personal memoirs-1-第32章

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commanders　of　much　promiseGeneral　James　S。　Jackson　and　General

William　R。　Terrill。　　McCook's　corps　lost　twelve　guns；　some　of　which

were　recovered　next　day。　　The　enemy's　loss　in　killed　and　wounded　we

never　learned；　but　it　must　have　equalled　ours；　and　about　four

thousand　prisoners；　consisting　principally　of　sick　and　wounded；　fell

into　our　hands。　　In　the　first　report　of　the　battle　sent　North　to　the

newspapers　I　was　reported　among　the　killed；　but　I　was　pleased　to

notice；　when　the　papers　reached　us　a　few　days　later；　that　the　error

had　been　corrected　before　my　obituary　could　be　written。



The　enemy　retired　from　our　front　the　night　of　the　8th；　falling　back

on　Harrodsburg　to　form　a　junction　with　Kirby　Smith；　and　by　taking

this　line　of　retreat　opened　to　us　the　road　to　Danville　and　the　chance

for　a　direct　march　against　his　depot　of　supplies　at　Bryantsville。　　We

did　not　take　advantage　of　this　opening；　however；　and　late　in　the　day…

…on　the　9thmy　division　marched　in　pursuit；　in　the　direction　of

Harrodsburg；　which　was　the　apex　of　a　triangle　having　for　its　base　a

line　from　Perryville　to　Danville。　　The　pursuit　was　slow；　very　slow；

consuming　the　evening　of　the　9th　and　all　of　the　l0th　and　11th。　　By

cutting　across　the　triangle　spoken　of　above；　just　south　of　the　apex；

I　struck　the　Harrodsburg…Danville　road；　near　Cave　Springs；　joining

there　Gilbert's　left　division；　which　had　preceded　me　and　marched

through　Harrodsburg。　　Here　we　again　rested　until　the　intention　of　the

enemy　could　be　divined；　and　we　could　learn　on　which　side　of　Dick's

River　he　would　give　us　battle。　　A　reconnoissance　sent　toward　the

Dickville　crossing　developed　to　a　certainty　that　we　should　not　have

another　engagement；　however；　for　it　disclosed　the　fact　that　Bragg's

army　had　disappeared　toward　Camp　Dick　Robinson；　leaving　only　a　small

rear…guard　at　Danville；　which　in　turn　quickly　fled　in　the　direction

of　Lancaster；　after　exchanging　a　few　shots　with　Hescock's　battery。



While　this　parting　salute　of　deadly　projectiles　was　going　on；　a

little；　daughter　of　Colonel　William　J。　Landram；　whose　home　was　in

Danville；　came　running　out　from　his　house　and　planted　a　small

national　flag　on　one　of　Hescock's　guns。　　The　patriotic　act　was　so

brave　and　touching　that　it　thrilled　all　who　witnessed　the　scene；　and

until　the　close　of　the　war；　when　peace　separated　the　surviving

officers　and　men　of　the　battery；　that　little　flag　was　protected　and

cherished　as　a　memento　of　the　Perryville　campaign。



Pursuit　of　the　enemy　was　not　continued　in　force　beyond　Crab　Orchard；

but　some　portions　of　the　army　kept　at　Bragg's　heels　until　he　crossed

the　Cumberland　River；　a　part　of　his　troops　retiring　to　Tennessee　by

way　of　Cumberland　Gap；　but　the　major　portion　through　Somerset。　　As

the　retreat　of　Bragg　transferred　the　theatre　of　operations　back　to

Tennessee；　orders　were　now　issued　for　a　concentration　of　Buell's　army

at　Bowling　Green；　with　a　view　to　marching　it　to　Nashville；　and　my

division　moved　to　that　point　without　noteworthy　incident。　　I　reached

Bowling　Green　with　a　force　much　reduced　by　the　losses　sustained　in

the　battle　of　Perryville　and　by　sickness。　　I　had　started　from

Louisville　on　October　1　with　twelve　regiments　of　infantryfour　old

and　eight　new　onesand　two　batteries；　but　many　poor　fellows；

overcome　by　fatigue；　and　diseases　induced　by　the　heat；　dust；　and

drought　of　the　season；　had　to　be　left　at　roadside　hospitals。　　This

was　particularly　the　case　with　the　new　regiments；　the　men　of　which；

much　depressed　by　homesickness；　and　not　yet　inured　to　campaigning；

fell　easy　victims　to　the　hardships　of　war。



At　Bowling　Green　General　Buell　was　relieved；　General　W。　S。　Rosecrans

succeeding　him。　　The　army　as　a　whole　did　not　manifest　much　regret　at

the　change　of　commanders；　for　the　campaign　from　Louisville　on　was

looked　upon　generally　as　a　lamentable　failure；　yet　there　were　many

who　still　had　the　utmost　confidence　in　General　Buell；　and　they

