The National tribune., 1882-01-07

and Van Pelts and Guenthers batteries, which
he placed in reserve on Negley's left and rear.
| The position of the left wing has already been
described. Brig.-Gen. T. j. Woods division, g. 800
strong, was composed of three brigades, under
command of Brigadier- General Milo S. Hascall,
Colonel G. d. Wagner, and Colonel c. G. Harker,
with three batteries, Esteppe's Coxs, and Brad
leys Hascall, on the extreme left of the line of
| battle, rested on Stone River overlooking the
ford. Harker in the CENTRE and Wagner on the
right joined the left of Brigadier-General j. NJ
| Palmer's division at the turnpike. Colonel
Crosses brigade, LOO strong arranged in two
lines ON the left Brgadier- General Cruft's
! brigade, 200 strong, to the right, extending
across the point of woods, his extreme right re-
tired to connect with General Negley's left
Brigadier-General William B. Hazen's brigade
1,40O strong, arriving from the Jefferson pike on
the night of the 30th, was ordered to the front,
and on the following morning relieved Crosses
brigade. The position to which Hazen's brigade
was assigned in relation to the action of the en-
suing day entities it to special mention. 1t was
in cotton-feld five hundred yards in rear of the
intersection of the railroad and turnpike its left
resting upon the latter. The position was utterly
untenable, it being commanded in all directions,
except the rear, by covers of wood, embank-
ment, and palisading, at good musket range.
The brigade was formed in two lines, the right
| resting against the skirt of woods occupied by
Forty-frst Ohio in the front line, the Ninth
Indiana and One Hundred and Tenth Illinois in
support.
The artillery of Palmers divisions consisted of
Company H " and IN" Fourth United States,
commanded by Lieutenants Throckmorton and
Parsons and Captain Standards Ohio battery
The three brigades of Brigadier- General Van
Cleve's division, 5000 strong, commanded by
Colonel Sam Beatty, Colonel Z. ?. Fyffe, and
Colonel S. ". Price, with the artillery belonging
to it. Swallows, Longstreets and Stevens bat
teries were in reserve near the ford of Stone
River
THE PLAN OF BATTLE
General McCook was to occupy the most ad-
vantageOus position, refusing his right as much
as practicable and necessary to secure it. to
receive the attack Of the enemy, or, if that did
not come, to attack sufficiently to hold all the
forces in his front Generals Thomas and Palmer
to open with skirmishing and engage the enemy's
centre and left as far as the river Crittenden to
cross Van Cleyes division at the lower ford,
covered and supported by Mortons pioneer corps,
100 strong, and TO advance on Breckinridge.
Woods division to cross by brigades at the upper
ford, and moving on Van Cleves right to carry
everything before them to MuIfreesboTo.
This movements would, it was supposed, dis
lodge Breckenridge, and gaining the high ground
east of Stone River, Woods batteries could
obtain enflading fire upon the heavy body Of
troops masSed in front of Negley and Palmer
The centre and left using Negley's right as
pivot, were to swing around through Murfrees-
boro and take the force confronting McCool in
rear, driving it into the country towards Salem.
The successful execution of General Rosecranss
design depended not more upon the spirit and
gallantry of the assaulting column, than upon
the courage and obstinacy with which the posi-
ton held by the Right Wing was maintained.
Having explained this fact to General McCook,
the commanding general asked him, if, with a
full knowledge Of the ground over which he had
fought, he could hold his position three hours,
again alludng to his dissatisfaction with the
direction which his line had assumed, but, as
before, leaving that to the corps commander
" think can," said McCook, and the conference
ended.
General Braxton Bragg, a graduate Of West
Point, a master in military science, comm ander
whose endurance and hard fighting qualities in
the field were more conspicuous than his general
ship in the management of campaigns, was in
command of the confederate army at Murtrees-
boro He had taken up the execution of the
plan of battle where it had dropped from the
dying hand of Albert Sydney Johnson, and was
advancing to carry it out at Shiloh, when his
brigades were recalled by Beauregard, sick in an
ambulance three miles in the rear. He had by
brilliant flank movement of three hundred
miles through a mountainous region, gained
Buells rear in Kentucky, only to emerge from
the farthest corner of the State without decisive
battle. determinations had grown out of this
campaign which threatened to sap the influence
of the commanding general. General Polk had
been threatened with court martial, and Hardee
expressed the opinion that if Bragg persisted in
bringing charges, Polk could, if he would, rip
upthe Kentucky campaign-tear Bragg to tatters."
These compliments, however, passed only be-
tween prominent officers; the army was in good
state of discipline, although out of an aggregate
of S., ,372 only 1880 were carried the rolls as
etfectives and 10000 were absent, with and with
out leave.
Bragg had in his army about the same proper
ton OF raw troops to veterans as were found in
that in his front and both armies equally we'll
armed. Men who had tested each others metal
at Pea Ridge, Shiloh, and Perryville, and in in
Vulnerable skirmishes, were again arrayed for a
final conflict. Here was Bragg, sullen. hard
featured, unapproachable; Polk, benignant, dig
nifed, majestic; Hardee. the superb rider, the
strict disciplinaran the steady persistent fighter
Breckinridge, elegant in manner, eloquent in
speech, courteous, courageous, the idol of the
Kentucky brigade, and, like the men who COM
posed it, dimly conscious possibly of the crime
against his favorite dogma Of State rights, and
of the ingratitude of people whose cause they
had espoused against the expressed will of their
native State.
Among the division commanders were Cheat
ham, whose headlong charges at Shiloh and
Perryville thousands of manned soldiers both
North and South had good cause to remember;
Cleburne, stubborn and stout of heart, blunt
| impassive, and heavy, wlo was destined two
breastworks at Franklin; McCown and Withers
| NJ NOT md hnSt nf hrira do apI