personal memoirs-1-第46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！



September；　the　objective　point　of　the　campaign　would　have　remained　in

our　hands　without　the　battle　of　Chickamauga；　but；　as　has　been　seen；

this　was　not　done。　　McCook　was　almost　constantly　on　the　march　day　and

night　between　the　13th　and　the　19th；　ascending　and　descending

mountains；　his　men　worried　and　wearied；　so　that　when　they　appeared　on

the　battle…field；　their　fatigued　condition　operated　greatly　against

their　efficiency。　　This　delay　in　concentration　was　also　the　original

cause　of　the　continuous　shifting　toward　our　left　to　the　support　of

Thomas；　by　which　manoeuvre　Rosecrans　endeavored　to　protect　his

communications　with　Chattanooga；　and　out　of　which　grew　the　intervals

that　offered　such　tempting　opportunities　to　Bragg。　　In　addition　to

all　this；　much　transpired　on　the　field　of　battle　tending　to　bring

about　disaster。　　There　did　not　seem　to　be　any　well…defined　plan　of

action　in　the　fighting；　and　this　led　to　much　independence　of　judgment

in　construing　orders　among　some　of　the　subordinate　generals。　　It　also

gave　rise　to　much　license　in　issuing　orders：　too　many　people　were

giving　important　directions；　affecting　the　whole　army；　without

authority　from　its　head。　　In　view；　therefore；　of　all　the　errors　that

were　committed　from　the　time　Chattanooga　fell　into　our　hands　after

our　first　crossing　the　Tennessee；　it　was　fortunate　that　the　Union

defeat　was　not　more　complete；　that　it　left　in　the　enemy's　possession

not　much　more　than　the　barren　results　arising　from　the　simple　holding

of　the　ground　on　which　the　engagement　was　fought。









CHAPTER　XVI。



AT　CHATTANOOGATHE　ENEMY　FORTIFIES　LOOKOUT　MOUNTAIN　AND　MISSIONARY

RIDGEREORGANIZING　THE　ARMYREMOVAL　OF　GENERAL　ROSECRANS

PUNISHMENT　OF　DESERTERSGRANT　AT　CHATTANOOGATHE　FIGHT　ON　LOOKOUT

MOUNTAINA　BRAVE　COLOR…BEARERBATTLE　OF　MISSIONARY　RIDGE。



By　9　o'clock　on　the　morning　of　September　22　my　command　took　up　a

position　within　the　heavy　line　of　intrenchments　at　Chattanooga；　the

greater　part　of　which　defenses　had　been　thrown　up　since　the　army

commenced　arriving　there　the　day　before。　　The　enemy；　having　now

somewhat　recovered　from　the　shock　of　the　recent　battle；　followed

carefully；　and　soon　invested　us　close　into　our　lines　with　a　parallel

system　of　rifle…pits。　　He　also　began　at　once　to　erect　permanent　lines

of　earthworks　on　Missionary　Ridge　and　to　establish　himself　strongly

on　Lookout　Mountain。　　He　then　sent　Wheeler's　cavalry　north　of　the

Tennessee；　and；　aided　greatly　by　the　configuration　of　the　ground；

held　us　in　a　state　of　partial　siege；　which　serious　rains　might

convert　into　a　complete　investment。　　The　occupation　of　Lookout

Mountain　broke　our　direct　communication　with　Bridgeport…our　sub…

depotand　forced　us　to　bring　supplies　by　way　of　the　Sequatchie

Valley　and　Waldron's　Ridge　of　the　Cumberland　Mountains；　over　a　road

most　difficult　even　in　the　summer　season；　but　now　liable　to　be

rendered　impassable　by　autumn　rains。　　The　distance　to　Bridgeport　by

this　circuitous　route　was　sixty　miles；　and　the　numerous　passes；

coves；　and　small　valleys　through　which　the　road　ran　offered　tempting

opportunities；　for　the　destruction　of　trains；　and　the　enemy　was　not

slow　to　take　advantage　of　them。　　Indeed；　the　situation　was　not

promising；　and　General　Rosecrans　himself；　in　communicating　with　the

President　the　day　succeeding　the　battle　of　Chickamauga；　expressed

doubts　of　his　ability　to　hold　the　gateway　of　the　Cumberland

Mountains。



The　position　taken　up　by　my　troops　inside　the　lines　of　Chattanooga

was　near　the　old　iron…works；　under　the　shadow　of　Lookout　Mountain。

Here　we　were　exposed　to　a　continual　fire　from　the　enemy's　batteries

for　many　days；　but　as　the　men　were　well　covered　by　secure　though

simple　intrenchments；　but　little　damage　was　done。　　My　own

headquarters　were　established　on　the　grounds　of　Mr。　William

Crutchfield；　a　resident　of　the　place；　whose　devotion　to　the　Union

cause　knew　no　bounds；　and　who　rendered　meand；　in　fact；　at　one　time

