New-York daily tribune., 1862-11-12
.ouud sy.d formed Oh the right

impiy eWHyiuZ II arOun1 ON ith ielt ~ wo"u h"'c
leey Irought 10 position between that of tho enemy
~ the right and the HaTrodsburg turnpike, their |
line Of retreat. Ii wOald then have
formed An siEle with the line OF Gilbert and
McCook, within the two sides where the Rebel
amy lay. BY simultaneous attack from to'o
sides with daylight on THURSDAY morning, tle
escape OF the euemy would have been rendered
Gen. Cri,tsrden and his divieion COM
manders saw the practicabl.l,y of tins movement,
and were anxious TO make 1t. There could rot well
be any danger in it, as Gen. Buell. might have per-
ceived from the rear OF the battle, which mace IL
manifest, tina, if the Rebel Generals had had any
considerable force beside that employed against
McCook they would have fought Gilbert more vlgo,
rOusy than they did, and further that, having aiied
TO overcome McCcok with what they had, tne SIX
divisions, almost intact, would have borne them
easily down. But the Commsnder-in Chiefs habi-
tna overcaution prevailed and all that he cid was
to order general advance upon the enemy IN the
morning from the line held in the evening: By thus
keeping his whole army in front OF the Rebels m
stead of moving a portion OF II TO lheir rear, 10
enabled them, us II turned out on tne Ee1t uiy,
make good their retreat.
During the night the corps commanders repaired
10 the general headquarters to call for their insi nc
tious Gen. McCook saw Gen. Bdeil aOout Hiu-
night. A remarkable conversailon occurred N..n
and there between the two, the tenor OF which ihe
Court OF inquiry into the laters case should D, ai
means learn. l, will throw great deal oi I,ght
upon the clear conception the Conmanderln,' ,'hiei
had Of the relative positions Of McCojks and Til
berts corps during the battle
/ On Thursday morning the army advMc'o as or,
derel--not however, as carly as it shoud--to ind
the Rebels gone. OF their spols they had carried
of ouv two guns and their prisoners and leit near
" all their severely wounded on our hands. ne Ss
tonishing audacity Of the Rebels in ventung IN lhe
very laugs Of our army, with not one hall its mum
bers had not involved him in any serious detnmen''
Tne Rebel army was extricated from The dangerous
meshes It's own Generals as 1t were, had huAho"
ingiy woven around il. Yet, although sale iOr tne
moment, its movements after the retreat IRON 'ue
battlefield were such es 10 render II agi,n pF''Va
bic for Gen. Buell. either TO force 1t into nsh'
with the certain prospect of Dtlclng deieat oy su
perioIty of numbers and artillery, or al ieast 10
provenf ite escape from the State without great ioss
OF men and means. But tins last opportunity o.
retrieving previous failures he likewise permitted
to clip away unimproved.
The Rebels retreated, as stated from the sce-e Of
action in an easterly direction 10 tbs Harrod burg
Turnpike and OVERT 10 HarrOdsburg-a distance of
about ten nil (which they reached in the afternoon
Of the 9th Here they lay until the morning Of the
llth. On the morning Of the 10th, the three diyis-
ions sent against Gen. Sill, under Kirby Smith,
returned to Harrodsburg. The main body Of this
expedition had not been able to come mp with Sill,
owing to his turning of the Frankfort and lIarrods
/ burg road near LawreDceburg, in the direction Of
Chaplin, in obedience 10 the order changing his
original ronte. lts advance, however, had pro-
traoted skirmish with Sills on the morning OF
the oh, about days march from Chaplin, in which
1t was repulscd.
entire force to Bryantsville on the 1lth. Here he
remained on the 10Th. Bryansville is about twelve
miles from Harrodsburg, so that 1t appears that IN
the four days after the battle he moved III all only
- milee.
And what was Gen. Buell. doing In the mean
time He could act but upon two suppositionG
either that Bragg was seeking sn advantageous posi-
tion wherein TO await his lBnells) approach, with
view TO battle that he was trying 70 effect re-
treat from the State II he entertained the former,
lie WIS in duty bound to follow his opponent closely,
20 as to oresa bis gaining and artihcally strength
ening great advantages of locality; il the latter
To move bis army at once upon the encmy's unms- /
taxable liues OF retreat.
Bot there was no reason for any doubt AZ 20 the
real designs of the enemy. The many loyal residents
Of the surrounding country that visited the battle
field brought positive information early the 9th
that the trains of the Rebels were all moving,
heavily laden, through Bryantsville, Dansyille.
Lancaster and Stamford. In the direction Of the
main route 10 the Cumberland Gap. | knew of this
on the stated day. i know further that many Gea-
erals were aware Of II, and that Gen. BGe was
urged by Gen. Thomas, who, from his last Summers
campaign was familiar with the country between
the Kentucky and Cumberland Rivers. as well as
other officers and several prominent Kentucky dvil
ians, to send at least portion Of HE command at
once by forced marches in the direction Of Rockas
River, the topography Of which region s such that
the march of large army. A single regiment Of
cavalry might have done this eiiecinally by simply
telling timber across the narrow roads.
Gen. Buell., however, cung 20 his theory, that
Bragg was bent upon another fight, and did nothing
toward an occupation Of the onemys line, Of re-
treat. Not only this, but he did not even act upon
hIs erroneous presumption with the least show Of
energy. From 1bursday morning until Saturday,
only a few slight shifts Of position were mado, 20
thai the evening Of the latter day tie army wac
4 tta I.tf
During all this time it kept formed IN line OF
battle, a. though in constant expectation Of an at
tack and this while the enemy was already retreat
ing from il. The whole army was puzzled by this
Inc xI licable Inactivity. There not man in il,
from generals down to privstes, outsid. OF Gen.
Buels headquarters, that did not fret under 1t. No
one was able 10 perceive any reason. There was "a
/ plenty Of provisions and ammunition. The troops
all well rested, aud eager for an advance. But
no movement was made until Saturday afternoon
and Sunday morning, when the army advanced to-
ward Uarfodsburg. On Sunday evening II occu.
pied position little south Of Harrodsburg, with
the left, under McCook-joined i'll the morning by
Slirs Division--resting the Peuyville and the
center and right, under Gilbert and Crittenden, on
and beyond the Danvile pike.
! Before the enemy moved from the neighborhooi
Of the battlefield on Saturday II was known that
Bragg Lad fallen back, after accomplishing the now
evident purpose Of hs march TO HarrodsDuTg, viz.
10 enable Kirby Smith TO join him. n the direction
of Bryantsville 1t will be difficult for Gen. Buell.
to explain III the face Of this why he followed IN The
wake Of the enemy ii lie intended TO press on him,
over circuitOus route instead Of taking direct
route.
Gen. Buell. established his headquarters at Har-
rodsburg on Sunday. IL was not until the next day
that the purpose OF Bragg TO retreat seems 10 have
become clear TO him. AT any rate, it only on
Tuesday morning that anything Ike new move
meat upon the enemy undertaken after another
term finacon ofthrty-six hours. The three corps
then marched over parallel roads to Danye, !
through which they paced 10 the course OF the same
day.
Now bearing in mind that the battle Of Chaplin
Hills was fought the 8th let the reader glance at