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and then heavy demonstrations were made in the neighborhood of

Nolensville by reconnoitring parties from both armies; but none of

these ever grew into a battle。  These affairs sprung from the desire

of each side to feel his antagonist; and had little result beyond

emphasizing the fact that behind each line of pickets lay a massed

and powerful army busily preparing for the inevitable conflict and

eager for its opening。  So it wore on till the evening of December

25; 1862; then came the order to move forward。



General Rosecrans; in the reorganization of the army; had assigned

Major…General A。 McD。 McCook to command the right wing; MajorGeneral

George H。 Thomas the centre; and Major…General T。 L。 Crittenden the

left wing。  McCook's wing was made up of three divisions; commanded

in order of rank by Brigadier…General Jeff。 C。 Davis; Brigadier…

General R。 W。 Johnson; and Brigadier…General P。 H。 Sheridan。

Although the corps nomenclature established by General Buell was

dropped; the grand divisions into which he had organized the army at

Louisville were maintained; and; in fact; the conditions established

then remained practically unaltered; with the exception of the

interchange of some brigades; the transfer of a few general officers

from one wing or division to another; and the substitution of General

Thomas for Gilbert as a corps commander。  The army was thus compact

and cohesive; undisturbed by discord and unembarrassed by jealousies

of any moment; and it may be said that under a commander who; we

believed; had the energy and skill necessary to direct us to success;

a national confidence in our invincibility made us all keen for a

test of strength with the Confederates。  We had not long to wait。



Early on the morning of December 26; 1862; in a heavy rain; the army

marched; the movement being directed on Murfreesboro'; where the

enemy had made some preparation to go into winter…quarters; and to

hold which town it was hoped he would accept battle。  General Thomas

moved by the Franklin and Wilson pikes; General Crittenden by the

Murfreesboro' pike; through Lavergne; and General McCook by the

Nolensville pikeDavis's division in advance。  As McCook's command

neared Nolensville; I received a message from Davis informing me that

the Confederates were in considerable force; posted on a range of

hills in his front; and requesting me to support him in an attack he

was about to make。  When the head of my column arrived at Nolensville

I began massing my troops on the right of the road; and by the time

this formation was nearly completed Davis advanced; but not meeting

with sufficient resistance to demand active assistance from me; he

with his own command carried the hills; capturing one piece of

artillery。  This position of the Confederates was a strong one;

defending Knob's Gap; through which the Nolensville and Triune pike

passed。  On the 27th Johnson's division; followed by mine; advanced

to Triune; and engaged in a severe skirmish near that place; but my

troops were not called into action; the stand made by the enemy being

only for the purpose of gaining time to draw in his outlying troops;

which done; he retired toward Murfreesboro'。  I remained inactive at


Triune during the 28th; but early on the 29th moved out by the Bole

Jack road to the support of; Davis in his advance to Stewart's Creek;

and encamped at Wilkinson's crossroads; from which point to

Murfreesboro'; distant about six miles; there was a good turnpike。

The enemy had sullenly resisted the progress of Crittenden and McCook

throughout the preceding three days; and as it was thought probable

that he might offer battle at Stewart's Creek; Thomas; in pursuance

of his original instructions looking to just such a contingency; had

now fallen into the centre by way of the Nolensville crossroads。



On the morning of the 3oth I had the advance of McCook's corps on the

Wilkinson pike; Roberts's brigade leading。  At first only slight

skirmishing took place; but when we came within about three miles of

Murfreesboro' the resistance of the enemy's pickets grew serious; and

a little further on so strong that I had to put in two regiments to

push them back。  I succeeded in driving them about half a mile; when

I was directed by McCook to form line of battle and place my

artillery in position so that I could act in concert with Davis's

division; which he wished to post on my right in the general line he

desired to take up。  In obedience to these directions I deployed on

the right of; and oblique to the Wilkinson pike; with a front of four

regiments; a second line of four regiments within short supporting

distance; and a reserve of one brigade in column of regiments to the

rear of my centre。  All this time the enemy kept up a heavy artillery

and musketry fire on my skirmishers; he occupying; with his

sharpshooters; beyond some open fields; a heavy belt of timber to my

front and right; where it was intended the left of Davis should

finally rest。  To gain this point Davis was ordered to swing his

division into it in conjunction with a wheeling movement of my right

brigade; until our continuous line should face nearly due east。  This

would give us possession of the timber referred to; and not only rid

us of the annoying fire from the skirmishers screened by it; but also

place us close in to what was now developing as Bragg's line of

battle。  The movement was begun about half…past 2; and was

successfully executed; after a stubborn resistance。  In this

preliminary affair the enemy had put in one battery of artillery;

which was silenced in a little while; however; by Bush's and

Hescock's guns。  By sundown I had taken up my prescribed position;

facing almost east; my left (Roberts's brigade) resting on the

Wilkinson pike; the right (Sill's brigade) in the timber we had just

gained; and the reserve brigade (Schaefer's) to the rear of my

centre; on some rising ground in the edge of a strip of woods behind

Houghtaling's and Hescock's batteries。  Davis's division was placed

in position on my right; his troops thrown somewhat to the rear; so

that his line formed nearly a right angle with mine; while Johnson's

division formed in a very exposed position on the right of Davis;

prolonging the general line just across the Franklin pike。



The centre; under Thomas; had already formed to my left; the right of

Negley's division joining my left in a cedar thicket near the

Wilkinson pike; while Crittenden's corps was posted on the left of

Thomas; his left resting on Stone River; at a point about two miles

and a half from Murfreesboro'。



The precision that had characterized every manoeuvre of the past

three days; and the exactness with which each corps and division fell

into its allotted place on the evening of the 30th; indicated that at

the outset of the campaign a well…digested plan of operations had

been prepared for us; and although the scheme of the expected battle

was not known to subordinates of my grade; yet all the movements up

to this time had been so successfully and accurately made as to give

much promise for the morrow; and when night fell there was general

anticipation of the best results to the Union army。










CHAPTER XIII。



ASSAULT ON OUR RIGHT FLANKOCCUPYING A NEW POSITIONTHE ENEMY

CHECKEDTERRIBLE LOSS OF OFFICERSAMMUNITION GIVES OUT

RECONSTRUCTING THE LINECOLLECTING THE WOUNDED AND BURYING THE DEAD…

…DEALING WITH COWARDSRESULTS OF THE VICTORY。



The enemy under Bragg lay between us and stone River in order of

battle; his general line conforming to the course of that stream。 In

my immediate front he appeared to be established in strong force in a

dense cedar wood; just beyond an open valley; which varied from two

hundred to four hundred yards in width; the cedars extending the

entire length of the valley。  From the events of the day and evening

of the 3oth; it was apparent that the two armies were in close

proximity; a

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