The National tribune., 1882-01-07

A. j. Vaughan General Maney's brigade on out
post duty at Stewarts Creek joined the division
on Monday, the 2Sth, after stubborn resistance
of General Woods advance from La Vergne.
-Four batteries were also attached to this diyi-
sOn-Carnes's Stanf0rd's, Furniss, and SCOTS.
The total effective strength of the division was
6,35S. McCown's division of Kirby Smiths
Corps, consisting of the three brigades of Briga-
dler-Generals EctOr, Rains, and McNair, and the
three batteries of Duffus, Douglass and Hum
phreys, 1900 strong was stationed on the ex
treme left of the infantry line to cover an in
terval between Witherss left and the Triune
road. Breckinridge, in command of the four
brigades led by Colonel Roger Hanson, of Ken
lucky, Brgadier- General William Preston Col.
J. B. Palmer, and Brigadier-General d. ".
Adams, with an independent brigade under
command of BrigaderGeneral J. X. Jackson,
was posted in advance of Cleburnes division
between the Lebanon road and Stone River.
Five batteries, commanded by Cobb, Wright,
Anderson, Vaught, and Lumsden, completed the
organization of this DIVISION 1858 strong. The
cavalry, $500 strong, under command of Major
General Joseph Wheeler as chief of cavalry,
divided into four brigades commanded by him
self, Brigadier-General Wharton, Brigadier-Gen-
eral Pegram, and Brigadier-G General Abe BufOrd,
was stationed the fsnks, with orders to at
tack communications in the rear of the Union
army.
reports of brigade and division commanders.
The total footing, 3S,253, leaves 9,677 men re-
ported as etfectives on the returns of December
26th unaccounted for. Neither Morgans nor
Forests cavalry brigades Of 5000 each, both
absent in Kentucky and West Tennessee, is
included in those returns. Cleburne lay inactive
in line Of battle until the evening Of the Both,
when he received orders TO Cross Stone River
and form on the left of Cheatham as support
to McCOwn. The confederate line as it stood on
the night of the 30th was doubled in front of
Palmer, Negley, and McCoOk, leaving Brecllin-
ridge with five brgades formed IN line of battle
in front of Gen. Wood, separated from him by the
river. A practicable ford existed Immediately
in front of the left of Woods division and still
another half mile in his rear, called for coyen-
ence the upper and lower fords. Both fords
were held by the Union skirmish lines
During the night of the 29th General Wheeler,
who had moved from the left to the right of
Murfreesboro, advancing by the Lebanon and
Jefferson pixies, gained the rear of Rosecranss
army, and attacked Starkweathers brigade at
Jefferson at daylight on the 30th The head of
his brigade train, sixty-four wagons, had just
rived in camp, and was driving into park, when
Wheeler dashed down upon it with 5000 cavalry.
But he had encountered an antagonist as yigilant
as himself The Twenty-frst Wisconsin double
quicbed to the front and fired a vGlley, then
took position on the right Of the pike. Captain
Craddock, with fifty men of the Second Kentucky
cavalry, made bold dash to the left to feel the
enemy and became hotly engaged. The First
Wisconsin rallied on the right, supported by two
sections of fThomassOn's Kentucky battery, which
opened with shell. The Twenty-fourth Illinois
and the third section of Thomasson's battery had
in the meantime gained possession Of the bridge.
Wheelers men now dismOunted, advanced gal
lantly to the charge when they as gallantly
met. For two hours the contest for the posses
sion of the bridge ragged along the whole line.
Twenty wagons in the rear Of the train were
taken and destroyed, but the assault upon the
brigade was handsomely repulsed. The confed-
crates fell back, followed by Starkweather more
than mile, when he returned to camp. The
Union loss in killed, wounded, and missing was
122.
From Jefferson, Wheeler proceeded towards La
Vergne, picking up occasional stragglers and a
small forage train, arriving at La Vergne about
noon Of the same day.
The immense supply trains of McCooks Corps
were moving slowly forward under insufficient
guard, and a sudden charge in three columns
placed hundreds of men, horses, mules, and army
wagons at the mercy of the confederate cavalry.
The work Of parOling prisoners, burning wagons,
exchanging arms and horses, and driving off
mules commenced at once, and occupied the
remainder of the day and night Walkers
brigade, on its night march from Nolensyille to
Stewartsboro arrived within two and.a half miles
of La Vergne early on the morning of the 31st,
and advanced at once to the scene of devastation.
The turnpike, as far as the eye could reach, was
filled with burning wagons. The country was
overspread by disarmed men, broken down horses
and mules. The streets were covered with empty
valises and trunks, knapsacks, broken guns, and
all the indescrbable debris of captured and
ri1ed army train. A few shells, judiciously
administered suficed to set Wheelers stragglers
stampering after the main body now far on its
way toward Rock Spring, where another army
train awaited it. 700 prisoners parOled, and
near a million dollars worth of property destroyed
at La Vergne, was the penalty paid by the Gov
ernment for not needing the requests of the
commanding general for more cavalry; but from
this time forward officers travelled with less bag
gage. 4 train at Rock Springs and another at
NOensville shared the fate of that at La Nergne
and 800 paroled prisoners were left to carry the
tidings back to Nashville. At two o'clock on the
morning of the 31st, Wheeler came up bright
and smiling upon the left flank of the confed-
the entire circuit of Rosecrans' army in forty
eight hours, leaving miles of road strewed with
burning wagons and army supplies, remounting
a portion of his cavalry and bringing back to
camp sufficient number of minnie rifles and
accoutrements to arm brigade.
While these events were transpiring in the
rear of the Union army, the generals in command
of both armies were busily engaged preparing
their plans for the impending battle.
We have seen that the plan of Gen. Rosecrans
contemplated wheel from left to right crossing
Wood and Van Cleye at the fords above men-
toned, sweeping forward upon Breckenridge, drlv-
ing him back, planting artillery upon the eminence
held by Hanson's brigade and opening upon
fire