, 1863-02-20
GEN. .I0IFN m. PALMER.
HIS DIVISION At TIE BATTLE OF
STONE RIVER.
Tardy Justice to q Brave Man.

CHICAGO, Feb. t8. 1853.
Editors Chicago Tribune:
Visiting Musfrcesboro Immediately after the |
great battle, Us correspondent Of the TR1-
BrEE, and remaining there several weeks, |
became Intimately acquainted Withrhc details |
Of the very prominent and heroic part which I
was taken In that action by Brig. Gen. John |
H. Palmer OF this State, aud I at TINT time !
prepared q statement Of the facts,a my COM |
mand, which attempted to forward to your
office. As that letter, however, failed to reach
its destination, and as among the prominent
generals who participated in that engagement, |
and who certainly displayed no more courage
and ability than Gen. Palmer, he Is almost the
only one to whom public attention has not
been specia1ly directed, I wish to allude to
him briefly through your columns.
The battle Of Stone River has been made
the subject of several vivid md thrilling aes~
readers arc no doubt familiar. Our line Of
battle, as is known, vas stretched from east
to west, about four miles north Of
Murfreesboro, at right angles with the
Nashville and MurfIeesboro pike, which
extremity Of the left wing. General Palmer's
division, consisting Of the brigades Of Grose,
Cruft, and Hazcn, held that portion Of the
line in the immediate vicinity Of the pike.
As is also we'll Known, the battle Of the 31st
Of December was commenced By the enemy
with terrible attack on cur extreme right,
the rebels precipitating themselves upon that
point in overwhelming numbers, and with q
fury against which that portion of our extend
ed line found 1t impossible to contend. The
events which followed in rapid succession,
the retreat, the rout, the temporary dis.
and the hurling back Of the broken, shattered
and demoralized fragments Of the right wing
and centre upon the left wing and rear Of onr
army, are familiar to the reader, and need not
be dwelt upon. It is only the position Of the
line ut the moment when the rout was check
ed and the progress Of the enemy stayed, to
which wish to cali attention, as necessary 10
| a proper estimate Of the services rendered By
| Gen. PaImer'5 division. At that moment, the
| rebel successes and our Own bad luck had
gone SO far that Palmer's right was complete
II uncovered. The divisions Of EegleE, sher
| fden, Rousseau, Davis and johnson, which at
the opening Of the engagement had stretched
| an imposing and splendid line for miles to his
right, were now crowding the Murfrecsboro
| pike with confused apd huddled mass Of fa-
gitiyes in his rear. The entire rightangle
which at all earlier hour Of the day the ex-
tended right and centre Of our army had
formed will the Nashville and Murfreesboro
| pike, Was ROW in possession Of the rebels
who were pressing forward with that
terrible momentum which brilliant SUCCESS
change thcir partial advantages into 4 COM
p1ete victory. The lnamincnce of the moment
may be inferred from the fact that they pressed
Upon Pa1mer's rear, separating him from the
great mass Of our rctreatlng force before any
Considerable portion Of them attacked him
on the flank. The manner In which this at
tack WAS met, and the eyents which followed
may be best described in the words Of his re-
port. II rode to the left to make some DISPOSE
lions TO meet the coming storm, mud By the
time reached the open ground to the south
Of the pike, the heads of the cnemy's columns
to my rear. To order Grose to change front
10 the rear Vas the work Of a moment, and lie
oheyed the order almost as soon as given,
relieving bis men left SO as to bring tue enc
my under the direct fire Of his Line; be
opened upon them in fine style, and with
envy was driven back. In the meantime my
first brigade was exposed in front and flank
to severe attack, which also now extended
: along my whole front. Orders were sent to
Col. Hazen to fall back from the open cotton
!, field into which he lad moved. He fell bac};
short distance, and occupying the crest o.
!, i low wooded hill between the pike and the
railroad, he there resistcdthe enemy. At that
!, ti1uc, near II o'clock, as think, my command
+ WIS all engaged with the enemy, Hazen on the
!
= stme troops in the point Of woods south O.
tie cotton field, and still further to the righ
Cruft was fighting, aided By Standards guns
> aud to the rear Grose was struggling with ap
. parent}y great odds against hizn- All wer'
acqui't ting themselves nob'y and all were hart
;. pressed, / could see thnt Grose was losing
: great many men, but the importance Of Ha
:. :. zen's position determined me to cxpcnd tll
l last man in holding it. As soon as Col. Gros
n was relieved Of the enemy in his rear. agal
= changed front, moved to the left md co-opc
: rated with Col. Hazen. Again and again III
!, time repulsed, and the gallant men who la
7 = 60 br:ycly struggled to hold the position, OF
= : CAPPED it during the night"
~ Fl is evident from this array Of facts, 50 efn
- ply yet so wildly set forth, that at the tim
y This terrible battle was raging along the from
- flank and rear Of Palmer's position, he an
:. his gallant troops held in their hands the saf
>. ty Of the entire army. Had they succumbes
IS fecbled line, shuddcr to think Of what in q
~ ~ human probability would lave been the incE
~ table CONSEQUENCE. The success OF the rebel
~ y it seems to me, would have been complet
X and terribly disastrous retreat wonld ha1
u peen forced upon the army Of the Cuinbe
- land. Nor can one too much admire the cou
IN age, steadiness and pertinacity Of troops Off
) veteran experience, who, thus involved in
desperate attack from overwhelming numbe
"a Of troops flushed with victory, AZ once upc
- front, flank anil rear, proved themselves coy.
q. T. to the appalling emergency. In the mode
y Language of General Palmer, .the gallant mi
~ who had so braycly struggled to hold the p
IT IT eition, occupied it during the night.'' :.
y The battle Of 1nkcrnaan, the assault on Il
Redan, or the storming ofthe Malakoff, af1o
NO instances Of courage and determinatit
'o' more brilliant and un1linching than is here G
hibited. Probably many other Generals vi
N, participated in the bloody battle Of stol
River, displayed qualities equal to those ma
na ifrstcd by Gen. Palmer, but doubt whetlt
~ ii was the luck Of any officers, below the raj
r. of Commander-in. Chief, to unite equal sk
~. with equal good fortune, and to exercise
at the final result III Influence so commando
hy and decisive. i. G..