personal memoirs-1-第47章
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latter; by Colonels Laiboldt; Miller; Wood; Walworth; and Opdyke。
The demi…brigade was an awkward invention of Granger's; but at this
time it was necessitatedperhaps by the depleted condition of our
regiments; which compelled the massing of a great number of
regimental organizations into a division to give it weight and force。
On October 16; 1863; General Grant had been assigned to the command
of the 〃Military Division of the Mississippi;〃 a geographical area
which embraced the Departments of the Ohio; the Cumberland; and the
Tennessee; thus effecting a consolidation of divided commands which
might have been introduced most profitably at an earlier date。 The
same order that assigned General Grant relieved General Rosecrans;
and placed General Thomas in command of the Army of the Cumberland。
At the time of the reception of the order; Rosecrans was busy with
preparations for a movement to open the direct road to Bridgeport
having received in the interval; since we came back to Chattanooga;
considerable reinforcement by the arrival in his department of the
Eleventh and Twelfth corps; under General Hooker; from the Army of
the Potomac。 With this force Rosecrans had already strengthened
certain important points on the railroad between Nashville and
Stevenson; and given orders to Hooker to concentrate at Bridgeport
such portions of his command as were available; and to hold them in
readiness to advance toward Chattanooga。
On the 19th of October; after turning the command over to Thomas;
General Rosecrans quietly slipped away from the army。 He submitted _
uncomplainingly to his removal; and modestly left us without fuss or
demonstration; ever maintaining; though; that the battle of
Chickamauga was in effect a victory; as it had ensured us; he said;
the retention of Chattanooga。 When his departure became known deep
and almost universal regret was expressed; for he was
enthusiastically esteemed and loved by the Army of the Cumberland;
from the day he assumed command of it until he left it;
notwithstanding the censure poured upon him after the battle of
Chickamauga。
The new position to which my division had been moved; in consequence
of the reorganization; required little additional labor to strengthen
it; and the routine of fatigue duty and drills was continued as
before; its monotony occasionally broken by the excitement of an
expected attack; or by amusements of various kinds that were
calculated to keep the men in good spirits。 Toward this result much
was contributed by Mr。 James E。 Murdock; the actor; who came down
from the North to recover the body of his son; killed at Chickamauga;
and was quartered with me for the greater part of the time he was
obliged to await the successful conclusion of his sad mission。 He
spent days; and even weeks; going about through the division giving
recitations before the camp…fires; and in improvised chapels; which
the men had constructed from refuse lumber and canvas。 Suiting his
selections to the occasion; he never failed to excite intense
interest in the breasts of all present; and when circumstances
finally separated him from us; all felt that a debt of gratitude was
due him that could never be paid。 The pleasure he gave; and the
confident feeling that was now arising from expected reinforcements;
was darkened; however; by one sad incident。 Three men of my division
had deserted their colors at the beginning of the siege and made
their way north。 They were soon arrested; and were brought back to
stand trial for the worst offense that can be committed by a soldier;
convicted of the crime; and ordered to be shot。 To make the example
effective I paraded the whole division for the execution; and on the
13th of November; in the presence of their former comrades; the
culprits were sent; in accordance with the terms of their sentence;
to render their account to the Almighty。 It was the saddest
spectacle I ever witnessed; but there could be no evasion; no
mitigation of the full letter of the law; its timely enforcement was
but justice to the brave spirits who had yet to fight the rebellion
to the end。
General Grant arrived at Chattanooga on October 23; and began at once
to carry out the plans that had been formed for opening the shorter
or river road to Bridgeport。 This object was successfully
accomplished by the moving of Hooker's command to Rankin's and
Brown's ferries in concert with a force from the Army of the
Cumberland which was directed on the same points; so by the 27th of
October direct communication with our depots was established。 The
four weeks which followed this cheering result were busy with the
work of refitting and preparing for offensive operations as soon as
General Sherman should reach us with his troops from West Tennessee。
During this period of activity the enemy committed the serious fault
of detaching Longstreet's corpssending it to aid in the siege of
Knoxville in East Tennesseean error which has no justification
whatever; unless it be based on the presumption that it was
absolutely necessary that Longstreet should ultimately rejoin Lee's
army in Virginia by way of Knoxville and Lynchburg; with a chance of
picking up Burnside en route。 Thus depleted; Bragg still held
Missionary Ridge in strong force; but that part of his line which
extended across the intervening valley to the northerly point of。
Lookout Mountain was much attenuated。
By the 18th of November General Grant had issued instructions
covering his intended operations。 They contemplated that Sherman's
column; which was arriving by the north bank of the Tennessee; should
cross the river on a pontoon bridge just below the mouth of
Chickamauga Creek and carry the northern extremity of Missionary
Ridge as far as the railroad tunnel; that the Army of the Cumberland…
…the centreshould co…operate with Sherman; and that Hooker with a
mixed command should continue to hold Lookout Valley and operate on
our extreme right as circumstances might warrant。 Sherman crossed on
the 24th to perform his alloted part of the programme; but in the
meantime Grant becoming impressed with the idea that Bragg was
endeavoring to get away; ordered Thomas to make a strong
demonstration in his front; to determine the truth or falsity of the
information that had been received。 This task fell to the Fourth
Corps; and at 12 o'clock on the 23d I was notified that Wood's
division would make a reconnoissance to an elevated point in its
front called Orchard Knob; and that I was to support it with my
division and prevent Wood's right flank from being turned by an
advance of the enemy on Moore's road or from the direction of
Rossville。 For this duty I marched my division out of the works
about 2 p。m。; and took up a position on Bushy Knob。 Shortly after we
reached this point Wood's division passed my left flank on its
reconnoissance; and my command; moving in support of it; drove in the
enemy's picket…line。 Wood's took possession of Orchard Knob easily;
and mine was halted on a low ridge to the right of the Knob; where I
was directed by General Thomas to cover my front by a strong line of
rifle…pits; and to put in position two batteries of the Fourth
regular artillery that had joined me from the Eleventh Corps。 After
dark Wood began to feel uneasy about his right flank; for a gap
existed between it and my left; so I moved in closer to him; taking
up a line where I remained inactive till the 25th; but suffering some
inconvenience from the enemy's shells。
On the 24th General Sherman made an attack for the purpose of
carrying the north end of Missionary Ridge。 His success was not
complete; although at the time it was reported throughout the army to
be so。 It had the effect of disconcerting Bragg; however; and caused
him to strengthen his right by withdrawing troops from his left;
which circumstance led Hooker to advance on the northerly face of
Lookout Mountain。