or　another；　nearly　every　general　officer　in　the　Army　of　the

Cumberlandinvaluable　service　in　the　way　of　information　about　the

Confederate　army。　　My　headquarters　camp　frequently　received　shots

from　the　point　of　Lookout　Mountain　also；　but　fortunately　no

casualties　resulted　from　this　plunging　fire；　though；　I　am　free　to

confess；　at　first　our　nerves　were　often　upset　by　the　whirring　of

twenty…pounder　shells　dropped　inconsiderately　into　our　camp　at

untimely　hours　of　the　night。



In　a　few　days　rain　began　to　fali；　and　the　mountain　roads　by　which　our

supplies　came　were　fast　growing　impracticable。　　Each　succeeding　train

of　wagons　took　longer　to　make　the　trip　from　Bridgeport；　and　the　draft

mules　were　dying　by　the　hundreds。　　The　artillery　horses　would　soon　go

too；　and　there　was　every　prospect　that　later　the　troops　would　starve

unless　something　could　be　done。　　Luckily　for　my　division；　a　company

of　the　Second　Kentucky　Cavalry　had　attached　itself　to　my

headquarters；　and；　though　there　without　authority；　had　been　left

undisturbed　in　view　of　a　coming　reorganization　of　the　army　incidental

to　the　removal　of　McCook　and　Crittenden　from　the　command　of　their

respective　corps；　a　measure　that　had　been　determined　upon　immediately

after　the　battle　of　Chickamauga。　　Desiring　to　remain　with　me；　Captain

Lowell　H。　Thickstun；　commanding　this　company；　was　ready　for　any　duty

I　might　find；　for　him；　so　I　ordered　him　into　the　Sequatchie　Valley

for　the　purpose　of　collecting　supplies　for　my　troops；　and　sent　my

scout；　Card　along　to　guide　him　to　the　best　locations。　　The　company

hid　itself　away　in　a　deep　cove　in　the　upper　end　of　the　valley；　and　by

keeping　very　quiet　and　paying　for　everything　it　took　from　the　people；

in　a　few　days　was　enabled　to　send　me　large　quantities　of　corn　for　my

animals　and　food　for　the　officers　and　men；　which　greatly　supplemented

the　scanty　supplies　we　were　getting　from　the　sub…depot　at　Bridgeport。

In　this　way　I　carried　men　and　animals　through　our　beleaguerment　in

pretty　fair　condition；　and　of　the　turkeys；　chickens；　ducks；　and　eggs

sent　in　for　the　messes　of　my　officers　we　often　had　enough　to　divide

liberally　among　those　at　different　headquarters。　　Wheeler's　cavalry

never　discovered　my　detached　company；　yet　the　chances　of　its　capture

were　not　small；　sometimes　giving　much　uneasiness；　still；　I　concluded

it　was　better　to　run　all　risks　than　to　let　the　horses　die　of

starvation　in　Chattanooga。　　Later；　after　the　battle　of　Missionary

Ridge；　when　I　started　to　Knoxville；　the　company　joined　me　in

excellent　shape；　bringing　with　it　an　abundance　of　food；　including　a

small　herd　of　beef　cattle。



The　whole　time　my　line　remained　near　the　iron…mills　the　shelling　from

Lookout　was　kept　up；　the　screeching　shots　inquisitively　asking　in

their　well…known　way；　〃Where　are　you？　Where　are　you？〃　but　it　is

strange　to　see　how　readily；　soldiers　can　become　accustomed　to　the

sound　of　dangerous　missiles　under　circumstances　of　familiarity；　and

this　case　was　no　exception　to　the　rule。　　Few　casualties　occurred；　and

soon　contempt　took　the　place　of　nervousness；　and　as　we　could　not

reply　in　kind　on　account　of　the　elevation　required　for　our　guns；　the

men　responded　by　jeers　and　imprecations　whenever　a　shell　fell　into

their　camp。



Meantime；　orders　having　been　issued　for　the　organization　of　the　army；

additional　troops　were　attached　to　my　command；　and　it　became　the

Second　Division　of　the　Fourth　Army　Corps；　to　which　Major…General

Gordon　Granger　was　assigned　as　commander。　　This　necessitated　a　change

of　position　of　the　division；　and　I　moved　to　ground　behind　our　works；

with　my　right　resting　on　Fort　Negley　and　my　left　extending　well　over

toward　Fort　Wood；　my　front　being　parallel　to　Missionary　Ridge。　　My

division　was　now　composed　of　twenty…five　regiments；　classified　into

brigades　and　demi…brigades；　the　former　commanded　by　Brigadier…General

G。　D。　Wagner；　Colonel　C。　G。　Harker；　and　Colonel　F。　T。　Sherman；　the

latter；　by　Colonels　Laiboldt；　Miller；　Wood；　Walworth；　and　Opdyke。

The　demi…brigade　was　an　aw