowing　the　difficulties　in　the　way　at　the　best；　of　his　successfully　accomplishing　his　plans　for　the　campaign；　he　wished　at　least　to　have　that　best　in　his　favor。

In　making　his　final　preparations　for　his　operations　against　Chattanooga；　General　Rosecrans　considered　two　plans。　　One　was　to　appear　on　the　front　of　Chattanooga　and　attempt　a　direct　attack　on　the　town　and　reduce　it　by　a　lengthy　siege。　　The　other　was　to　flank　Bragg　out　of　Chattanooga；　as　he　had　been　compelled　by　the　movement　on　the　Tullahoma　campaign　to　abandon　his　strongholds　one　by　one。

The　first　plan　could　hardly　be　entertained；　as　Bragg　was　at　his　base；　with　but　short　lines　to　all　important　points　under　control　of　the　rebel　government；　and　at　a　place　where　in　a　very　short　time　heavy　reinforcements　could　be　sent　him；　while　Rosecrans　in　front　of　Chattanooga　would　be　in　a　rough；　sterile　country；　far　away　from　his　base　of　supplies；　with　a　long　wagon…haul　over　rocky　mountain　ranges　from　his　nearest　depot。　　To　attempt　the　movement　on　the　left；　or　through　Sequatchie　Valley；　would　concentrate　Bragg's　entire　army　at　the　contemplated　point　of　crossing　the　Tennessee。　　This　plan　Bragg　was　prepared　for；　and　was　resting；　quietly　awaiting　the　movements　of　our　army　carrying　it　into　effect。　　But　it　was　not　the　purpose　of　Rosecrans　to　meet　this　expectation　of　his　opponent。　　The　genius　of　Rosecrans　contemplated　one　of　the　most　brilliant　military　movements　of　the　war　to　obtain　possession　of　this　great　stronghold　of　Nature；　the　gateway　to　East　Tennessee　and　Northern　Georgia；　Chattanooga。　　At　that　time　this　place　was　of　the　utmost　importance　to　each　of　the　contending　forces；　and　the　highest　prize　in　a　military　point　of　view　that　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland　ever　contended　for。

To　properly　understand　the　magnitude　and　importance　of　the　campaign　that　Rosecrans　was　now　entering　on；　it　is　necessary　that　the　topography　of　the　country　should　be　considered。　　The　position　of　our　army　after　the　Tullahoma　campaign　was　on　the　northwester　base　of　the　Cumberland　range；　in　camp　occupying　McMinnville；　Tullahoma；　Dechard；　and　Winchester；　with　Chattanooga　south　of　east。　　Immediately　in　front　was　the　first　great　barrier　in　the　advance　movementthe　Cumberland　Mountainsa　lofty　range　of　rocks　dividing　the　waters　flowing　into　the　Cumberland　and　Tennessee　Rivers。　　The　range　rises　far　to　the　north　and　extends　to　the　southwest　into　Alabama。　　North　of　Chattanooga　the　mountains　are　much　bolder；　more　difficult　to　cross；　with　almost　sheer　declivities　on　each　of　the　sides。

Beyond　the　main　range；　in　the　direct　road　to　Chattanooga；　running　south；　flows　the　Sequatchie　River　through　the　valley　of　that　name；　formed　by　another　range　jutting　off　slightly　to　the　east　from　the　main　range；　and　between　it　and　the　Tennessee　River。　　This　spur　is　known　by　the　name　of　Walling's　Ridge　＇NOTE　from　Brett　and　Bob：　This　is　probably　what　is　now　known　as　Walden's　Ridge　which　was　named　after　a　Mr。　Walling　or　Wallen　as　subsequently　described。　　This　Ridge　was　quite　sparsely　populated　with　an　estimate　of　11　families　at　the　time　of　the　civil　war；　so　it's　history　is　not　exactly　well　documented。　　Subsequent　references　use　Walling's　Ridge　to　be　consistent　with　the　original　text。＇；　after　an　early　settler　and　Indian　hunter。　　It　abuts　close　on　the　Tennessee　in　precipitou