repelled　with　some　asperity　the　reflections　cast　upon　him　by　his

critics。　　These　admirers　held　him　blameless　throughout　for　the

blunders　of　the　campaign；　but　the　greater　number　laid　every　error　at

his　door；　and　even　went　to　the　absurdity　of　challenging　his　loyalty

in　a　mild　way；　but　they　particularly　charged　incompetency　at

Perryville；　where　McCook's　corps　was　so　badly　crippled　while　nearly

30；000　Union　troops　were　idle　on　the　field；　or　within　striking

distance。　　With　these　it　was　no　use　to　argue　that　Buell's　accident

stood　in　the　way　of　his　activity；　nor　that　he　did　not　know　that　the

action　had　assumed　the　proportions　of　a　battle。　　The　physical

disability　was　denied　or　contested；　but　even　granting　this；　his

detractors　claimed　that　it　did　not　excuse　his　ignorance　of　the　true

condition　of　the　fight；　and　finally　worsted　his　champions　by　pointing

out　that　Bragg's　retreat　by　way　of　Harrodsburg　beyond　Dick's　River　so

jeopardized　the　Confederate　army；　that　had　a　skillful　and　energetic

advance　of　the　Union　troops　been　made；　instead　of　wasting　precious

time　in　slow　and　unnecessary　tactical　manoeuvres；　the　enemy　could

have　been　destroyed　before　he　could　quit　the　State　of　Kentucky。









CHAPTER　XII。



MOVING　TO　BOWLING　GREENJAMES　CARD；　THE　SCOUT　AND　GUIDEGENERAL

SILLCOLONEL　SCHAEFERCOLONEL　G。　W。　ROBERTSMOVEMENT　ON

MURFREESBORO'OPENING　OF　THE　BATTLE　OF　STONE　RIVER。



My　division　had　moved　from　Crab　Orchard　to　Bowling　Green　by　easy

marches；　reaching　this　place　November　1。　General　Rosecrans　assumed

command　of　the　department　October　30；　at　Louisville；　and　joined　the

army　November　2。　　There　had　been　much　pressure　brought　to　bear　on

General　Buell　to　induce　him　to　take　measures　looking　to　the　occupancy

of　East　Tennessee；　and　the　clamor　to　this　end　from　Washington　still

continued；　but　now　that　Bragg　was　south　of　the　Cumberland　River；　in　a

position　threatening　Nashville；　which　was　garrisoned　by　but　a　small

force；　it　was　apparent　to　every　one　at　all　conversant　with　the

situation　that　a　battle　would　have　to　be　fought　somewhere　in　Middle

Tennessee。　　So；　notwithstanding　the　pressure　from　Washington；　the

army　was　soon　put　in　motion　for　Nashville；　and　when　we　arrived　there

my　division　went　into　camp　north　of　the　river；　on　a　plateau　just

outside　the　little　town　of　Edgefield；　until　the　movements　of　the

enemy　should　be　further　developed。



While　in　this　camp；　on　the　plantation　of　Mr。　Hobson；　there　came　to　my

headquarters　one　morning　an　East　Tennessean　named　James　Card；　who

offered　to　the　Union　cause　his　services　in　any　capacity　in　which　they

might　be　made　useful。　　This　offer；　and　the　relation　of　his　personal

history；　were　given　with　such　sincerity　of　speech　and　manner　that　in

a　short　time　I　became　convinced　of　his　honesty　of　purpose。　　He　was　a

small；　active；　busy　man；　with　a　determined　way　about　him；　and　his

countenance　indicated　great　intelligence。　　He　gave　minute　information

that　was　of　inestimable　value　to　me　regarding　East　and　Middle

Tennessee　and　northern　Georgia；　for；　with　a　view　to　the　army's　future

movements；　I　was　then　making　a　study　of　the　topography　of　this

region；　and　posting　myself　as　to　Middle　Tennessee；　for　all　knew　this

would　be　the　scene　of　active　operations　whenever　the　campaign　was

resumed。　　This　man；　like　most　of　the　East　Tennesseans　whom　I　had　met；

was　intensely　loyal　and　patriotic；　and　the　interview　led　in　a　few

days　to　his　employment　as　a　scout　and　guide；　and　subsequently　to　the

engaging　in　the　same　capacity　of　two　of　his　brothers；　who　were　good

men；　but　not　quite　as　active　nor　so　intelligent　as　he　was。　　Card　had

been　a　colporter；　having　pedled　books；　especially　religious　tracts；

over　all　Middle　and　East　Tennessee　and　Georgia；　assisted　by　his

brothers　at　times；　and　was　therefore　thoroughly　familiar　with　these

regions；　their　roads　and　inhabitants。　　He　also　preached　to　country

congregations　occasionally；　when　ministers　were　scarce；　and　I　have　no

doubt　often　performed　the　functions　of　family　physician　in　the

mountain　district。　　Thus　his