The National tribune., 1881-12-31
Army of the Cumberland.
Continued from First page. J

stockade at a safe distance from the muskets of
the garrison 1t was the habit of the Union Off
GERS to ridicule the care used by Morgan In saw
ing his men, and his disinclination to attack a
force equal to his own was ascrlbed 10 tlmldlty,
but it must be admitted that his power for evil
was in proportion to his strength, and that as he
never wasted it voluntarily his lease OF power
was vastly increased by ecOnomlZ1ng 1t.
The authorities at Washington had learned
nothing by the experience of Buell. in his vain
endeavOr to maintain a railroad line through
country open to hostile raids and had turned
deaf ear to his reiterated appeals for cavalry and
scOrning to take lessons from their antagonists,
they still persisted in refusing to increase this
efficient arm of the service Millions of dollars
were expended in replacing railroad equipments
and army supplies destroyed by Van Dorm, Nor
gan, and Forrest.
The most important expeditions on which the
armies could be engaged were defeated IN len
nessee and Mississippi while across the MISSISSIPPI
River, where the cavalry was equal IN strength to
that of the enemy, Curtis had driven the armies
of Holmes from Missouri, and were at this mo-
ment established far across the line IN Arkansas.
In the absence of cavalry force sufficient to
attack Morgan upon his predatory incurslons into
Kentucky the alternative was to protect the rail-
road by building stockades covering the bridges
and most important trestles and manning them
with infantry. The completion and protection OF
| the work was intrusted to General Thomas. Upon
| the advance of Smiths division from Glasgow
| to ioin the corps on the Cumberland, Scott's
brigade of Dumont's division was posted at that
place and Dumont's and NIiller's brigades were
| sent to Scottville Frys division took position
at Gallatin, where Thomas established his head
quarters Subsequently Scotts brigade was
transferred to Hartsville, whsre it relieved the
Tenth Kentucky infantry in guarding ford
| over the Cumberland in the directin OF Lebanon,
| Tenn On the 18th of November Crittenden
| moved his corps from Silver Springs and en-
camped in front of Nashville. General Paine
assumed command of the troops guarding the
railroad and made his headquarters at Gallatin
Colonel S. D. Bruce, with mixed command OF
| infantry and cavalry, made an expedition to-
wards the Cumberland below Nashville On the
| 29th he met an irregular command of cOnfederates
| beyond RussellviIle routed them, and continued
his march to Clarksville, where he took position.
On the 22d Morgan and several of his officers,
all disguised visited Colonel Lister, who with the
Thirty first o. V. l. was posted at Cages Ford,
under flag of truce.
Divining their object, Colonel Lister quietly
recrossed the river after they had left and took
position on the north bank of the Cumberland.
The change was made not moment too soon,
for few minutes later Morgan's cavalry dashed
into his vacant camp, where he was greeted with
a volley of minnie balls, under which he retired
with equal rapidity. Colonel Kennett posted
| 9th he came in contact with considerable
force of Wheelers cavalry, routed and pursued
them on the Franklin turnpike fifteen miles.
The next day Colonel Kirk drove another de-
tachment from La Vergne, capturing several
prisoners, who gave information of Bragg's move
ments.
November 27th Col. Roberts, of the Forty
second Illinois, captured a captain and squad of
Morgan's men, with horses and equipments, and
about the same time Maj Hill, with squadron
| of the Second Indiana cavalry, crossed the river
at Hartsville, recaptured forage train, released
the prisoners and killed twenty of the force that
had made the capture. The month of November
had not been fruitful of results to the confede-
rate cavalry. The multiplicity of fords on the
| Cumberland, however, rendered it almost impOs-
sible to guard the crossings. One of the easiest
of these was that near Hartsville, where Thorn as
| had stationed an entire brigade of infantry sup
ported by battery of four guns, and battalion
of cavalry for picket duty. The position was
elevated, approached by an easy grade on all
sides, except toward the river where there was a
high bluff. Later in the war breast-werk and
| line of rifle pits and an abatis would have deco
rated the sides of the HILL but at this time such
defenses were regarded as confession of weak
ness.
Col. Scott was relieved of command of the bri-
gade on the Sd, by Col. A. B. Moore, of the One
Hundred and Fourth Illinois. His regiment, the
| One hundred ana SlXtn ana On6 hundred anu
Eighth Ohio, composed the brigade. The effective
strength of the command was 1900, including
$50 of the Second Indiana cavalry, and one COM
pany of the Eleventh Kentucky cavalry, 20 men,
under Lieut.. Terrell. Besides these there were
present in camp 400 men unfit for duty. Nor
! gan planned complete surprise. He crossed the
river at the fords with 200 men, leaving force
on the south side of the river, ON the night of
the 9Th, unnoticed by the cavalry videttes, and
the first intimati on that the infantry had of his
presence in the vicinity was the march of his
columns across the plain at the foot of the hill
opposite the river, to gain the cover of ravine.
A frail skirmish line alone barred the advance
Of his compact line of infantry and dsmounted
cavalry. He knew that only nine miles away
at Castllian Springs, Harlan's stout fighting bri-
| gade was ready at all times to march, and that
it would be upon him at double quick within
TWO hours after the opening guns signalled the
attack. Gaining the ravine he opened rapid
fire upon the hastily formed lines throwing them
| into confusion. There seemed to be no concerted
plan of defense, and no head to plan one under
fire. One company of the One Hundred and
Fourth Illinois, under Captain Palmer two COM
panies of the One Hundred and Eighth Ohio un-
der Captain Pivot and the cavalry dismounted
and fighting skirmishers, alone retrieved the
disgrace of the affair. The artillery was now
brought forward and one piece placed in po-
sition in the centre of the line. 1t did good exc
cution, exploding one of Morgan's caissons and
killing several men. The Second and Ninth
Kentucky infantry of Hanson's veteran brigade,
$50 strong, and cloud of Chenault's, Clarks,
Hutfman's, and Benefits dismounted cavalry now
advanced under cover of q heavy artillery fire